Potential Trade Partners for Ryan Anderson [Summer 2018 Edition]

I did some 2018-19 cap space research to see where we could trade Ryan Anderson and what it would take.

It will not be easy and it could be Dareold Maury's greatest accomplishment.

Bottom line, we can't improve the roster for next season, unless we trade Ryan Anderson. We can re-sign CP3 and Capela, but we will be taxed out and Tillman's pockets will become empty soon.


Ryan Anderson will make about $20.42 million for '18-'19 and another $21 million for '19-'20. We are only concerned about his '18-'19 cap figure, as far as trading purposes go.

TRADING RYNO INTO CAP SPACE

Here are the list of teams that can absorb his contract, with out the Rockets having to take any salary in return:

• Atlanta Hawks
• Sacramento Kings
• Chicago Bulls
• Los Angeles Lakers
• Philadelphia 76ers
• Dallas Mavericks

That's it. Only 6 teams.

Now here are another list of teams that could take his contract, but the Rockets would have to take small salary in return:

• Brooklyn Nets ($4 million needs to come back to Houston)
• Orlando Magic ($5 million)
• Phoenix Suns ($7 million)
• Utah Jazz ($9 million)
• Indiana Pacers ($12 million)

Let's take a look at these 11 teams and see who would actually take Ryan Anderson:

No reason to even try and call:

• Los Angeles Lakers
• Philadelphia 76ers
• Indiana Pacers
• Brooklyn Nets

The Lakers and 76ers are two of the top candidates for LeBron and other top-level free agents. They are not about to waste $20 million in space on Ryan Anderson, which would hinder their chances at getting super stars. Perhaps they strike out on everyone this summer and need to fill cap space, but even then they would have Ryno in '19-'20, limiting their chances of signing players in the summer of 2019. The Pacers already have Thad Young and Sabonis, also the Rockets would have to take back about $12 million for a trade to work. Thad Young's salary makes a trade happen, but we don't want him, at least not for $13 million. The Nets might consider Ryan Anderson, but the trade pieces just don't add up. Rockets would have to take back at least $4 million, and all of their young guys make less than that. They wouldn't trade us D'Angelo Russell at $7 million, so the only 2 that could fit the bill would be Jeremy Lin (lol) at $12.5 million or DeMare Carroll at $15.4 million. Lin and Carroll could be more useful to the Rockets than Anderson, but cap space-wise it wouldn't make sense.

Make a call and hope the other GM is drunk:

• Dallas Mavericks
• Chicago Bulls

The Mavericks could use more shooting, but there is no way Cuban would help Houston out and take his contract, plus they will have Dirk for another year and would want to give Dwight Powell more playing time. The Bulls have two very good young PF in Lauri Markkanen and Bobby Portis, plus two awful contracts on the books already in Robin Lopez and Omer Asik.

Call and ask very nicely:

• Phoenix Suns
• Utah Jazz

The Jazz could use a PF with Derrick Favors gone, and Ryan could help space the floor for them with Gobert always clogging the lane, however; it is unlikely the Jazz would help the team that beat them in the 2nd round. Rockets would have to take about $9 million in return...getting back Alec Burks at $11 million could add peace of mind knowing CP3 can break in a heartbeat. The Phoenix Suns have no need for Ryan Anderson. They have 2 young PFs, in Bender and Chriss, but they aren't that good. The Rockets would have to take back a Jared Dudley, or Tyson Chandler, which could entice the Suns.

Call and give the sales performance of your life:

• Orlando Magic
• Atlanta Hawks
• Sacramento Kings

The Magic and Hawks are at the bottom of the East and could use a shooting 4. A possible deal the Rockets could do with Orlando would involve Jonathon Simmons (making $6 million). He could be a nice replacement for Trevor Ariza. The Hawks already have John Collins at PF, but they have tons of cap room and no top free agents would want to join the Hawks this coming season. Atlanta will probably tank the next two seasons, and Ryan Anderson's contract wouldn't hurt them. The Kings have been incompetent for a long while. Along with the Hawks, they are the only team in the league with the cap space to take Ryan Anderson for nothing and are not smart enough to stay away. They will not attract any top free agents, so money is no issue. Like most bad teams they have young PFs in Harry Giles and Skal Labissiere, but Anderson is better than both those guys for now. Zach Randolph making $11 million next year would be the main roadblock here.



The other 18 teams the Rockets could trade with would have to send close to if not the entire $20 million in return. This is a pointless endeavor, as the Rockets are trying to create space to sign free agents.



SIGN AND TRADE SCENARIOS

This is a more unlikely path. If LeBron says "I'm going to Houston make it happen", maybe the Cavs could do a sign and trade and take back Ryan Anderson...the problem is Eric Gordon would have to go with him, and we cannot afford to lose Eric Gordon, even if it means we get LeBron. Perhaps we could sign someone like a JJ Redick or another FA shooter to offset Gordon leaving...

Another path could be the LA Clippers, where we get DeAndre Jordan in return, sending Clint Capela and Ryno to the Clippers, but again this would cap us out unless CP3 takes a major pay cut.


TLDR: Maury has about 3-5 realistic teams to work with