(The Athletic) Ikosystem: Rockets moving "Heaven and Earth" for Kawhi

Fyreball · May 29, 2019

JayGoogle said: ↑

I mean, it said Houston WOULD do it if the chance is there.

If Kawhi says "I want to play with Harden." Then I imagine Morey would work without breaks to get under the cap to get that to happen.

Only way I see it happening is if Kawhi and the Raptors get swept with ease and maybe him getting so close to a ring makes him desperate enough to leave the Raptors and forego going to LA to pair with another superstar in his prime like Harden.
Click to expand...

Kawhi doesn't really strike me as the type of guy to get desperate over anything honestly. He has rings, he knows he's getting his money, and by all accounts, all he really wants is to go home. Both LA teams having cap space (or at least paths to cap space) completely destroys any chance that the Rockets may have to entice him to come here. This is just clickbaity type stuff without any real substance behind it.

pippendagimp · May 29, 2019

biff17 · May 29, 2019

When did Kawhi lead San Antonio to the Finals?

snowconeman22 · May 29, 2019

JayGoogle said: ↑

I mean, it said Houston WOULD do it if the chance is there.

If Kawhi says "I want to play with Harden." Then I imagine Morey would work without breaks to get under the cap to get that to happen.

Only way I see it happening is if Kawhi and the Raptors get swept with ease and maybe him getting so close to a ring makes him desperate enough to leave the Raptors and forego going to LA to pair with another superstar in his prime like Harden.
Click to expand...

IF Kawhi says he wants to play with harden then he better hope word doesn't get out . NBA teams will hold Morey hostage over clearing cap space . DM would have to do it under the radar. CP3 is the big contract to move and would start speculation .

We'd have to move another large contract (Eric or Clint) either before or soon after so the price to move those contracts doesn't go up .

Teams might be willing to help us get cap space if they think it's for less than the max, but if word gets out that harden and Kawhi are teaming up then I guarantee teams will want to stop that lol .

One dynasty might be closing in GS , but we would be starting a new one .

Of course with out luck , Kawhi would injure himself here .... bonus points if it's because MDA runs him into the ground .

On the flip side , Morey can actually make a good argument that we have proven that we are more than willing to give guys games off and pay max . CP3 is our prime example .

I wonder if the 1 and 1 style contract KD signed with GS is becoming the new norm ? Is that any less money per year than a standard 4 or 5 year max ? (I know the 5 year max is more than the 4 . ) where does the 1 and 1 stack up ? @BimaThug

baller4life315 · May 29, 2019

Mmmhmmm.

And this time last year DM was giving his “whatever it takes to get LeBron” speech to reporters. Didn’t matter. Hell. We didn’t even get seriously considered.

Haymitch · May 29, 2019

J.R. said: ↑

Thank you @ktex.

Houston would move heaven & earth for a superstar? Well that is a fascinating & groundbreaking development!

Do you have a insider newsletter I can subscribe to?
Click to expand...

Yeah, lame clickbait. I am disappoint

J.R. · May 29, 2019

Rockets interested in acquiring good basketball players. #LeagueSources #MultipleSauces

snowconeman22 · May 29, 2019

Fyreball said: ↑

Kawhi doesn't really strike me as the type of guy to get desperate over anything honestly. He has rings, he knows he's getting his money, and by all accounts, all he really wants is to go home. Both LA teams having cap space (or at least paths to cap space) completely destroys any chance that the Rockets may have to entice him to come here. This is just clickbaity type stuff without any real substance behind it.
Click to expand...

What if Kawhi is evil and justness wants to ruin the league ala KD ?

He knows pairing with James would be creating a dynasty . This would be pippen and MJ part two . Scoring virtuso at SG and reliable scorer and elite defender at SF .

Kawhi knows we DGAF if he takes 20 games off in the regular season .

As an organization we make one thing very clear "we bend over backwards for our stars" Kawhi knows he's a star .

We stroke his ego and his desire to dominate.

Yeah I'm hoping for a GS sweep lol

pippendagimp · May 29, 2019

Haymitch said: ↑

Yeah, lame clickbait. I am disappoint
Click to expand...

especially when taking into account that feigen is just a front office sock puppet, we're actually in dire need of some real local journalism covering the team

Fantasma Negro · May 29, 2019

ktex said: ↑

The Ikosystem: Rockets aggressive in trade talks; Nick Nurse forever a Viper

By Kelly Iko 23m ago
Isaiah Hartenstein and Michael Frazier had a 9:30 workout at Toyota Center Wednesday morning, as they’ve had every day for over a week now.

