If we are playing a game, PJ being out might not be trade related at all. If Morey/MDA are playing a game, seems more reasonable to think this is an excuse to start Melo (to maximize practice with Paul), without media fanfare.
Yea. Just wondered if rockets related. He did something similar when joining The athletic. Just trying to/Rubio narrow it down. More intriguing if rockets related.
Technically, he didn't do something similar when joining the athletic. His follower/friend "Marcus" posted the "bomb" tweet, prior to Kelly's announcement of the new job.
Still feels like the Jimmy Butler stalemate is 1) Miami won't include Josh Richardson in a deal. 2) Rockets won't include PJ Tucker in the deal. 3) A Rockets trade (without PJ) - Kings aren't getting enough compensation to take on Dieng in a salary dump. From Sam Amick it sounds like pressure is building for a Butler trade. Will Miami or Houston cave in? Will the Wolves cave in due to the time crunch?
Fortunately, the Rockets have the strongest position here. We're already a WCF team without Butler. He might get us over the hump, but we'll be really good even without him. Miami a lower-seed playoff team at best and need someone like Butler to improve their chances. And the T-Wolves are just in a bad, bad way and have no choice but to accept SOME offer for Butler before the season starts to avoid imploding entirely.
Durant chose GS, obviously every team wanted him. Cousins is coming off an injury that most players never come back from. He didn’t leave millions on the table just to do GS a favor.
another question ...why would Minny trade Jimmy Butler to a rival team, instead of outside of the western conference, to a team like Miami?
This is how I feel. There are times in the past where Morey might have "all in" on a move. The CP one comes to mind recently. But now, the team is "right there" and he has the luxury of holding firm a bit. ESPECIALLY with the Wolves being in a situation where THEY are more on the clock than the Rockets are. Miami is tough to read. Riley's hubris. They will clutch firm onto Josh Richardson. But at the same token, there are times they go for it. Much like when the Rockets almost got Bosh and Riley relented and gave Bosh that FIFTH year to his deal to keep him. I bet Miami sees the same thing that the Rockets see, that they are right there to get Butler and can wait it out a bit. I just don't see the Wolves letting this Butler thing go into the season. Huge distraction.
Rockets aren't a rival. A "rival team" is a team at the BOTTOM of the West playoff seeds. Like the Clippers. The Rockets aren't going to keep the Wolves out of the playoffs
