Yes, but you don't use the room exception unless you use your cap space. Otherwise it's just cap space. The point of the room exception is to allow a team that is under the cap to max out their cap and then still have a small exception to sign a player for more than the minimum. It was designed to prevent a scenario where you were actually worse off being under the cap than over because of the lack of the MLE and BAE.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">With Capela & Nene at C and Anderson expected to play big minutes at PF, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rockets?src=hash">#Rockets</a> may be bracing to lose D-Mo to lucrative offer sheet.</p>— David Weiner (@BimaThug) <a href="https://twitter.com/BimaThug/status/750755207831646208">July 6, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Rockets reach 1-yr, $2.9M deal with Nene. Room MLE. No impact to cap room. Can still produce $9M with Motiejunas cap hold, keeping Beasley.</p>— Albert Nahmad (@AlbertRandom1) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlbertRandom1/status/750755571603824642">July 6, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
These are certainly "Morey" players.... all three of the signings are guys that Morey has either tried to sign or trade for in the past. What isn't very Morey like is the length of the contract and limited flex with only one star on the club. However, people need to realize that the dynamics have changed in just the last few years. You need to WIN to get free agents. Also there is a high likely hood of a single amnesty rule in the next few years.
Yeah, who knows what the plan is with cap space. Maybe a trade with our room? Maybe a RFA offer? Maybe just signing a handful of veterans to one year deals for more than the minimum? God help us if Nene is starting.
Jason Terry was not a disaster. He was an end of the bench player who gave some nice minutes when called upon.
yeah I know. I'm trying to speculate what we are planning. Perhaps a trade for Koufos? I read Cavs wanted Ariza but Morey said no. Probably it was for Shumpert.
He isn't near the player he once was, but he is still a very useful player, especially for a team like the Rockets.