[Ken Berger] Rockets trying to acquire another 1st-round pick

Agree 100%

 

Don't think the Rockets would go for that. Most likely, it's non-guaranteeds and #32 to move into the mid-20s. A few examples:

Varejao + #24 for Papa + Prig + 3rd player + #32

Vince Carter + #25 for Papa + #32

Boris Diaw + #26 for Papa + Prigioni + #32

I prefer the Diaw trade. Yeah, we're helping SAS get LaMarcus, but Diaw would fit well here and his contract isn't bad ($3 million guaranteed in 2016, fully non-guaranteed in 2017).

 

I agree with this but I doubt Jones is being shopped actively or we'd hear his name out there beyond The Jopat Times Report.

I absolutely think he's available though, but the issue with what I mentioned before is if we would gravitate towards wanting players like Capela, D-Mo, and even Ariza more than Jones, WHY WOULDN'T a BUYER ALSO gravitate towards asking for those guys first instead of Jones?

 

How has he done in his workouts? If his low post game is improving,and if he is running fluidly, then Morey should go after him.

Perimeter shooting, rim protection is nice, but doesn't amount to very much, if you struggle against the big teams.

 

Heard Celtics&Lakers would like to trade their late 1st rounders as well.

 

Not sure if I wasn't clear or not, but that was basically what I was implying, but without specific random trade proposals.

The blueprint I like to go back to is the Dalembert trade a few years ago which shows how the Rockets can utilize those guaranteed contracts being absorbed in order to move around on draft night.

I try to stay away from specific random trade proposals until we know a bit more about what is going on, but yes, I think Prigioni and Papanikolaou just scream Dalembert & Delfino contract by Morey. He loves utilizing those non-guaranteed contracts for draft night trades to move around. The players he gets back might be very underwhelming, and might just be for cap purposes of moving around.

 

Chris Mannix/SI: The Rockets have engaged a few teams in trade talks and are willing to move back—or even out—of the first round, per several rival executives.

 

Every reporter out there can report whatever they want about the Rockets and people will believe it because the Rockets are so hyperactive all the time that any scenario can make sense if you want it to.

 

Out of the first round? Damn!

 

The Rockets are offering Michael Jordan a 2nd rd pick to compete in a 1-on-1 vs Ariza.

 

My apologies, and I have a hard time resisting trade proposals. It's fun to put yourself in Morey's shoes and try to predict the next move.

 

So anything is possible? Can Woj just create his own basketball site already so there's an actual source of basketball knowledge?

 

Some of those "underwhelming" players he acquires through those trades then get cut and actually produce well elsewhere.

 

Basically the Rockets are willing to move around and deal in pretty much any way that helps solve their end game.

Thats pretty much a given. What isn't is what is their end game result they want to achieve at the end of draft night to prep for what comes next on July 1st?

Morey is by the far the most interesting GM we have ever seen in basketball. We can only crack pot theory what this guy's trying to do when we see this stuff, and then bam... we get left for days sitting around coming to grips with what he just did, and months later it totally makes sense, and we realize how this guy is playing Chess and everyone else is playing Checkers. He plays the long game better than any other GM out there.

 

Well, Ariza's salary is predicated on his elite perimeter defense and his NBA experience. The three point shooting is important as well, but those first two are really why he's getting paid. Those are also two things Llull doesn't have.

 

Its super fun. I do it too, but we find out every single year that who Morey ends up trading for is on NOBODY's radar. Some folks get so convinced we are trading for this guy or that guy, and then the fake insiders like KingDrew or Jopat/Hollic share what they "hear" to basically gamble their reputation in the hopes that they will be right and claim to be the next Woj or at least Cyberx.

I think when it comes to draft night trades the Dalembert trade is a good one to reference because you can see the end game for Morey that expands beyond the names.. which are meaningless at this point. Its the strategy and the end game which is important. Not necessarily the immediate names you see.

(well of course the names are important if its to draft a certain player at a lower pick, or to setup a signing, or if one of those contracts belongs to an important player the following season ALA Jason Terry, etc. but you get the point).

 

So to bring back the focus to Morey's end game. What strategy's ultimate goal can be solved by in one scenario trading back out of the first round, and also trading for additional draft picks?

How can those two scenarios come to the same end conclusion not just on Thursday but come July 7th?

What's the end game you think guys which draft night has an important part of setting up?

 

Saleem I don't think Barnes used him correctly IMO. Can you imagine if Dream got a hold of this kid with his type of natural shooting touch! He's got a turnaround jump shot that is almost indefensible, 7'4 wingspan and 9'4 standing reach, he can shoot free throws in his sleep, natural shot blocker and comes from a really good background.

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">He's 100% right RT <a href="https://twitter.com/GwashburnGlobe">@GwashburnGlobe</a>: Danny Ainge: &quot;There should be a lot of movement on draft night, so stay tuned.&quot;</p>&mdash; Chris Mannix (@ChrisMannixSI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisMannixSI/status/613353760891518976">June 23, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

Cyberx is Danny Ainge? Didn't know Ainge was a marijuanna enthusiast.