I won't complain if we get one, but I find it odd that applying for this twice with the same player and essentially the same injury is even possible. Let's say we extend Yao for three years @ MLE. He then suits up for a few games and "re-injures" himself every year and we basically get 1.5 MLE's per season, while the insurance pays (most of) the salary.
Maybe this is why they said it was the medial malleolus and not navicular stress fracture. To make it as though it's two separate injuries.
I find this very interesting because if you can couple this injured player exception with the player exception from the Ariza trade you are essetially looking at the ability to sign a player worth upwards of 10 Mil. for virtually anything off the Rockets bench that an opposing team would want. With 45 days upon approval to use the exception to use this grant, that gives you right up to the trade deadline to use this deal. With cost cutting mode teams like the Suns, you can see what you might be able to get for say a young, cheap talent like Jordan Hill, Terrance Williams, and Chase Budinger. Also consider expiring contracts of Jefferies and maybe Battier (although I think he is less likely to get dealt than most on here think.) If the Rockets get over the .500 hump by the end of this month and win 10 out of 17 in January, they are right in the mix for the 7th or 8th seed in the West. What teams out there will be in cost cutting/ rebuilding mode in a month???... Hmmm lets take a look out there and see. Here is the most obvious candidates at this point in time. 1. Phoenix Suns= -Could Steve Nash be had???... not likely, but look for Morey to still make a push for him even though Marcin Gortat is the next player on the list for Morey to try for. Phoenix would probably like to keep him but his contract is sizable given the minutes he willl play and it would show ultimate confidence in Robin Lopez as the future starter. The only thing is they would like a good backup in return to back Lopez. Jordan Hill would likely be a coveted piece the Suns with look at here if. 2. Orlando Magic= - The Magic dont know it yet but they are in high water with contracts this season and are essentially going all in with taking on the contracts of Arenas, Hedo, and Richardson with the ink still wet on re-signings of players like JJ Reddick. The only question is... what would the Rockets want from this team other than Dwight Howard??? If this team has a bad January, they could very well try and shed salary here and there but there really isnt any pieces I could see the Rockets really coveting here. 3. Philly 76ers= - The Sixers have been in cost cutting mode for awhile but they just cant seem to rid themselves of Elton Brands contract. If the #2 Draft pick Evan Turner can start playing some halfway decent basketball it would make Andre Igoudala a whole lot more expendible. Right now they just dont have enough players to put the ball in the hoop. I could imagine them making a push for Terrance Williams along with a draft pick, and an expiring, but its hard to see this happening unless the Rockets are willing to take on Brands contract. My guess is this one could become an ugly battle with Morey's only chance of getting his way on a trade deadline last minute desperation deal.
Edit - The Rockets DPE and Trade Exception cannot be combined. So the trades would still likely have to include a draft pick or multiple contract to get the deal done.
Bima, Can the disabled-player exception be combined with the Ariza exception to form essentially a $10+ million exception to acquire one player? Or is it stand alone like a normal trade exception? Can it be combined with an expiring like Jared to be traded for one player? If so, how does the 25% and $100,000 work with the exception and another exception or player in combination?
He said in the Nene thread that it cannot. http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showpost.php?p=5819013&postcount=19
Does the player acquired through the DPE, either via trade or free agency, count against the cap? My guess would be yes, and my other guess would be that Yao's contract still counts regardless of the DPE. In that case, anyone we get would still cost us double their salary.
The 45 days limit doesn't apply in this scenario. The Rockets would be able to use the DPE until October 1 2011, unless renounced earlier (to get more capspace) or if Yao comes back earlier, in which case the Rockets would lose the exception, if not already used.
Is there any player out there, primarily a big that might be worth signing outright, or buying out of the contract in Europe? What about the center at Kentucky that was ruled ineleigible, can he sign? DD
