You DO realize that capspace isn't just to sign FAs right? That you can use it to absorb another player's salary via trade too right? My point is this: Chris Paul, as he is right now, is overpaid and unreliable. If we can get out of his contract to get flexibility to rebuild around James Harden without having to tank next season (which we shouldn't given that we'd get Dragic, Johnson and Olynyk back) then we should do it. We are a championship caliber team because we have James Harden; not because we have this current version of Chris Paul .
Of course, you can use cap space to acquire a player via trade, too. Never said that wasn’t an option. Also, the Rockets have a championship-caliber team because of their entire roster, not just James Harden, and they are capable of winning the title this season. If you think trading Chris Paul for three vastly inferior players doesn’t extinguish that possibility, I don’t have anything to debate with you. That said, I do agree with you that Chris Paul isn’t the world’s greatest long-term investment. However, for this season, keeping him gives the Rockets their best chance to win a championship, which they are capable of doing. I’m not giving that up in hopes I can do any of the following next summer: sign Draymond Green, convince Danny Ainge not to match a big offer on Jaylen Brown, or hope a worthy second star comes available via trade.
If you're getting the same Chris Paul as last year--same number of games missed, same production, same disappearing act in the playoffs--in this upcoming season, are you REALLY setting Harden and this team up to compete for a championship?
Now, that would be a trade discussion I'd like to be 'a part of'. What, 65 mil between those Wiz'? Hardcapped by JB SnT? Find enough teams to create the machinations requisite to close that bad baby of a deal...
If Washington somehow gets out of that Wall deal, losing Beal in the process is probably worth it. It's not like they're contending for anything anyways.
No you're not. If something does not change they won't be able to win. It's great to be positive blah blah blah. I don't care it is not happening as currently constructed.
Imagine having to trade your All-Star shooting guard in order to get rid of an injury plagued, no-longer-in-his-prime overpaid point guard......
Which was/is exactly my point. Is Paul better than a package of Dragic, Johnson, and Olynyk? Possibly but at the end of that four-player swap you get some semblance of cap relief in order to be players in signings/trades. Right now, Paul's contract is suffocating the team's ability to improve. If he was still an elite player this wouldn't even be a discussion/argument. As much as I appreciate and love Harden and the rest of the team when they pushed through and played decent while Paul was out, I don't want to have to go through that episode for the next 3 years of "man...when Paul comes back from injury and healthy we'll be RIGHT. THERE. We'll be a championship team!" No franchise player or team or fans should have to go through that.
Makes no sense if you take back other bad contracts and as positive assets in the end you only get a mediocre pick and Winslow...after you just gave away Oubre and Porter for free, and after you just drafted Hachimura.
It's impressive that this guy has managed to put together a blockbuster trade that sucks for BOTH teams.
