Sources: Rockets have eyes on Jimmy B

Would you offer Knight/Chriss/Nene for Whiteside?

I believe that Riley wants to deal Whiteside for Ryan Anderson.

 

honestly im confused

 

KAT did have his best season when Dieng started at center.

 

Nothing is confused. Nobody wants Whiteside. Nobody can figure out why Riley wants to include Whiteside in the Butler deal.

 

Why are we talking about Whiteside when we have Capela on a sweet deal?

 

Because the insiders won't rescue the thread and Clutch and the mods won't take it out behind the barn and shoot it.

 

Lo.oks like Thibs is nearing the acceptance stage of Jimmy breaking up with him

.

 

ClutchFans for the last few days:

 

@esketit

 

looks like a prime candidate to bolster the texans O line

also stop tagging me and commenting on my profile. starting to think you have a crush on me lol, but i cant tell if you are sarcastically tagging me or if we are actually friends

 

Well this thread went to hell fast.

 

@esketit and @basketballholic ruined this thread smh

 

Chris Mannix & Howard Beck:

(Not solely Jimmy related)

http://discover.knit.audio/the-full...r-and-the-erosion-of-the-houston-rockets.html

Mannix: This offseason on the negative side was marked by Houston taking a pretty significant step back. Their success was defined by a defensive mindset. A top ten defensive team for the first time in God knows how long in Mike D'Antoni's career. That's what got them to the brink of winning the Western Conference Finals. They took a step back.

[...]

CM: (Next star in LA?) I'd be surprised if it was Durant. Not saying he'll definitely be back in Golden State. In fact, I think New York will be a real threat to sign Durant down the line. I'm not sure Durant wants to team up with LeBron, especially if Durant wins a 3rd championship. I thought it was interesting Jimmy Butler makes a list of teams & the Clippers are on it and the Lakers are not.

[..]

CM: (Jimmy Butler, do we think he's landing anywhere anytime soon?) It depends on who you ask in the NBA about how this plays out. From talking to teams interested, the Wolves - Thibodeau specifically - are not going to take expiring contracts. Thibs wants a player. Thibs wants to win. He's looking for someone to step in and be 75%-80% of Jimmy Butler. The longer this drags out, the longer I think it's possible he's back with that team at some point. I think it's unlikely. I think it's more likely they find some kind of deal due largely from pressure from ownership to get a deal done but if Thibs had his way, he'd tell Butler to get his ass back in camp and if not, you'll get fined. I don't know how this ends. I get where Thibs is coming from. Before Butler got hurt, they were 4/5. They were really good. You'd assume some growth from Towns/Wiggins but if you're the Wolves & Butler is back, with the erosion of Houston, that you might have an outside chance of getting to the Conference Finals? Maybe? At least a puncher's chance? I think this could drag out awhile.

Howard Beck: If Butler believed that, he wouldn't be demanding a trade. He doesn't have that faith in them.

CM: Probably. If you're the Wolves, you have to look at the last year & what guys were traded for. Oladipo turned out to be a great player but no one at the time thought he was anything more than what he was in OKC. Kawhi - top 3 player - gets traded for DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl & highly protected 1st. Kawhi & Paul George are arguably more valuable pieces than Butler. If you're Minnesota & aren't getting back anything significant in return, maybe you roll the dice & challenge Butler to come back & dare him to walk away next season from a full 5-year max. He's been about the money. Would he walk away from a 5-year max? It's the least likely scenario but I think that's something Tom Thibodeau is kicking around in his head.

HB: Calling the bluff would be interesting but I think in this case, it's not about staying to get paid. It's his teammates. That's difficult & a risk for Minnesota.

CM: Reading quotes from Taj & Derrick Rose, I think they'd welcome him in. It'd be Wiggins. If that's the one guy you have to sooth things over with, maybe it's possible. This time next week is the most likely scenario Butler is moved but wouldn't dismiss him being back with that team at some point.

HB: A lot of teams he doesn't make sense for. Nets don't make sense. You're not ready to contend. He's 29 with significant miles. He's not on the Hawks or Magic time horizon. Then contenders who don't need him or are already set or don't have the pieces to trade, as much as Butler can make teams better - top 15 player - I don't know where the right fit is. 2 teams, irrespective of trade assets & trade machine - the 2 places are the Bucks & the Pelicans. They have great young stars but have flat-lined as teams. Where else does he make sense?

CM: Bucks & Pelicans make sense. You get him, you sign him, it doesn't hurt you. You're not ruining flexibility. At some point in Butler's next contract, you'll be paying for past performance. In year 3-4-5, what will you get? You're paying for 2, maybe 3 years before you're looking at how do we get out of this? Milwaukee needs a player like that. It's Hail Mary time in New Orleans. If I'm the Knicks, I make a run. I know they're saying we're not trading picks but maybe you don't have to. Paul George, no picks. Kawhi, late first or two seconds, we'll see. If you're the Knicks & can get Butler, you go get Butler. Butler, Porzingis, presumably you're functional under Fizdale, that increases chances exponentially you get a Durant or Kyrie or someone else. You got the young superstar in Kristaps, an elite #2 guy, all the sudden the Knicks are in business. If it doesn't cost more than Frank Ntilikina & something else, I'd go make a play.

HB: I'd feel better about that play if I knew Porzingis would be Porzingis again. The 7'3 guy with ACL injury, it scares me a little bit.

CM: You're worried? I feel like everyone comes back from that.

HB: Yes, except Derrick Rose. What scares me is Porzingis moved like no other 7'3 guy we've seen. If he'll come back from ACL surgery & use all those great skills that made him a unicorn, can he do it at the same level? It's uncharted territory.

CM: I'd be more concerned if it was a Yao Ming or Ilgauskas foot injury or even Cousins' achilles injury. Those scare me more. If he does it again, I'd certainly jump on this train but they've become so routine.


[...]

CM thinks Utah could challenge Houston for #2 seed.

[...]

CM: (Better fit with new team: Dwight Howard/Wizards or Carmelo Anthony/Rockets?) Oh God. Not Dwight Howard. I don't know what the future of Dwight Howard is. The fact a guy averaged 16/12 and played 81 games and had almost no interest, speaks to what Dwight is at this point. No one but Washington was interested. He should fill the Gortat role. I wonder if we're in for another year of Dwight being a net negative because of grumbling about post touches or whatever happens behind closed doors. Carmelo is a wild card. It's not the same relationship he had with D'Antoni. If he's committed to being a bench player, committed to being a stretch four, and OK with not playing in the 4th, he can have an impact. Until he does all those things, I'm gonna have to wait on Carmelo.

 

im being tagged in it left and right....

 

The erosion of Houston? Really Mannix? Gtfoh dude...

 

Man, F88k these takes.

 

So... is Buckets a Rocket yet?

 

REALLY LOOKS LIKE THESE TALKS HAVE COOLED ALL THE WAY DOW. buuuuuuuut Is it really that bad to go into the season with EG and PJ instead?! run it back...

 

Simply use a little toilet paper by clicking the ignore button and you'll have a clean thread again. I did that earlier and it no longer smells in here.

 

Yeah it’s funny, because I like Mannix, he usually has solid takes. Taking the homer totally out of his comments, I just don’t understand how so many think the Rockets took a step back.

Too many people sleeping on the Rockets. That’s ok, right where I want to be.