Okay so if the contracts (Qi, Clark and Edwards) can be modified to be guaranteed, and if we subtract 600k from Butlers owed 20.4 mill salary. Then we should be able to do the following trade Gordon, Tucker, Nene, Qi, Edwards and Clark for Butler, Dieng This would allow us to take Dieng back while keeping Knight, meaning we could send both of our 2019 & 21 1st to Minny instead of having to attach one or both to Knight to move him to a 3rd team. To me, this would be a legitimately good and serious offer to Minny that could land us Butler.
After this season the Rockets can clear all the contracts except the starting 5. CP3, Harden, Butler, PJ and CC can be their only above minimum cotracts and then they fill the bench with minimum contracts like Ennis, Green and (maybe Melo). I don’t think that puts them that far over the cap.... could be wrong though.
Haha. That's true of all of us. We all want to keep Tucker, but if we don't, I'll still be excited. IF we can trade for Butler and keep Tucker, we are without question at eye-level with GSW. If we play our A game and they play theirs, we have equal shots at beating one another. Add in our hunger, and I think we have the advantage.
If Tuck is not available, then 3rd team has to offer a good player to replace Tucker. Gordon is not enough.
It will be very difficult to dip under the luxury tax line over the next 2 years, even if we don't trade for Butler. I think the better route is to go all in over the next 2 years (i.e. accept that we will pay the tax). If we win a title or two, then Fertitta might be willing to pay even the repeater tax. If not, then try to trade CP3 in summer 2020, who will have 2 years $85 million left on his deal. Also, in 2020-21 the salary cap is projected to rise to $116, which should put the luxury tax line around $140. We would still have Harden locked up for 2 years, Butler for 4 years and Capela for 3 years. We could dip below the tax and freshen up the team some with the added flexibility...maybe even finally bring over Llull. In other words, I think the Butler trade makes sense either way. It might require us to trade CP3 if we didn't win a title over the next few years, but I think that might've happened anyway with or without Butler.
Agreed, in the end the salary cap and so the tax threshold are going up to 120/145 if i remember correctly in the next two years...if Morey & co will be able to work their magic and somehow avoid the repeater great, if not, they'll make some tough decision, but hey, if that's what it takes to have two great opportunities to win i'm all for it, even if at worst it means to start a rebuilding in 3 years, having Harden, Butler and Capela under contract should make that easier/faster anyway.
https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/9/28/17915784/tom-thibodeau-trade-jimmy-butler-assets The Ringer speculates about what the Rockets might be up to.
CAPELA for Butler? The F is this, fake news? Not blaming you, in fact thank you for showing us this, but this is a terrible view by the Ringer. In a 3 team trade, possibly. But not 'probably'. Far from it. Minnesota doesn't need him, Rockets love him.
Thibs might be looking for a new job soon. And I heard he and Butler have a great working relationship.
