What will it take for the Rockets to get in the top 5?

I'm biased but I think dmo and a future lottery protected 1st should get us a top 5 pick easily.

 

Generally,no allstar(or maybe future allstar) cann't trade for the top 5 draft

 

Unfortunately it will take much more than that. The 2016 Rockets first will be almost worthless (considering how bad the 2016 draft seems to be and how low the Rockets pick is projected to be). The 76ers are aiming for either Mudiay or Russel and noway either of them is available at pick 14 (best case scenario) or even at pick 11 (the pick Miami owns them). The best franchise prospects are always at the top and after the top 4-5 the draft gets much worse.
The best bet to trade up would be either with Sacramento Orlando or Utah.
Most likely Sacramento because Karl doesn't like to play rookies.

 

If the Knicks move down to 5, they'll be stupid enough to trade the pick for parts. If DMo's closest comparable is to Pau, then Phil might be the GM who'll really want him. Too bad he got injured.

 

Dwight Howard

 

You way underestimated the price of a top 5 pick. Assuming the draft is not terrible at the top, a #5 pick is probably worth twice of a #10, and a #10 is probably worth twice of a #18.

DMO may be worth another #18. The value of 2nd rounder or Kpap is negligible in this kind of conversation. Top 10 may be possible if there is a willing partner. Without trading away a star, it's really really difficult to get a top 5.

 

The top four draft picks are excellent this summer. Just stunning. Okafor is the most polished scoring big coming out of college in maybe forever. Towns has more upside than him, and projects to be the first pick. Russel is the best point guard since Lilliard, is 6'5" and passes better than any college prospect in the last decade. And then there is my personal favorite, Mudiay. a 6'5" point guard with good skills who also happens to be an athletic beast on the scale of Wiggans. After that the talent pool drops like a rock.

Those picks are probably unobtainable. Unless Morey takes a stupid pill and packages something like the NOP pick, a future first rounder, Capela, D-Mo perhaps Ariza. It would be that expensive. Not going to happen.

 

If the cost was #18, 2017 1st, Capela & DMo for Russel or Mudiay, I'd probably do it if we had the assurance we could bring back Brewer and Smith. We could then keep Bev for next year and still have the Knicks 2nd to hopefully find a backup big (like Robert Upshaw or Dakari Johnson) or a shooter. Would still have the non-guaranteed contracts of Prig and Papa to take on a bigger contract vet who could help at either of those spots we don't fill.

PG: Russel/Mudiay, Beverly, Johnson
SG: Harden, Brewer, McDaniels
SF: Ariza, Brewer
PF: Jones, Smith,
C: Howard, Upshaw, Dorsey

Hate to lose DMo, Capela, or the potential player at #18, but Russel/Mudiay could be that 3rd star that still lets us keep the entirety of the rest of our rotation. That would be huge.

 

We are not rebuilding, and any other rebuilding team will take what you offer with an open arms for unproved college kid...

 

Only one of those pieces going out is a proven rotation player and he plays a position we would have 2 legitimate starters. That wouldn't be rebuilding at all.

 

Capela is very similar to WCS, who is a top 7 pick in the draft. However, we are SURE that Capela at least will be a starting level center in the NBA with room to be more than that. He is also on the books for peanuts for the next 3 years.

Therefore, Capela won't be traded unless we get a monumental return.

Capela + DMO + 2 first round picks for a superstar would be okay. For a "possible" star may not a good idea.

With that said, we can only sign one of T-Jones or DMO this summer. With capela on the books for 3 more years, I would be very willing to trade 2 first round picks and/or D-MO to move into the mid lottery if Morey really likes a player.

 

Another point about trading proven players with potential and getting unproven players with potential.

Remember MKG and Thomas Robinson? Both were "can't miss" prospects. Thomas Robinson was seen as NBA ready as possible. MKG is an average starter and T-Rob is an end of the bench type of guy.

How about Beasley and Derrick Williams? Both were #2 picks and potential superstars. They are fringe rotation players in the NBA.

It doesn't matter how good they are in college. There is always bust potential.

You just don't trade away players like Capela. He has barely played, but he already affects the game positively in so many ways when he does play. He's on lock for 3 more years. Morey made a point about how valuable these 1st round picks are, because if you hit, you keep an excellent player at way-below market value.

 

We are? Who is with you on that? Capela has potential to possibly be a solid C, but I don't think there is a single person who would say they are SURE his floor is a starting level C. No wonder you are against it.

We can't get mid lottery by trading #18 and a future 1st. Not even sure it would get us into the lottery at #14. And DMo certainly will not get us a mid lottery pick on his own.

No one would even think about trading a proven NBA star for Capela, DMo, #18, and a terrible 1st rounder, unless they were forced into it with a FA sign and trade.

Capela is not a "hit" at this point. He is a possible "hit" that may be a serviceable backup with a ceiling (not floor) of being a starting C down the line. Best hope is probably Dalembert, which would be really nice, and worst case is probably something like Joel Anthony. We certainly don't know yet.