Very clearly plan A. The reason it works if because George will only make $19 million next year...that leaves just enough space to keep a few key guys and sign CP3. If CP3 goes a different direction; I'd expect us to go hard after a SnT with LAC for Griffin, then reach out to Llull with our full MLE.
I wouldn't be stunned (although I would be pleasantly surprised) if a Paul George trade went down for us when the moratorium ends. Maybe some of this was all contingent on trades that can't occur until then.
The Lakers after using pick 2 are out. Cavs had nothing to begin with. The Celtics could give them the Brooklyn pick 1st rounder for next season along with Bradley and crowder. We can offer then Gordon/Beverley. My personal belief is the Pacers are holding out for a Clint, Gordon and a future 1st rounder
I think we'll have a pretty good idea by this time next week at the latest. The Rockets didn't really have a sense of urgency to complete a deal last night, but I do think they want to complete it by July 1 from the standpoint of making the team as attractive as possible to Chris Paul and other max free agents. OTOH, it seems Boston wants to wait until after FA to see if it's worth going "all in." Conversely, this also makes me doubt the Kaufman report of a deal-in-place or whatever. I could see Boston wanting to wait on Hayward, sure, but why would Gordon Hayward be enough for Paul George to completely flip his thinking? Boston is a nice team as-is, and they're also a nice team if they add Hayward. But it's not like they're the Warriors, and I highly doubt they'd even beat Cleveland in a playoff series with that team. Not saying there's no appeal to the Celtics, because there is -- I just can't see George being completely opposed to Boston as-is, yet Hayward being enough for him to sign an immediate extension on the spot. My guess is Kaufman's report has some kernels of truth (Boston being more willing to trade higher assets if they land a big fish in FA), but there's some wishful speculation regarding the key part of a George extension.
http://www.chron.com/sports/rockets...kets-eye-much-larger-moves-after-11241365.php While the Rockets worked through Thursday's NBA Draft and even made a run at a move into the first round, their eye – and many of Thursday's calls -- remained on considerably larger deals, including the ongoing talks with the Indiana Pacers about Paul George. The Rockets were among teams pursuing George, a person with knowledge of those talks said, though nothing was considered close for the Rockets on Thursday. The Rockets simultaneously had conversations designed to make cap room available by moving some of their contracts if they need to for a free agent addition. "We were very focused on two things, to get someone who can help us now and in the future," Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said. "The second, we did a lot of potential discussions with teams that advanced a little bit today. "Obviously, we're focused on the team now, focused on chasing Golden State. Anything we can push in the future to help us upgrade the team, potentially through trade, we're ready to do." "We had some deals to move into the first round that were quite close that would have affected our cap space," Morey said. "We're mostly focused on, given the bigger type of trades were talking (about) right now, having the type of things that could entice teams down the road. That's why we traded the second into the future." The Rockets traded their second second-round pick, Dillon Brooks, to the Memphis Grizzlies for a second-round pick next season. Morey said no deal is imminent. "It's more clear," he said. "Nothing's final. "You're always trying to improve your roster. Opportunities come when they come. Whenever you have a chance at a very, very high level player through trade or free agency we have to explore it no matter what." http://www.indystar.com/story/sport...delivered-gut-punch-indiana-pacers/422665001/ ... Many analysts felt the Pacers needed to agree to a trade before the draft ended to receive the maximum compensation possible for George. Pritchard didn’t believe such a deadline was important. “Everybody thought today’s date was a trigger date because draft picks were in involved, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do things into the future – future draft picks, players today, young players, older and established players,” Pritchard said. “We’re keeping everything on the board. There’s so much other stuff that doesn’t include draft picks that we decided to stay put and look at everything that’s on the board in the future. We’re not going to make a bad deal. We want to get what we want and that’s what we pursue." Pritchard also said dealing George wouldn't necessarily signify that the team was beginning its rebuilding process. Pritchard said a win-now approach is still possible. “We still can do that,” he said. “It may be a little more challenging, but we’re not afraid to do that.” In a move to alleviate some fans who fear the worst — that George is still be on the roster by the start of next season — Pritchard emphasized that he will continue to evaluate the Pacers’ offers to find the best one to move George. “We could pull the trigger,” he said, “at any time.”
Pritchard also said dealing George wouldn't necessarily signify that the team was beginning its rebuilding process. Pritchard said a win-now approach is still possible. “We still can do that,” he said. “It may be a little more challenging, but we’re not afraid to do that.” This actually gives me some more hope.
Morey is so full of ****, man. He really screwed us up signing that one-trick pony, Ryan Anderson to a 80 million dollar contract for 4 "gauranteed" years. This notion that "Ryan Anderson" can serve as a sidekick to James Harden is so laughable that every GM in the League now feel confident they can fleece Morey in trade deals by collectively starving him from getting any high FA targets and force him to take guys like "Ryan Anderson" and one-dimensional talents like that. Paul George should have been had by us if Morey hadn't screw up our roster pieces. He keep going after the wrong talents. And when it come time for trade deals for a high-level FA, we always stuck like this. Always lacking talent and the talents Morey thinks is so good, 28 other GMs just stay-laughing at this DORK like a complete idiot and fool. We just went after two high-level FAs in Serge Ibaka and Paul George. Each of those GMs wanted Clint Capela in the deal and saw none of our other pieces as attractive, outside of Harden. That's very PROBLEMATIC for a GM to handicap his team' chances like that Every other Playoff team have pieces they can play around with but we're stuck with one dimensional, inferior guys like Anderson/Dekker/Ariza/...and have even more coming in with Wiltjer/Zhou and now this Hartenstien kid that never played college ball let alone, at an NBA-level competition. Yet Morey think these jokes gonna blossom into solid role players as GMs around the league would be tripping over their feet to acquire in trade deals. Pffft. All of Morey Euroleague acquisitions have FAILED. Except one: Clint Capela. You see what I'm seeing here? Morey is too dorkish to be GMs. We need an Assistant to him that thinks the opposite of how he regard "euroleague" talent and balance him out from having total freedom to grab these deadweight clowns. Anderson/Dekker/Zhou/Witjer/Hartenstien never should have been Rockets' targets with a Superstar in James Harden on your squad. I wouldn't be surprise if Harden turn down this new extension given to him. Morey dont know how to treat a Superstar player with the "right pieces" around him. He's wasting Harden prime years in a major way by going after these garbage a** players that will never make a difference when you look at these championship squads and how they're built. Morey has failed Harden. And we wonder why Harden quit. Hell, I would quit too when I see competitor is at my level with more quality players I would have to beat only to looo at my squad and see the next best player after me is a lanky, unathelic, one dimensional joke of a player that just shoot 3s and isnt that good, and lack a defense mentality to help out. And he got no heart like these guysm No swagger......just textbook and SUCKS. (So, I QUIT. Save this team from further embarassment!)
