Wings Available Updated * JJ Reddick - signed with PHI * Tyreke Evans Trevor Booker Mario Hezonja - signed with NYK Dante Cunningham KCP - signed with LAL Corey Brewer Wayne Ellington James Ennis Kyle Anderson Jeff Green Rodney Hood RFA Wesley Johnson Mike Scott Lance Stephenson - signed with LAL GRIII - signed with DET LMAM Treveon Graham James Nunnally MCW
$23 mil last year. ~$12 mil this year. Reddick definitely maximized his earnings in just a 2 year span instead of opting for a multi year
Dante Cunningham is available? I liked him when he played for the Pelicans. Good value signing if Morey is interested.
On twitter @BimaThug talking about about S&T's with Ariza (3 team) that could net Wilson Chandler. cc @aelliott
My only issue here.... if you're willing to take Wilson Chandler for $12.8M, why wouldn't you just keep Ariza for $15M? I guess the extra 2nd rounders are nice (and it's effectively $11.3 for Chandler if you also deduct Nanu's salary), but I still have a hard time rationalizing why you wouldn't just keep Ariza at that price.
That is my feeling as well in a vacuum. But in the marco, there could be other considerations we aren't aware of yet. What they are going to do with Anderson. There might even be a "long play" we are not aware of.
Solid point. They are comparable players at similar salaries, and getting Chandler doesn't qualify as getting younger in my mind. Not sure what the point of trading for him would be, and not sure we have much they would want.
Upside I think. $15 million might as well be $25 million when the tax hits. I'm also pretty sure the tax had a lot to do with not keeping Ariza.
The problem with most of the Ryno scenarios is that you'd probably have to trade at least one 1st to the team taking him (even if they offload a "lesser" bad contract), and giving up future 1sts complicates Morey's ability to make a star trade down the line. After talking with @BimaThug (and David, please jump in if I misstate anything), I think potentially the most useful tool the Rockets have could be the potential for a three-team Ariza S&T. There are two minor complications, but both are manageable, IMO: You'd have to get Phoenix to cooperate, but if they get a future 2nd or the opportunity to offload salary themselves, I don't see why they wouldn't. Not like PHX and HOU are rivals or that there's any bad blood between the front offices. Ariza is subject to BYC rules, so he'd only count as $7.5M in "outgoing salary" from HOU, for trade purposes. (That's 50% of his actual salary.) So if you want a player making much more than $7.5M (i.e. someone in the Wilson Chandler, Courtney Lee tier), the Rockets would need to send a couple more minor salaries to the third team.) Theoretically, though... you could send Ariza and a 2nd to Phoenix, some combination of Onuaku/Qi/Jackson to Denver, and Chandler to Houston. Similar scenario could work with the Knicks and Courtney Lee. Or instead of giving draft compensation to Phoenix, you could give them the opportunity to offload a slightly negative contract of their own, as David suggests here: Either way, Ariza's new deal feels like the easiest way to bring in a quality veteran wing without having to address the Ryan Anderson value issue.
Almost certainly a tax issue -- and I fully get not eating a $15 million salary for Ariza. But if you're going to eat an inferior player at just a couple million less, what's the point? If we can move Anderson and acquire a Wilson Chandler/Jared Dudley type in that process (i.e., overpaid, but not useless), that makes a lot more sense to me. Also, I'd imagine we'll kick the tires on Arron Afflalo as an Ariza replacement for vet minimum. His career fell off quickly, but that's what you'll find in the bargain bin.
I'm also pretty sure Trevor would've left a couple of millions on table (considering taxes and staying here) eventually, that tells me we were really far in terms of money per year, i guess the Rockets didn't offer more than what PJ is getting, Trevor had an offer which was double that amount and just took it.
im on the same page as this and believe this was likely the case. especially with all these years playing for as cheap as he has. of course we can blame much of that on the cap rise and all
Instead of Denver 2nd rounder, throw in Jarred Vanderbuilt. This was Rockets supposed target in draft.
Vet-mins are like second round picks. Morey has the ability to find some undervalued gems there. But it is still kind of a crapshoot.
Agreed, and paying Trevor Ariza double what PJ Tucker makes is an extremely difficult pill to swallow, especially at a position that is ripe for upgrade.
It feels like ages ago that Courtney was playing for Houston but he's only 32. I'd love to have him back. I just tend to lean towards the 6'8 guys (Like Chandler) because I think of how much we're going to miss Ariza's ability to guard/bother the Durants and ADs—ie athletic 7 footers. Moute is an important need now and the quietness around that makes me nervous because I feel the MLE will have to be used on him if we don't hear something soon.