At some point during a break, Hartenstein checked his phone and muttered “Damn” after reading the Adrian Wojnarowski tweet that the Rockets were making all players and picks available in trade talks.

Another young Rocket, Vince Edwards, was in Ohio when he heard the news.

Both figured everything could be on the table with how the season ended for the Rockets this year, another excruciating playoff ouster by the Golden State Warriors, but seeing it spelled out for all to see was still shocking.

Houston owner Tilman Fertitta had warned of as much minutes after the disappointing Game 6 loss at home to the undermanned Warriors, saying, “They kicked our ass on our home court. They beat us by 10 points in the fourth quarter. It’s unacceptable, Okay? We just have to be better. I know that we’re going to rise to the occasion and our time is going to come. “James (Harden) is 30 years old (this August). … Hakeem (Olajuwon) didn’t win his first championship until (31). I can promise you, we’re going to win some championships with James Harden, because we are not going to sit here. We will go to battle every year. We’re going to have a strong offseason, and we’re going to do whatever we need to do to be a better team. We are not going to sit on our hands, I can promise you that.”

In the two and a half weeks since that night, there have been four high-profile exits in the coaching staff — top defensive assistant Jeff Bzdelik, assistant coaches Roy Rogers and Mitch Vanya and player development assistant Irv Roland. Head coach Mike D’Antoni has said he wants to come back, and the team stated during the season that it intends to extend him this offseason. Negotiations are believed to be ongoing. But how much more will D’Antoni’s team have changed if he indeed returns?

Adrian Wojnarowski

✔@wojespn

Sources: In calls to front offices, Houston GM Daryl Morey is showing an aggressive desire to improve roster with all players and picks available in talks. Hard to imagine James Harden scenario, but the rest under contract - perhaps even Chris Paul - could be moved in right deal.

13K
11:27 AM - May 29, 2019
Twitter Ads info and privacy

4,746 people are talking about this

Of the players who could net the most via trade, one is center Clint Capela, who came up small in the series against the Warriors and seems to be a poor match against them in playoff settings. The 25-year-old big man is in the first year of a five-year, $80 million guaranteed deal. That’s an extremely team-friendly contract and a moveable piece.

Capela has improved in every season he’s been a part of the organization and is the prototypical rim-running big man so many teams are dying for these days. Phoenix and Sacramento were high on him a year ago, only to see their lottery luck pan out differently.

Then there’s the case of Chris Paul, whom the Rockets owe $124 million over the next three years. As The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported earlier this month, Paul had tense moments with Harden throughout the Game 6 loss to the Warriors, culminating in a verbal back-and-forth postgame that went into the locker room. Sources said the verbal exchange was regarding the ball distribution throughout Game 6. By the time the remainder of the locker room was ready to talk, Paul and Harden had gone their separate ways, with Paul swiftly making his way to the postgame podium. The Rockets dispensed with exit interviews this year, so the media hasn’t been able to ask Paul or Harden about the disappointment.

With the way Houston’s current offense is set up, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where they could get drastically better by moving the 34-year-old Paul. If D’Antoni returns and sticks with his staggering scheme, how would the Rockets improve without the All-Star guard’s services? He’s still one of the game’s best floor generals and defenders, even at his age. His scoring might not be what it once was, but it’s hard to pin the Rockets lack of a Western Conference Finals berth on him alone.

One league source said that Houston “would move heaven and earth” if it could acquire someone like Kawhi Leonard, who has shown he can lead a team to the Finals — first with San Antonio and now Toronto. Every other big-name free agent will be on Houston’s radar as well, as GM Daryl Morey looks for an avenue to climb into that elusive championship tier.

As for the coaching changes, perhaps the most surprising was the decision to move on from Roland. There are some within the organization who believe D’Antoni could have tried to prevent Roland’s firing, but contend that he didn’t stand in the way.

