Cyberx: Rockets will go after Durant hard in 2016

I dont see them getting away with fouls on the defensive end....at least anymore than any other team. However, i truly believe that at least 1/2 of the screens Bogut sets are illegal. I dont see how he continues to get away with it.

 

Well, I do. They hack players all the time and it's considered "good defense" instead of the fouls they are. I would argue they get away with it significantly more than other teams

 

i agree.

those foul calls and lack of fouls calls add up. they can end up being four point and sometimes even six point swings. imagine that happening several times a game at least. well dang, you don't have to imagine. just watch the games closely.

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Most insiders see the most likely scenario at present to be Kevin Durant staying in OKC on a two-year max deal with an opt-out after Year 1.</p>&mdash; Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNSteinLine/status/737550120086962177">May 31, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

Thunder won't recover from this though... Clippers could have said the same last year. It's over guys Durant is gone.

 

Marc Stein: Wizards, Heat, Celtics, Rockets, Knicks, Lakers, Spurs and, yes, Warriors … all expected to pursue Kevin Durant in free agency this summer
2 hours ago – via Twitter ESPNSteinLine


link http://hoopshype.com/team/houston-rockets/

 

Even if the Thunder had won the WCF and the title, that was probably the most likely scenario. It allows him to make more money by opting out next summer. Plus it doesn't trap him in a long-term deal with OKC in case Westbrook bolts in 2017. Regardless, he ain't coming here, so Morey and Les better not waste more than 10 seconds on that fantasy.

 

Considering they wasted a lot of time courting Bosh, Anthony, and then Bosh again I'm sure 10 seconds is the absolute bare minimum they will spend on Durant.

Morey has to be a grade A moron if he thinks Durant will leave OKC for Houston considering the many factors (the amount of money he can make after next season, the team he has now in OKC, the crap season Houston just had, etc) in play.

It will be another situation where we put time and energy into courting one player while the other players that are attainable (and probably need) sign deals with other teams.

 

Even if we sign Durant we still need more. Can't underestimate Beasley and Harden bond with Durant. We need to at least get Horford or Conley along with the two.

 

If KD goes to one of these teams, there would be no need for the other WC teams to compete.

 

If Morey wants to get Durant he first needs to work a trade for Teague. Ariza + Bev + a young guy or a 2nd rounder would mostly likely be close to getting it done. Then we need to find a place to dump Brewer's contract using a second rounder and a young guy as sweetener.

If Dwight Opts out, we could find a way to build around a core of Teague/Harden/Durant/Horford/Capela with Beasley on the bench. I don't know how Horford and Durant could resist that. Especially considering next year the cap goes up even more and Teague would expire, creating a possibility of adding someone else at the 1 (WB CP3 will be FA) or resigning Teague, along with bolstering the second unit with exceptions.

this is a dream scenario, but honestly is the one route I feel Durant could not resist. Along with playing with two of his best friends and in Texas, a place he loves, there isn't a much better place for Durant to not only have a chance of winning but doing it somewhere with friends.

 

That's what concerns me. This 3-1 collapse is a nightmare scenario. Not only do I have to suffer through the Warriors in the Finals again, but now Morey and Les are gonna delude themselves into thinking Durant will not only be eager to bolt OKC, but that he'd actually consider coming here.

I think it's a fool's errand to try to reload quickly via free agency regardless, but if the Rockets are hellbent on doing that, the wisest approach is to pursue 2nd and 3rd tier players who would not only be more likely to sign here(and do so much sooner), but would cost far less than a Durant or Horford.

But this requires Morey and Les to admit upfront that chasing after Durant and Horford is a waste of time. And not only do I think they're too arrogant to concede this, but I think they also get off on going after big name free agents and believe it raises the profile of the organization.

 

Agreed.

I think their reasoning is that the team is at the proverbial "crossroad" where they're "too good" (and too financially invested in average players) to suck bad enough to get a high pick and "not good enough" to be considered in the top tier in the NBA.

Of course that has much to do with our owner's insistence on not tanking/sucking hard enough to get young cheap talent. That being said, their only hope is that they can rope in another big free agent like when they got Howard and hope that magic happens to where they can make it to the WCF and beyond.

 

Those arrogant sickos need to know their place. Latrell said it best - success is just failure that has yet to happen

 

What/whose time did they waste?

What was the opportunity cost of trying to sign big name free agents?

 

Yea, I love the loser mentality on clutchfans.

You want to win, you need the best players, period. You throw everything you have in a pitch to Durant, small chance or not.

 

Yeah but what if Jeremy Lin gets offended again?

 

They wasted the sure chance at signing Lowry while chasing Carmelo and Lowry is now a better player than Carmelo.