Who do we currently have now and Who do you think will get cut?

Beverley/Terry/(Canaan or Smith)
Harden/Johnson/Daniels
Ariza/Papanikolaou/Garcia
Jones/DMo/(Adrien, Powell or Covington)
Howard/Dorsey/Capela (D-League)

Gold in a trade will be upgrading the PG and/or PF starting spots with keeping the current starting 5 + Johnson and Kostas

 

2 of powell, Covington, smith..get cut.

already have bev, terry, canaan, and Johnson than can play the 1. ish smith may be the odd man out. they probably signed him before they knew the could get Jason terry.

 

FYI, Canaan's salary in 2015-16 is 80% guaranteed, meaning that it might as well be fully guaranteed. Waiving him -- from a cap standpoint -- would put the Rockets in a worse position than if they just kept him.

Canaan, Daniels and Dorsey are all in the same boat, IMO, as far as being players with multi-year guarantees who likely won't get cut this month.

 

Daniels, Dorsey and Garcia will be in the final 4. I think Powell and Adrien are battling it out for the last spot. I don't think Ish stands a chance because a shooter who can't play defense or distribute is more valuable than a playmaker who can't score or play defense on this team at PG.

The only thing I'm worried about is the whole dynamic of Powell being so close with Howard and working really hard this summer. I think Adrien is a better player right now and I can see him getting cut even if he outperforms Powell. That would piss me off, but might be necessary to keep Howard happy.

 

I'll go on record as saying Adrien is guaranteed to make the roster.

He was 10 and 8 for Milwaukee last season (13 and 9 as a starter), good hustle and solid defender with long arms. He is almost the reverse of Terrence Jones - a banging bruiser with no finesse, but always 'on' and active. Jones can switch off, and get pushed around. I think Adrien is a huge + for the team, and also for Jones' development.

 

I completely agree with you re Covington and Garcia, and Adrien, too. I am projecting a trade of Donatas Motiejunas for a second round pick over the next few weeks, which results in Ishmael Smith making the roster. Otherwise, my roster looks exactly the same as yours. And if I am wrong about an imminent Motiejunas trade, my roster is exactly the same as yours.

If Memphis is interested in giving themselves a bit more breathing room below the luxury tax threshold, I can also see an October Tayshaun Prince-for-Jason Terry swap, in which case Prince replaces Terry on the roster, and as the expiring contract trade chip that Morey will package with draft picks and Clint Capela at the trade deadline for Rajon Rondo or Paul Millsap (or whoever else).

I don't see Terry (or Prince) ever playing much for Houston this year.

 

I wouldn't put Jason Terry in the safe bucket. I think there's a significant question of whether he's still spry enough to contribute and if he doesn't have a good camp I can easily see him getting the ax.

 

Terry's expiring contract, not Terry the player, is what Daryl Morey wants. Terry's expiring contract is an essential piece in any big pre-trade deadline acquisition.