The remaining assistants — Jon Lucas, Matt Brase and Brett Gunning — could be safe for now, but there’s a strong sense of uneasiness. Some are looking over their shoulder, unsure of the state of their job security amidst the upheaval. Specifically, the contracts of Gunning and Brase are likely not to be renewed after their current deals expire in 2020.

All of it has the potential to affect the high level of morale and camaraderie the Rockets have enjoyed for so long. You have Coach D’Antoni, insistent on an extension and obsessed with getting over the hump. He was not comfortable without the assurance of long-term security and wants to put pen to paper. There’s Morey, the wheeler and dealer whose feelings on a three-year extension are unclear at this point. There’s even one school of thought that the recent moves were done to discourage D’Antoni from wanting to extend his time in Houston.
Click to expand...

All those words and he didn't say ****

Kornel87 · May 29, 2019

ktex said: ↑

The Ikosystem: Rockets aggressive in trade talks; Nick Nurse forever a Viper

By Kelly Iko 23m ago
Isaiah Hartenstein and Michael Frazier had a 9:30 workout at Toyota Center Wednesday morning, as they’ve had every day for over a week now.

At some point during a break, Hartenstein checked his phone and muttered “Damn” after reading the Adrian Wojnarowski tweet that the Rockets were making all players and picks available in trade talks.

Another young Rocket, Vince Edwards, was in Ohio when he heard the news.

Both figured everything could be on the table with how the season ended for the Rockets this year, another excruciating playoff ouster by the Golden State Warriors, but seeing it spelled out for all to see was still shocking.

Houston owner Tilman Fertitta had warned of as much minutes after the disappointing Game 6 loss at home to the undermanned Warriors, saying, “They kicked our ass on our home court. They beat us by 10 points in the fourth quarter. It’s unacceptable, Okay? We just have to be better. I know that we’re going to rise to the occasion and our time is going to come. “James (Harden) is 30 years old (this August). … Hakeem (Olajuwon) didn’t win his first championship until (31). I can promise you, we’re going to win some championships with James Harden, because we are not going to sit here. We will go to battle every year. We’re going to have a strong offseason, and we’re going to do whatever we need to do to be a better team. We are not going to sit on our hands, I can promise you that.”

In the two and a half weeks since that night, there have been four high-profile exits in the coaching staff — top defensive assistant Jeff Bzdelik, assistant coaches Roy Rogers and Mitch Vanya and player development assistant Irv Roland. Head coach Mike D’Antoni has said he wants to come back, and the team stated during the season that it intends to extend him this offseason. Negotiations are believed to be ongoing. But how much more will D’Antoni’s team have changed if he indeed returns?

Adrian Wojnarowski

✔@wojespn

Sources: In calls to front offices, Houston GM Daryl Morey is showing an aggressive desire to improve roster with all players and picks available in talks. Hard to imagine James Harden scenario, but the rest under contract - perhaps even Chris Paul - could be moved in right deal.

13K
11:27 AM - May 29, 2019
Twitter Ads info and privacy

4,746 people are talking about this

Of the players who could net the most via trade, one is center Clint Capela, who came up small in the series against the Warriors and seems to be a poor match against them in playoff settings. The 25-year-old big man is in the first year of a five-year, $80 million guaranteed deal. That’s an extremely team-friendly contract and a moveable piece.

Capela has improved in every season he’s been a part of the organization and is the prototypical rim-running big man so many teams are dying for these days. Phoenix and Sacramento were high on him a year ago, only to see their lottery luck pan out differently.

Then there’s the case of Chris Paul, whom the Rockets owe $124 million over the next three years. As The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported earlier this month, Paul had tense moments with Harden throughout the Game 6 loss to the Warriors, culminating in a verbal back-and-forth postgame that went into the locker room. Sources said the verbal exchange was regarding the ball distribution throughout Game 6. By the time the remainder of the locker room was ready to talk, Paul and Harden had gone their separate ways, with Paul swiftly making his way to the postgame podium. The Rockets dispensed with exit interviews this year, so the media hasn’t been able to ask Paul or Harden about the disappointment.

With the way Houston’s current offense is set up, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where they could get drastically better by moving the 34-year-old Paul. If D’Antoni returns and sticks with his staggering scheme, how would the Rockets improve without the All-Star guard’s services? He’s still one of the game’s best floor generals and defenders, even at his age. His scoring might not be what it once was, but it’s hard to pin the Rockets lack of a Western Conference Finals berth on him alone.

