[ClutchFans] Breaking Down the Rockets Blockbuster

It was a calculated risk. I think Morey knows Amare isn't going to opt out of $17 million for next season. So, he was going to be left with a superstar in a contract year, playing his a... off for a max contract the year after. And IF...Amare did opt out, then he had the S&T availability going for him plus the ability to take back another expiring contract to combine with Jeffries or Battier to make a deal for another superstar....plus cap space. It as a no-brainer for Morey. He didn't make the deal because Amare's value just went through the floor with the possibility of him having hidden physical issues. So why make the deal now when you can make the deal later and get a better deal or get a better player in Bosh? Too much risk to take him on now and then have a decaying asset if they discover he has a deteriorating retina that will cut his career short. Too much value to be gained by waiting.

 

Value could be found in this draft if Rockets are able to trade up?

Could one of the players below or others not mentioned present themselves as immediate help and also carry the potential to be a franchise big man?

DeMarcus Cousins
Derrick Favors
Greg Monroe
Donatas Montiejunas
Patrick Patterson

http://www.nba.com/rockets/video/2010/02/18/PressConKMartTrade021810wmv-1235553/index.html

 

Excellent read, Clutch. Always look forward to your columns, but particularly this one. The only criticism I might have is that you don't feature it enough on the front page. Someone scanning it might miss the title under "News and Features." I think you could consider bumping up the bullet point.

 

Ready for the offseason (and tonights game) - This is going to be fun!! :grin:

 

1) Jeffries will be an expiring contract, as of this summer. That gives him value, right there. Note that we kept Cook all this time because we thought we could get something for his contract.
2) I agree that Tracy isn't done. The comparison to Vince Carter seems apt.
3) Other GMs will not fear DM. These are all guys with egos, after all, and they all think they can beat Morey. He may get a rep as not playing straight, though. Talking about the Herschel Walker deal, the Vikings sweetened the deal with picks, depending on whether the Cowboys kept the individual players. I think the way the Cowboys manipulated that particular provision made the other teams a little wary.
4) I have faith in Hill, though we'll have to see. I will also be watching with interest to see what happens with Armstrong and Jeffries. I will be quite happy if either turns out to be more than a scrub.
5) This was astute:

Playoffs, anyone? I predict they'll get the 6th or 7th spot this year.

 

Was a trade exception generated for the Rockets in this deal?

 

ditto.

 

Can't wait to see everything unfold in the summer. I really love getting those picks from the Knicks, it gives us so much leverage and flexibility

 

Don't know why but this made me smirk then laugh.

 

Nice read Clutch. Way to break it down.

 

I agree--the summer will be awesome, but I'm more excited for this season.


I have us making the playoffs at a 7th seed.

 

Great trade --- Great article.
Thanks Clutch!

 

I think we get Bosh or Amare in the off season this summer. I'd prefer Bosh. I could see us giving up a combo of Jefferies/Battier/Budinger/Scola/Taylor and those draft picks. My hope is we wouldn't lose both Scola and Battier and our depth chart when Yao got back would be:

PG: Brooks, Lowry, Temple
Wings: Ariza, Martin, Battier/Budinger/JT
PF: Bosh, Hayes, Scola/Jefferies, Hill
C Yao, Andersen, Armstrong

'10-'11 Champs

Morey has certainly positioned this franchise for a big year next year in a genius rebuild on the fly. Simply amazing.

 

Great point. I agree 100%. A decision between Scola and Landry needs to be made in a year. Both of them are talented players but they both share the weakness of not being a shotblocker. Scola is an FA this year, Landry next, and both should get paid well in free agency. I don't think the team can afford to pay both of them with that shared weakness. As Clutch said, the team really need to get more of a PF/C type to be one of the rotational bigs given Yao's injury history.

So, it makes sense to trade one of them if you can get a good retrurn to fill another need (and Martin is such a good return)-- and the team will hopefully fill that void with another talented big who is an even better fit than Landry.

I agree. I am thinking something like the following might go down one day... and it would be a happy occasion for Rockets fans (excuse my elementary skills in animation making. I am no smoothie).




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Man I love Carl's game and I hate to say it but you're right, his value could not be any higher right now not just because of his play but because of his contract as well. Hopefully Hill will get his act together and can eventually be able to fill Carl's role off the bench.

 

Great perspective Clutch, and very good read :grin:

 

I think Hill is a sleeper. Let Hakeem work with him, because he also has great foot work just needs a mentor.

 

Greg Monroe would be nice

 

According to nba.com (Transactions),

From Houston's POV, if this is considered a non-simultaneous trade, McGrady's $23.3 million minus $9 million for hill and Jeffries leaves Houston with a $14.4 million ($14.3 million plus $100K) TPE for one year. NY would have had to use a TPE to do this, since they were not under the cap.

As far as I know, the NBA doesn't post such info anywhere for the general public to see, so I only have my calculations to go on. My info on non-simultaneous trades is from the Larry Coon FAQ (items 70 and 71), plus some as-yet unfruitful searching in the CBA, section 6 (h) and section 6 (k).

http://www.nbpa.org/cba/2005

 

I havent tried to do the math, but I do recall seeing it mentioned that the TE was only around 5M. When calculating if a TE was generated you cant just go by one aspect of a multi-team deal.

Maybe one of our cap guys can do the math and report...I have to run for a while so I can be free for the game tonight.