Who can we get with the Jeremy Lin trade exception?

The TE doesn't work that way. The $8.3mil TE is currently part of the cap. To create capspace, you have to renounce the TE first. Otherwise the system would be broken because you can just create TEs and then use them to add salary after you've filled your cap.

The usefulness of the TE next offseason only exist if the Rockets do not go under the cap for next year. Assuming they make no moves, the Rockets will have roughly $60mil on the books next year. If the cap rises to $70+ the way most people think it will with the new TV deal, the TE for all intents and purposes become fairly useless. The usefulness of the TE only exist if the Rockets purposely add salary midseason that will make any capspace in the offseason unnecessary.

What Bimathug was suggesting is that the Rockets make their big splash, Rondo, Dragic, whoever, and then make another splash in the offseason. I disagree. I think if the Rockets make their splash at the trade deadline, then they should press that advantage and get even better this year. Even if that player is not as good as it may be in the offseason. This isn't about win-now as much as making the most of a small window of opportunity. Pacers and Thunder are just most recent examples of what happens if you just keep waiting and waiting.

 

I think the targets should include Channing Fry with a VERY tight window. TPE expires July 13, 2015. Channing Fry's contract contracts over the years from $8.579 million (out of range for the Lin TPE) to $8.193 million (within range of the TPE).

Channing Fry (if his production from last season at PHX is anything to go by) is an excellent stretch 4 (especially at 6"11), and can play the backup 5 as well. Is a good rebounder and can DEFINITELY shoot the 3.

TPE + Rockets 2016 1st round draft pick for Fry on July 11th, 2015? DEAL.

 

We can probably get Lin back.

 

If your proposal to use the Lin TPE is expressly conditioned on FIRST acquiring a third star, then fine, go ahead and use it if it'll materially further the Rockets' championship hopes this year. However, my point was largely in response to those wanting to use the Lin TPE right away, with no other moves lined up to acquire a third star.

 

Right now, the Rockets have enough salary (most importantly, Terry and Papanikolaou) to match salaries for almost any player they would trade for this season. They don't need to use the TPE just to get another mid-sized salary for matching purposes in a bigger trade later. Also, under the current CBA, expiring contracts no longer hold the value they used to.

Of course it would take more than a TPE to get a star player. But it is still a useful asset to have in your back pocket when approaching other teams for a star, either to absorb an undesirable contract or to otherwise facilitate salary-matching on a grander scale (not for combining with other outgoing salary).

Why use the TPE now on a Brandon Bass-type when it could be a key trade facilitator in a much more important deal?

Also, if there is no move that makes THIS YEAR'S Rockets team a legit championship team (and I'm not saying that there isn't), why use the TPE now when it may be able to get the team a better player next July?

Again, I'm not saying that using the TPE this season is dumb or that the Rockets shouldn't use it if it'll legitimately help their title hopes. I'm just saying that waiting to use it until after a bigger move has been made (or as part of that move) may be more helpful in the big picture towards making the Rockets a legit title team.

 

While the team can use Terry and Kostas as the matching salary, these guys seem to be needed/useful rotation guys. So if we can turn the TPE into another potential contract to be used for matching salaries, it could mean that we get to keep an extra useful rotation guy while making a bigger $ trade.

I don't think there is a need to hurry and use the TPE this week or anything, I am just neutral about the "flexibility" benefits between keeping the TPE and converting it into a player on a reasonable tradable contract.

 

I would've liked us to get Kenyon Martin. Cheap, defensive minded bigman that can hit a open jumpshot.

 

I agree with this. Terry and Kostas are currently positive contributors and the leadership of Terry (both in and out of locker room) cannot be measured. The team has great chemistry at the moment and it would be risky to tamper with that regardless of which 'attainable' name we put out there.

Definitely not an easy decision for Morey.

 

The issue is not the TPE but the assets the Rockets would have to part with. Any trade would involve giving up valuable assets for a high salaried player. This is my list of the current non-starter trade assets in possession of the Rockets, ranked by order of value.

