[ClutchFans] Identifying Houston’s Priorities in an Omer Asik Trade

Bobcats: MKG ($4.8M) + Brendan Haywood (2M per expires in 14/15) + Detroit 2014 1st round pick for Asik.

That gives the Rockets - Backup C on the right length deal, young asset player and a liquid 1st round pick.

 

They can trade Asik for Humphries straight up and still avoid the lux tax.

Their total salaries for the year would be 66.98 which is still 2 million under the lux tax threshold.

We all should know better that if Morey and Les WILL use up every financial incentive possible for draft picks. While Boston is not well known to be a "cheap" franchise by any stretch, they might very well like the idea of using this deal to get under the luxury tax (which it would do since they are only 1.2 million over the tax). Giving up two picks for a fantastic player that would fit well with Rondo seemingly staying, and getting under the lux tax might be something that very well interests Ainge and their ownership.

 

I dont think we would need him for his scoring right now. He can come in and play backup SF or whatever and play good defense. We REALLY need a perimeter defender right NOW. If we also get Hawes that would provide the offense in the deal. I like that deal for us. Those are decent players that would seem to fit with our current stars without commanding too much salary or need the ball in their hands to be productive.

Morey is not trying to tie us up right now until he makes a good run at another all-star level player to go with Howard and Harden. Parsons is a solid young SF on a great deal, but not ready to win a title. Need more of a vet player to do that. I believe that who Morey is looking for ultimately. At PG, PF, or SF. Then we set and ready to go for it. We have the backups in place.

 

So Jeff Green and/or Thaddeus Young are going to put us over the hump this year? I don't think so. If you do, we'll agree to disagree.

Morey has a real chance at adding a third max or close to max contract (and still competing for a championship in the meantime). I don't think he intends to give that away easily, seeing as how only one team in the history of the league has ever been able to do that (doing so in dramatic "blow up the team" fashion).

We could feasibly carry three max guys at around $55 million total salary, re-sign Parsons and still spend a fair amount of money to fill out the roster without getting into absurd luxury tax territory like the Nets are or Lakers used to be.

 

Love is UNBELIEVABLY good, but he has had problems with the front office and if there is 0% chance of resigning him, you try to acquire as many assets as possible.

AKA potential players (MKG) and picks, which I'm guessing Rockets can get some from Charlotte, maybe find a couple more 2nd rounders for other random trades (D-mo and Smith), then include their own. It MAY get it done.

Obviously still a long shot and it's more Minny and Love being unable to coexist, but if they can't they will be shopping him soonish.

 

This with the added caveat of sending Dmo to Philly for Hawes.

 

Great article Clutch!

I agree that Spencer Hawes would be a likely candidate for Morey, and he might try to get him in return in any deal for Asik. What I'm not to convinced, is on is the likelihood of trading Lin at the moment. The only way I see him being traded is in a big trade to acquire another legitimate superstar, he simply has to much value ($$$$) to the team, and not necessarily on the court.
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All the pieces will be falling into place. Bye, Asik, bye Lin, bye Parson, bye whoever else etc etc........Hello Durant 2016!!! Nothing wrong with wishful thinking!!

 

I dont think Hinkie is I don't think 'the collective we' have a bleeding clue what Hinkie thinks. Or Ainge. Or just about anyone else.

Horford's agent is OA's new agent which I think means...

Clutch, thank you for the tidy summation. Need rep?

 

After Melo leaked "I want out of NY" and then "I want Rondo" a cpl days apart, I half suspect Boston want Asik and to lose Wallace (and Green, but Wallace is the noose) so they can make a run at Melo with a Rondo/Melo core and Asik as the anchor, it would be both a better team and far more suited to him than the NY/LA alternatives.

 

Makes a ton of sense Clutch! Thanks for this write-up. I too dismissed the idea of Houston trading for a Thad Young because of the contract length. Hawes seems like the most logical piece; especially when you consider that Philly isn't interested in losing him for nothing at the end of the season. Maybe he's in their long-term plans and they want to resign him, but if not, and knowing Hinkie will likely want to retain lot of cap flexibility to get real star players, I suspect that Hawes is available.

Love the idea of dealing with the Bobcats. Not so high on dealing with Boston because, as you rightly pointed out, they don't really have anything that we want other than picks and Olynyk (who i doubt they part with). At the end of the day, Hawes and pick would be ideal, but i suspect Morey will surprise us on on Thursday.

 

Just few more hours or a couple of days to know what we get and who we trade asik for. Can't wait

 

Great article, Clutch.

If we want to open up cap space for next summer, offer up Asik and Lin for Pau Gasol. Of course, LA is probably wanting cap space to make a run at LeBron or Melo this summer, so I doubt they would do that deal.

 

great article clutch. think Hawes needs to be in there

 

great breakdown clutch, looking forward to the trade fallout podcast!

 

Good ideas from you, and Clutch, and basketballholic.

I have Asik going to Boston. Boston gets the best player in the deal, plus they dodge the luxury tax. These two things combined are worth the cost (a first round pick).

Houston gets Hawes, the first round pick from Boston, and maybe filler/junk (Marshon Brooks?).

Philly? They absorb Kris Humphries' expiring contract, and give up Hawes, but they get back Donatas Motiejunas (30+ minutes/game, here we come), plus some other bits and pieces from Houston (presumably many if not all of the assets received from Portland in the Thomas Robinson dump). These odds and ends are valued by Sam Hinkie; Hawes, who will not be re-signed and whose trade value as an unrestricted free agent-to-be is limited, not so much. These odds and ends (Motiejunas, second round picks, draft rights to that Greek kid) are what Hinkie has been after all along, not Asik.

That's my revised projected trade (hopefully the final revision).

Look for Houston to immediately waive the worthless Marshon Brooks and quickly sign the sharpshooting Troy Daniels to a standard team-friendly Morey deal. Houston runs with a 12-man active roster and Isaiah Canaan, Robert Covington, and Troy Daniels all stick with the d-league team, at least for now.

Great haul for Houston. Really nice deal for all three participants, really.

 

I could definitely see jones, mkg, 1st from cha trade, lin (or an asset/pick we get from him) and our 1st for a disgruntled kevin love.

 

How did Marshon fall from Young Kobe to "worth and useless"?

 

I can't see us waiving incoming expiring contracts until the trade deadline is passed. I'd be surprised if we signed Daniels or anybody until Feb 20.