It is not a close race between DMo and the pick. DMo has been underwhelming for the past 3 years and a five game stretch isn't going to change that. The Rockets have one very good front court player and that is Howard. If they could get Dragic for anybody else they likely make that deal. They might not be willing to throw in everything because they'd need pieces to fill the hole at the 4 that is created but if they could retain Jones any other front court player not named Howard would be out the door for a player like Dragic.
We have leverage on PHX..... He is expiring.....wants to play for a contender and get paid....very limited market. Dragic has already come out and let them know he will have an "open" free agency...euphemism for "you better deal me while you can"....and he can pretty much control where he goes. PHX signed Thomas and Bledsoe....They are a team not headed anywhere, anytime soon.... and Dragic is not young , but still in his prime...They are NOT paying him a blizzard of bucks. They have a cheap owner..... And an arena with the worst name in sports..Why? $$$$$$$ They should have made the deal earlier this summer, because, then they might have gotten the NOP...not now. The only thing they have going for them are our injuries at the point....But we can wait them out... PHX record worsens, the value of the NO pick rises...and we get healthy. We're 13-4......It's early for us, but not for them..
That is a very affirmative YES to #2. All caps??? quite the contrast to jtr who says we gotta give up both to get Dragic.
Evaluating players is obviously not your strong suit. D-Mo is a rare individual in the NBA. He can effectively guard both dominant centers and power forwards in the NBA. 50% of play is on the defensive side of the court. If you want to see a clinic on guarding an all star PF, watch the first half of the Clips game. D-Mo 11 minutes. Blake 2 points. With Bev and Canaan healthy the Rockets have no need for a PG. I do realize that Rockets fans idolize Dragic, but next to Harden he becomes a Lin like player. Spot up shooter. Nobody is taking the ball out of Harden's hands. Nobody.
Get real. Don't be such a homer. Learn to dispassionately evaluate trades and talent. And oddly enough Plow and I both evaluated the worth of the NOP pick and D-Mo the same. Amazing.
This is his 10th season as a pro. He has worked in his shot, a lot. His ceiling as 3pt shooter and as overall scorer is low and it's time to accept it.
I think Plow is more rationale about the market for Dragic than you are. There is nobody that is going to give anything close to both DMo and the Pels pick for Dragic. Nobody. You should be able to recognize that.
DMo is a foul machine and not a good defender. I'm not sure you have ever watched him play after saying that he can effectively guard both dominant center and power forwards. Pointing out a poor half of a Clippers for Blake does not make him a good defender. The Rockets are set at the 2,3 and 5 position. Ideally they would upgrade the 4 but PG is their second weakest position and they would upgrade it if given the chance. Dragic would defer to Harden when they were on the court together but he would run the show when Harden was out. Staggering their minutes would ensure that the Rockets always have a great play maker and scorer on the court.
I think some fans here are delusional. Are you saying Plow that IF the Rockets got Dragic they would not have to include the NO pick? So lets get this right Asik is worth the pick but Dragic isn't? I feel like this is April 1st. When it comes to DMO I understand he has put together a few good games but do you guys envision him as a role player or an all star?
Someone just suggested to me a straight up DMo for Dragic deal. No other pieces involved. I'd have to say that is very intriguing. It leaves us Terrence/Bev/Canaan/KPaps/Pels pick to go after a big time power forward. At the same time, it makes me cringe at what DMo will become after he leaves here. That's probably a fair trade. But..........if we can get Dragic without giving up either DMo or the Pels pick......then that's even better for us.
The market right now is exactly what I have characterized it to be. Things may change going forward to the trade deadline however. If Dragic is available right now for the NOP pick, he would have been gone a long time ago. Or do you think that Morey is stupid? That deal is a no brainer from Houston's side. Therefore you must be wrong.
Dragic will be an unrestricted free agent when many teams will have max cap room. No team will give much to the Suns for him just for a mid-season rental. On the otherhand I think there's a slim chance Gogi is traded because of the low returns and the bad PR it would entail.
D-Mo is an exceptional defender. I can back my opinion up with much more than the eye test> Can you?????
You sir would be fired immediately as a GM if you had to even think for any amount of time on a Dragic for DMO deal straight up
It's not as simple as pure talent as you know. The contractual situations play into it heavy....as well as EVERYTHING in my above post outlining why Dragic can be had cheap...NOW..BY US.
If a serious contender could get Dragic for something as cheap as the NOP pick, don't you think he would have been traded right now?
Trusting you as an "insider" if the Rockets can have him for next to nothing and Morey doesn't pull the trigger he should be fired immediately. If this info is true why has the deal not been done?
There are two other fish out there at PG.....What's going on with Rondo these days (trade rumors wise..and health) Plus we have other options to consider....WHALES.
Dragic is an expiring contract that can walk from most teams (and likely would if they are bad teams). You tell me......take the Rockets out of the equation......what team is going to offer what pieces for Dragic if PHX moves him? Think about it dude. That's why Ainge is up a creek with Rondo. He either has to pay the man and give him a no-trade clause....which means Rondo has a lot of power and control in Boston.....something I'm sure Ainge is wrestling with since Rondo alienates so many people and coaches. OR...Ainge has to find a trade partner willing to give up significant assets for Rondo. Once again...take the Rockets out of the equation.....what team is going to give up what assets for Rondo????? Ainge knows after Houston....the market falls off to nothing. He's caught between a rock and a hard place. He'd love to re-sign Rondo to a max deal without a no-trade clause so he could trade him later. But Rondo is too smart for him. Rondo ain't signing no max deal to become a trade pawn for Ainge and wind up in basketball Siberia. Think about it. What team is going to be willing to offer up substantial assets for Rondo sans the Rockets. Name the team and name the deal. Great question. And one I can't answer. When he plays like he has played this last spate of games it makes me think he could become an All-Star down the road. But I openly confess at the beginning of the season after training camp I thought he was headed for Bustville. In my mind, he's either one or the other. If all he becomes is a "role player" playing off the bench in a backup role at the 5....that means he is a bust. And I can still see that possibly being the case. But I can also still see him blooming into a borderline/occasional All-Star. I don't think there are 3 big men in the NBA with better post moves than DMo right now. And if he simply works on his 3-ball and becomes a good 3-point shooter....his career will rocket up to the stratosphere. I do think the odds are favoring the latter right now.