One league source said that Houston “would move heaven and earth” if it could acquire someone like Kawhi Leonard, who has shown he can lead a team to the Finals — first with San Antonio and now Toronto. Every other big-name free agent will be on Houston’s radar as well, as GM Daryl Morey looks for an avenue to climb into that elusive championship tier.

As for the coaching changes, perhaps the most surprising was the decision to move on from Roland. There are some within the organization who believe D’Antoni could have tried to prevent Roland’s firing, but contend that he didn’t stand in the way.

The remaining assistants — Jon Lucas, Matt Brase and Brett Gunning — could be safe for now, but there’s a strong sense of uneasiness. Some are looking over their shoulder, unsure of the state of their job security amidst the upheaval. Specifically, the contracts of Gunning and Brase are likely not to be renewed after their current deals expire in 2020.

All of it has the potential to affect the high level of morale and camaraderie the Rockets have enjoyed for so long. You have Coach D’Antoni, insistent on an extension and obsessed with getting over the hump. He was not comfortable without the assurance of long-term security and wants to put pen to paper. There’s Morey, the wheeler and dealer whose feelings on a three-year extension are unclear at this point. There’s even one school of thought that the recent moves were done to discourage D’Antoni from wanting to extend his time in Houston.
Click to expand...

Best forum BTW!

justtxyank · May 29, 2019

Disappointed in that tweet by Kelly. He made it sound like they were moving for Kawhi when the content of the article was simply that a league source said they would go for a player like Kawhi. Terrible

CCorn · May 29, 2019

@KellyUnchained how do we plant the seed to Leonard that the ultimate troll to San Antonio would be coming to Houston? Get R Done Morey

Zoplicone · May 29, 2019

This thread is funny. First few posts were like “duh we’d take Kawhi at any cost, but it’s not happening” ... which is true. But the last few posts are more like “well hypothetically we could dump contracts and he may insist on coming here” haha. No. Please let’s not do this with Kawhi too. All he ever wanted was to go home. If he doesn’t do that, then he’ll probably stay where he’s been all year and is worshipped by a whole country.

It’s inevitable we’re going to do this with Jimmy but let’s stop it there and not get too carried away. At least the Jimmy thing will end sooner when he doesn’t opt in.

napalm06 · May 29, 2019

League source:

I bet the Rockets would move heaven and earth to get another superstar.

Article text:

One league source said that Houston “would move heaven and earth” if it could acquire someone like Kawhi Leonard

Clutchfans thread title:

Rockets moving "Heaven and Earth" for Kawhi

Yes Alex, I'll take "the internet is useless for accurate reporting" for 500, please.

ROXTXIA · May 29, 2019

J Sizzle said: ↑

Clickbaittttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt
Click to expand...

The exact word I was going to post but you beat me to it.

topfive · May 29, 2019

biff17 said: ↑

When did Kawhi lead San Antonio to the Finals?
Click to expand...

"The Spurs and the Miami Heat met once again in the NBA Finals. On June 10, 2014, in Game 3 of the series, Leonard scored a then career-high 29 points in a 111–92 victory. San Antonio went on to win the series 4–1. Leonard averaged 17.8 points on 61% shooting and was named NBA Finals MVP."

Google is your friend.

HROZ · May 29, 2019

Let's be a little realistic please

caneks · May 29, 2019

ktex said: ↑

The Ikosystem: Rockets aggressive in trade talks; Nick Nurse forever a Viper

By Kelly Iko 23m ago
Isaiah Hartenstein and Michael Frazier had a 9:30 workout at Toyota Center Wednesday morning, as they’ve had every day for over a week now.

At some point during a break, Hartenstein checked his phone and muttered “Damn” after reading the Adrian Wojnarowski tweet that the Rockets were making all players and picks available in trade talks.

Another young Rocket, Vince Edwards, was in Ohio when he heard the news.

Both figured everything could be on the table with how the season ended for the Rockets this year, another excruciating playoff ouster by the Golden State Warriors, but seeing it spelled out for all to see was still shocking.

