This thread should be stickied so our fellow Rockets fans don't forget our main goal and not be so desperate to trade and settle for 2nd tier power forwards right just to make something out of this season.
I think not making any major moves is the smart move unless Danny Granger's knee is 100 percent and they can swing a trade for him.
On one hand, Morey doesn't have much to lose by standing pat. Our guys are young, and presumably they continue to improve with each game. On the other hand, it's clear that guys like Pat and Morris are destined to be solid role players, but neither will develop into a star, so why not move them for draft picks or players with higher upside. Staying the course may get us to a 1st round playoff exit or it may get us the 14th pick. No way to know. But neither outcome is more important than continuing to put ourselves in a position to get that 2nd franchise piece. Morey should exhaust all trade possibilities to that end and if nothing makes sense, we stand pat and ride this thing out; see what things look like in the offseason.
You say that but when has DM ever used smoke screens? He has always said the Rockets would be active at the trade deadline and they always have. Now that he is saying the opposite, I have no reason to doubt his intentions.
Maybe he has learned that public proclamations of wanting to be active serve no actual purpose other than to inform other teams that one is desperate?
I disagree. The Rockets have not been on any loser end of trades and there have been no lack of traded.
Who said that? Do you think the Rockets got any better trades because he would say publicly that they will be aggressive? I think it doesn't matter. Maybe he has learned that there is no point in making players on the roster nervous. Either it happens or it doesn't.
Trade Patterson and a 2nd Rounder for DeJuan Blair Trade Douglas and Aldrich for Reddick. Lin/Beverley Harden/Reddick Parsons/Delfino Blair/Morris Asik/Smith Well balanced. Blair is a banger and Reddick is a great shooter. Both are thought to be available. Small, simple moves to move the team forward without hurting the bank too much. Plus, they're both expiring
So, Morey isn't interested in making a trade that would make us a little bit better. Morey is willing to let our extremely young team develop, and eventually make a blockbuster move for a true Superstar. Only problem I see is that Clutchfans are going insane because the Rockets aren't a contender yet. Clutchfans don't seem to understand that the rebuilding process may take several years or more, because superstars don't come available all that often. I'm glad Morey, unlike many Cluetchfans, understands that if you are't a true contender, then the most important thing for a franchise is to have the flexibility to acquire a superstar when one does come available. Right now the Rockets aren't a very balanced team. All youth, too many power forwards, one star player surrounded by the wrong players, a coach trying to fit pieces together that just don't fit. But who cares, this isn't the team that's going to make a run at a championship. The Rockets at this point are still nothing more than a collection of assets. A team not built to win, but a team built to be flexible. Who cares about rotations? Who cares about how many minutes Jeremy Lin or Patrick Patterson plays? This is just a temporary team, a team waiting for its next superstar.
For everyone about to jump off a ledge following this losing streak....better times are ahead everybody!!
I think it may have opened the door a little. If DM is saying the Rockets are going to be aggressive it might prompt another GM to call him if he wants to trade someone as opposed to calling some other GM first. I don't see how making your intentions known makes you look desperate, particularly if it serves your purpose.
I look forward to Morey not making a trade, at this point, if only to give ClutchFans endless blueballs.
I wonder how often GMs around the league groan when they see Morey's number appear on their phones. Not that other GMs don't trade around obviously, but I wouldn't doubt that Morey is one of the most persistent. He did pressure Presti for months on whether Harden was available before the contract negotiations forced Presti's hand.
If you look at Morey's history, he's utterly consistent. He's constantly on the phones so that he doesn't miss potential deals. He's constantly scouting players who may become available. He will always make a deal when the situation presents itself. When Morey says he's looking to stay pat, it's another way of saying there's no one on the market worth pursuing. After all, why go after some random PF with our assets when we can pick one up for straight up cash in the offseason? Makes no sense. Basically you can break Morey's trades down into 3 categories. Category 1: Package multiple assets for "star." Gasol, Martin, Harden Category 2: Trade player/salary-space for potential-laden player/picks. Battier for Thabeet/1st, Jefferies contract for Jordan Hill/1st, etc. Category 3: Trade pick(s), usually very low ones, for a temporary bandaid at a need position. Camby, David Andersen, etc. If a trade pops up that fits into one of these categories, he'll make it. Otherwise, he stays pat. So when he says he'll stay pat, it simply means that there's not a lot of potential trades that fit into the above categories. Category 3 trade is most likely though, given the current situation.
Might be wiser to see how the rest of the season plays out before you commit to an opinion on Morey. For all our complaints and the 7 game losing streak, the Rockets are STILL at .500 despite having one of the toughest schedules in the NBA. And given our youth, inexperience and roster turn over, we are still performing ABOVE expectations in historical terms. And we could always be the Lakers... $100M, multiple Hall of Famers and All Stars, and they STILL might not make the play offs.
Carlos Delfino would look mighty fine in a TWolves uni. :grin: And we know Khan is dumb enough to swap a teens pick for a role player like him, see Chase Budinger. They also do need help with all their injuries.