• D-Mo. Really big men who can play center and provide excellent defense are rare in the NBA. He is reminding me more and more of Asik with the added reasonable possibility of becoming a good shooter. I have a nasty suspicion that the summer after next he will demand eight figures per year on the market. There have been rumors of teams inquiring about his availability.
• The NOP draft choice. A lovely asset created by Morey's ability to twist normal trades under the current CBA.
• Papa. IMHO it would be a shame to trade such a promising rookie without really seeing how much he can develop.
• Canaan. Not worth much.
• Terry. Matching contracts. That is all.

Surprisingly after compiling that list I believe that the Rockets do have the assets to go after a Dragic or a Millsap. D-Mo and the NOP pick might get a discussion started for either player. Then the TPE could be important, if I understand the CBA correctly (unlikely). Unfortunately, D-Mo, unless he can develop a very good shot from beyond the arc should be traded before he hits free agency.

 

Can't mess with chemistry. Papa, Terry, Canaan are all important. Dmo I agree we trade him, and go like another posted, after Frye and roll with it.

 

The remarkable thing is that if the Rockets did not have HOF Howard, D-Mo would never be traded. The two rarest commodities in the NBA are excellent shooting guards and true centers that can hold down the fort on the defensive end. But I have absolutely no clue as to what Morey could or should do. I trust he will make best use of that asset.

 

I'm with you. Terry and Papa aren't end of bench guys whose contributions can just be ignored. If we're trading them we better be getting something darn good back. Our already thin bench will become absolutely atrocious if they're sent out.

Also, how long before your sig changes? Do you need to see a month? 2 months? Do you need to see him play D in the playoffs? Just curious

 

If i was Morey i'd inquire about moving Terrence Jones for a player like Paul Milsap. And i would be hesitant to trade Papa and Terry in any deal.

Terry is proven to be valuable to this team he is not only shooting well but is also a coach on the floor to our guards. Plus he's so ****ing old he can call people out without caring who he's offending.

And Papa is showing flashes of developing into a solid NBA player. When i see him play i think of a rich man's Luke Walton. A player with a high BBall IQ who just makes winning plays. When his shot begins to fall we will have a good player.

Also one thing that we should not overlook is that a lot of veterans will be on the market this offseason players like Kevin Garnett, Chuck Hayes, and Luis Scola. I'm sure morey can make a deal for one of them if he want's at the trade deadline to add to our depth.

I'd love to see scola on this team as a backup big playing 15 minutes.

 

As much as I love Scola, this team needs a defensive/rebounding big the most. The reason why I think Bass is the best fit is because he can keep teams honest with his mid-range jump shot and allow Dmo room to work in the post.

 

Yeah i think Bass would be a good option as well. I also forgot to mention Jason Smith who will also be free this summer. Jason Smith is basically a taller Brandon Bass who is also a SOLID rim protector.

 

I like Bass too and I agree that he looks like a great fit for what we need. I guess it is a matter of how much are we willing to give up to get him.

 

Do you want to move Jones to get Bass or do you want to retain him?

In the pre-season, I was thinking that moving Jones in a trade for Bass would be ok. I feel Jones' potential value when he is healthy, is better than that despite his defensive/ and rebounding inconsistency.

D-Mo is most effective in the post, I would like to see him get better. If he doesn't improve however, than DM might have to trade him.

I love Luis too, but his days as a Rocket are over like you said.

 

Isn't "trading Terry/Papanikolaou for a THIRD STAR" the entire basis for the present conversation?

I don't believe anyone is advocating trading those guys for some scrub with a larger expiring contract. In fact, those two guys were acquired, in part, so that the Rockets would actually have contracts large enough to trade FOR A THIRD STAR. Yes, they are both giving positive contributions on the court. Yes, they could both prove to be pieces to this Rockets team going forward. But their contracts may be necessary if the Rockets want to have any hope of acquiring a third star via trade during this season (or, in K-Pap's case, next summer).

 

Yes, but who is on our bench after the trade? I don't know that replacing Jones with Millsap while losing Papa and Terry makes us much better. I think we need to upgrade at PF, but we at least need something off the bench.

Adding a third star means diminishing returns on their value. Chris Bosh's impact on the 2013/14 Heat is nowhere near his impact on the 2014/15 Heat. I'm afraid if we trade our depth for somebody like Millsap (or whomever) we're going to see the same thing. Their numbers will dip and our bench will be painfully shallow.