Houston owner Tilman Fertitta had warned of as much minutes after the disappointing Game 6 loss at home to the undermanned Warriors, saying, “They kicked our ass on our home court. They beat us by 10 points in the fourth quarter. It’s unacceptable, Okay? We just have to be better. I know that we’re going to rise to the occasion and our time is going to come. “James (Harden) is 30 years old (this August). … Hakeem (Olajuwon) didn’t win his first championship until (31). I can promise you, we’re going to win some championships with James Harden, because we are not going to sit here. We will go to battle every year. We’re going to have a strong offseason, and we’re going to do whatever we need to do to be a better team. We are not going to sit on our hands, I can promise you that.”

In the two and a half weeks since that night, there have been four high-profile exits in the coaching staff — top defensive assistant Jeff Bzdelik, assistant coaches Roy Rogers and Mitch Vanya and player development assistant Irv Roland. Head coach Mike D’Antoni has said he wants to come back, and the team stated during the season that it intends to extend him this offseason. Negotiations are believed to be ongoing. But how much more will D’Antoni’s team have changed if he indeed returns?

Adrian Wojnarowski

✔@wojespn

Sources: In calls to front offices, Houston GM Daryl Morey is showing an aggressive desire to improve roster with all players and picks available in talks. Hard to imagine James Harden scenario, but the rest under contract - perhaps even Chris Paul - could be moved in right deal.

13K
11:27 AM - May 29, 2019
Twitter Ads info and privacy

4,746 people are talking about this

Of the players who could net the most via trade, one is center Clint Capela, who came up small in the series against the Warriors and seems to be a poor match against them in playoff settings. The 25-year-old big man is in the first year of a five-year, $80 million guaranteed deal. That’s an extremely team-friendly contract and a moveable piece.

Capela has improved in every season he’s been a part of the organization and is the prototypical rim-running big man so many teams are dying for these days. Phoenix and Sacramento were high on him a year ago, only to see their lottery luck pan out differently.

Then there’s the case of Chris Paul, whom the Rockets owe $124 million over the next three years. As The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported earlier this month, Paul had tense moments with Harden throughout the Game 6 loss to the Warriors, culminating in a verbal back-and-forth postgame that went into the locker room. Sources said the verbal exchange was regarding the ball distribution throughout Game 6. By the time the remainder of the locker room was ready to talk, Paul and Harden had gone their separate ways, with Paul swiftly making his way to the postgame podium. The Rockets dispensed with exit interviews this year, so the media hasn’t been able to ask Paul or Harden about the disappointment.

With the way Houston’s current offense is set up, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where they could get drastically better by moving the 34-year-old Paul. If D’Antoni returns and sticks with his staggering scheme, how would the Rockets improve without the All-Star guard’s services? He’s still one of the game’s best floor generals and defenders, even at his age. His scoring might not be what it once was, but it’s hard to pin the Rockets lack of a Western Conference Finals berth on him alone.

One league source said that Houston “would move heaven and earth” if it could acquire someone like Kawhi Leonard, who has shown he can lead a team to the Finals — first with San Antonio and now Toronto. Every other big-name free agent will be on Houston’s radar as well, as GM Daryl Morey looks for an avenue to climb into that elusive championship tier.

As for the coaching changes, perhaps the most surprising was the decision to move on from Roland. There are some within the organization who believe D’Antoni could have tried to prevent Roland’s firing, but contend that he didn’t stand in the way.

The remaining assistants — Jon Lucas, Matt Brase and Brett Gunning — could be safe for now, but there’s a strong sense of uneasiness. Some are looking over their shoulder, unsure of the state of their job security amidst the upheaval. Specifically, the contracts of Gunning and Brase are likely not to be renewed after their current deals expire in 2020.

All of it has the potential to affect the high level of morale and camaraderie the Rockets have enjoyed for so long. You have Coach D’Antoni, insistent on an extension and obsessed with getting over the hump. He was not comfortable without the assurance of long-term security and wants to put pen to paper. There’s Morey, the wheeler and dealer whose feelings on a three-year extension are unclear at this point. There’s even one school of thought that the recent moves were done to discourage D’Antoni from wanting to extend his time in Houston.
Click to expand...

"I can promise you, we’re going to win some championships with James Harden" that is an empty promise.

vick · May 29, 2019

Woj says Rockets and Mavs are in trade talks for Capella to Mavs for unknown players. Maybe a Woj bomb coming shortly.

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