Q: Expected Goran and Courtney back going into offseason. When did direction take a 180? A: Didn't do a 180. Everything we are doing is focused on getting a star. Hoped to have all them back but had to fit in the context of signing here, not only helped us be competitive but flexibile too with the cap and trades. Q: Contract for Goran seemed fair. What made it tough for you? A: Yeah, we don't give out player options. When we have a franchise player we consider it, but not in our current phase. Not a good contract for the team. Q: Have you and the team had a change in how to find star player? A: No, it's the same. Either one of our draft picks - had 6 in the last couple years - or it's gonna be through a lot of cap room to sign someone, or through trade. Every move since we knew Yao was down has been focused on that. Q: Hesitation to move Lowry after Dragic gone? A: No, a lottery pick is the most valuable thing to have in this phase. Anytime we can get a lottery pick, in this case guaranteed, we have to jump at that chance. Q: Managed to stay competiitve the last 2 years, is it slipping away now? A: Will be a challening goal this year, we will be competitive but only within the context of keeping a chance at a star player. Painful decisions like trading away lowry, we have to do it. Can't hurt championship odds down the road. Would have done the same thing a year ago (trading lowry). Q: Where is Brooks as a player at this point? He an option as a starter? A: We like him and met with him yesterday. At this point, if we could have Brooks plus a lottery pick instead of Lowry, that's too much value to pass up. Q: Do you and your colleagues see not much of a dropoff bt dragic and brooks? A: Diff strengths and weaknesses. Aaron better shooter, Goran better fniisher. Same range as players. Similar player + lottery pick is a good deal. (Brooks + pick > Dragic alone) Q: You understand value. Compared to housing market. Know you have to pay premium value sometimes. Do you find it hard to overpay and pay premiums? A: Yeah, we absoultely have to overpay. We have in the past, but only when you have a franchise player in place. Gave up a lot for Ron, Shane, free agents we signed (cough Ariza) ... in our current phase, that will make sure you're mediocre forever. Q: Was there more value in trade with lottery pick vs Lowry as trade chips? A: Yeah, not even close. Lottery pick more valuable, not bc Lowry isn't worth it. Once you have an actual player, at least half the league doens't like that player or doesn't need that position. Pick has more value bc they can get the player they want. Q: (follow up to previous) A: Either way we are ahead of the game with that trade - get a lottery pick to get a player we need and more valuable in trade. Can use cap room to get a similar player too. Trade very painful, Kyle was incredible, I was extremely fond of him, but trade was overwhelmingly the right thing for us to do for pick, cap room, trade flexibility. Q: Camby list of teams interested in him, Lee as well. Getting assets for them or move on their own? A: We're open to S&T, we have bird rights to both. It's not written that they won't be here, but while we have their bird rights trying to work S&T. Q: Offers sheets -- none of them have worked in past. FA path not going to happen? A: Have to sign guys that fit in larger context, must go at market value right now in our phase. Free agency not a very good tool at this point. When we turn this around w/ franchise player, FA becomes better tool for us. Q: Coaching staff, all of the young players, tough to win -- coaches on board? A: They understand the focus. You're right, tough to win at a high level with this many young guys, but alternative is worse and takes us farther away and pushes championship odds out further. If we turn down Lowry deal and keep Dragic that limits flexibility. Q: Was there one thing that led to not re-signing your guys? A: Planned to bring them back, all had to be at the right contract but free agency situation (market) changed things. Q: (hinting at Asik) Are there viable Dalembert level big guys? A: We are talking to Asik, havne't finalized anything. We have interest in him. Hoping to fnialize things by Wed. I think if we get him, he's very underrated who will be very strong up and coming guy. Bc he's been behind Noah is underappreciated. Otherwise we have to be creative if we don't get him. Will do something that leaves us flexible or bring in a young player. Q: Less than 5% on Lin coming here? A: haven't come to terms, hard to tell what NYK will do. Q: Small chance on Lin and Asik, do you already have the idea of what the answer from those teams is? A: Yeah, ok idea with both, we'd like to get those player, if we don't get them nothing is lost, only lots of hours by Rockets org. Don't understand why people get up and arms about losing on RFA. Going to continue to be aggressive. (says team will take gambles on flexible contracts even if unlikely they will sign here) Q: (Point Guard situation) A: Plenty of good players at 1 spot to keep us flexible. Q: High revenue teams, is it too early to tell if there is a huge gulf between big market teams and lower market teams. A: CBA has rules that everyone has to work under, but we'll see what constraints it will cause for high spenders later. Q: Good luck this season blah blah... A: No matter what, we'll be young and exciting. We like Ppat coming back, Morris going to get a chance, 4 first rd picks. Will be young, very exciting.
