I'm trying to be an optimist here. According to the Rockets, they made the trades to get rid of RoCo and then Ariza in order to open up room to use the full MLE that starts at about $9.3 Million. Taking them as face value (and for the sake of this thread, assume they somehow convince Russ and Harden to stay), who should Houston Target? Top Free Agents that are roughly in Houston's price range according to ESPN: Point Guards Mike Conley (technically listed at 10-12 million a year so this is a stretch) Kris Dunn Rajon Rondo Jeff Teague DJ Augustin Langston Galloway Austin Rivers Shooting Guards Jordan Clarkson Avery Bradley Etwaun Moore Alec Burks Kent Bazemore DeAnthony Melton Justin Holiday Garrett Temple Wesley Matthews Bryn Forbes Small Forwards Mo Harkless Rodney Hood Derrick Jones Tony Snell Josh Jackson Glenn Robinson III Torrey Craig Solomon Hill Power Forwards Jae Crowder Dario Saric Paul Millsap JaMychal Green Carmelo Anthony Kelly Olynyk Markief Morris Harris Giles Chris Boucher Wilson Chandler Noah Vonleh Centers Serge Ibaka (technically starts at 10-12M) Montrezl Harrell (technically starts at 10-12M) Christian Wood (technically starts at 10-12M) Tristan Thompson Jakob Poetl Hasson Whiteside Derrick Favors Aaron Baynes' Mason Plumlee Meyers Leonard Nerlens Noel Dwight Howard Bismack Biyombo John Henson Robin Lopez Personally I can't get very inspired by that list. A PJ Tucker steal just isn't there. I guess you make offers to Christian Wood and Serge Ibaka and hope they for some reason accept, otherwise I'd get a cheap big man and then offer the rest of the money to best player available, regardless of position. My Prediction: Rockets go into season not using MLE so that they have money to target players who get bought out...but then don't get any anyway, lol, and magically save more money.
If we keep Westbrick Baynes or Marc Gasol should be the first calls. I bet Ibaka and Wood get 15mill plus per. Holiday or Crowder for wings. If we trade WB, our options open up at C, I like Plumlee, Noel, Favors
Sources tell me Patrick Fertitta just bought a new mansion in Houston. The total price was $9.3 million
Lol you think we’re gonna use it? Remember last time...while it was a contender he could have been using it for??
Maybe having the full $9.3 million exception is leverage to get the other team to do a sign and trade for the full TPE. Plus we throw in the Detroit pick.