In his closing statements of the interview , he mentioned we will be an exciting team with "YOUNG" players. This confirms Rockets are done dealing with Orlando . No slim chance of getting Dwight H anymore.
He said, "We're gonna go after players. If we don't sign them, you shouldn't be upset about that. Nothing's lost but our time. So it's not a big deal." what a great boss
I was annoyed too when I heard him say this. Wasn't Courtney Lee made a unrestricted free agent instead of restricted so that the Rockets could pursue Asik and Lin? Maybe I'm mistaken.
When Superfriends joined forces in Miami.. It change the landscape how free agents operate now it's a copy cat league.... No one saw incoming not even morey! You want to win join another superstar in a big market! All we need is one to get the ball rolling.. it takes time...
Star players win rings. End of story. Executives get paid 20x more than paper pushers. Welcome to the real world.
What he means is that there's zero opportunity cost in terms of proposing trades and FA signings, making a offer to Asik and Lin doesn't foreclose attempts to sign other players or to trade for Howard or draft picks or whatever; From what's reported, the Rockets generally always have multiple pots on the oven in the trade/FA market, so it's kind of unreasonable to assume that the Rockets are just I don't think that's the same as the silly "reload for 3 years" plan Les has him on, it's qualitatively a differen thing than trying to sign a player. The only place where you can really argue that the franchise spent too much on one trade was last year, though with the divine stern-tervention and the ultra-truncated offseason there may be mitigating factors...
"We're gonna go after players. If we don't sign them, you shouldn't be upset about that. Nothing's lost but our time. So it's not a big deal." he mad! I didn't see that coming from maury. It was like when little ben seaver wanted an autograph from his favorite rockstar(bradpitt) and his favorite stock star just blew him off.
I think his point with the RFA offer sheets is that they are just taking somewhat longshot gambles -- and that people get upset when those players don't sign like we lost out on something. But the reality is they don't expect those deals to come through, just taking a small chance that one might actually happen.
You can tell Morey's frustrated. He's clearly selling the farm to add one piece, Dwight Howard. You can tell he's not too enthusiastic about actually using Toronto's pick to select a rookie. The most telling comment about what he thought about Dragic and Lowry was when he said that he would be able to find a comparable player on the cheap at the 1 spot. He knows now that point guards are a dime a dozen, and big men with just a modicum of coordination are rarities that will be paid as such.
Weak sauce. Morey is really losing me, killing today on a crossed fingers hope and prayer that his uicorn blockbuster will come by and save him. BPA, position be damned, approach still makes no sense. Teams out there want size. If you want to trade for a center, generally teams want a center in return. If you have a completely unbalanced roster, you'll still have an unbalanced roster after a 4(+)-for-1 deal. And you know what really skyrockets trade value? Players being on a playoff run. Teams like winners. Win a championship and people clamor to sign your backups. Miss the playoffs and GMs aren't as keen on your stars. Want young guys to develop and increase their perceived value? Don't put them in a position where they're buried 3-deep and can't get playing time for a win-now-at-all-costs coach. Unless there is a watershed mega-trade, we're looking at an unmitigated disaster. This isn't baseball where you can stash multiple young guys that play the same position.
From what I can gather it sounds like Morey and Leslie are finally going the rebuilding route, and didn't try to keep players at all cost (like Lowry and Scola at the time). They finally don't want to be mediocre anymore according to the summary by DieHard Rocket (tnx by the way!). Guess letting go of Lowry, Dragic and others is not so bad after all. Forget about Howard, rebuild baby
time. seasons. attendance. we're a franchise that can't get a sniff of a nationally televised game. for Morey, he's lost time. GM's don't get to stick around forever to make "the next move..."
