Really like Porter, but not 100% for losing all 3 of Gordon, House and Tucker to get him. That a lot of minutes to replace
Something to keep in mind: PJ is in a contract year and thinks his play has earned him a bigger, multi-year contract (and is right). However, he turns 36 less than two months after the trade deadline. It's hard to imagine Rafael Stone agreeing to tie up very much money with an aging effort guy. If we're underperforming at the deadline, I expect to see PJ gone.
OP, interesting topic, considering that Jon posted about it. Of course, a deal or deals might involve all sorts of players and picks. Any of the three players you mentioned would be possibilities. While a deadline trade wouldn't surprise me, especially if it reduces salary (Tilman's our owner, after all), I can't imagine a scenario that would involve Wall. If Wall's playing well (maybe, if we're very lucky, maybe no if we're not), we wouldn't want to move him. My personal opinion is that a healthy Wall would be a good fit, certainly better than Westbrook, and would a team really want to take a chance on the guy with both his injury history and that contract? I would be shocked if a team would. Stunned! In addition, James reportedly played some pickup ball with Wall at some point after the bubble, enjoyed himself and liked what he saw. I think there's some video somewhere. We want James to be a happy camper so he'll sign that extension. I do, anyway, and there's a good possibly he'll want to continue playing with a healthy John Wall. Another wall you come up against? If Cousins is also healthy enough to be effective (another "maybe, etc."), all we would do is piss off a guy making the minimum that, when reasonably healthy, is very, very talented. Cousins is really good friends with Wall. They played together in college. Do we want a pissed off Cousins? I think not! Food for thought. Otherwise, reasonable speculation about possible deadline deals.
If these guys are available and the Rockets are playing really well, the hard cap is likely going to make it difficult to make a move for them without including a couple of key pieces right—or at least guys that are making a good amount of salary? Even with draft pieces being there you'd have to add $3–$5m to EG's contract to bring in someone in the $21–22m range. I'd imagine Tucker gets included for someone like Tobias that's in the $30m range. I wonder if that makes them hesitate in a situation that is potentially going well and chemistry is clicking, especially if they are trying to convince Harden to stay.
By my best guess at our final roster, and assuming we only fill the 14 spots we are required to, I think we are about $1.6 million under the hard cap. So any trade basically has to be salary in must be less than salary out + $1.6. 41.3 Wall 40.8 Harden 13.0 Wood 1.7 Cousins 2.3 McLemore 1.9 Nwaba 1.7 Brown 0.9 Martin 1.4 Tate 2.0 Bruno 1.7 Green Total pre-trade: 108.7 16.9 Gordon 8.0 Tucker 3.7 House Total at the moment: $137.3 Apron: $138.9 $1.6 below apron Also, can’t forget the salary constraints that would come from more players going out than coming in. ie if you send out 3 and only bring back 2, then you have to account for another minimum player. So if it’s 3 for 3, we can bring back $30.2. If it’s 3 for 2, we can bring back $28.5. If it’s 3 for 1, we can bring back $26.8.
Correct, the Rockets will have to get close to the same amount of outgoing salary as in coming salary. That would mean Gordon for sure would go and depending on the salary of the player brought in, possibly House or Tucker. It would likely be a multi team deal. Most likely the Rockets don't move Tucker or House with Gordon unless it is for a substantial upgrade.
this is a good, succinct way of putting it. Gordon + picks for upgrade = great Gordon + Tucker/House and picks = you better be sure
So in order for the Rockets to make a deal for someone making more than Gordon, the player has to really be worth it. Theoretically the Rockets could trade Eric Gordon and multiple draft picks to the Magic for Aaron Gordon. I have questions about AG's game, but he would give you a 6'8" SF with a 7'0" wingspan that at 235 lbs can cover a lot of positions.
Also, Aaron Gordon makes $1.267 million more than Eric Gordon, so a straight swap does work from a salary/apron perspective. Obviously, most of our picks go to Orlando in that deal. Wall / Brown Harden / McLemore House / Nwaba Gordon / Tucker Wood / Cousins To line this up with the @ch44 rumor that we are shopping Tucker, it’s possible Orlando wants more picks for the Gordon swap. I don’t see a scenario where Tucker goes out and we don’t bring back a forward. Also, I could see us trying to turn this into a 3 team deal that gets us another guard to replace EGo’s minutes.
yeah, if it’s a Gordon swap with pics involved, I feel pretty good. if it requires House or Tucker going out, I start to get a little nervous. I like Aaron Gordon. Great ISO defender. Elite rim attacker. Potentially average shooter. A bit of playmaking to his game. But I’m not 100%, which is why he’s probably available in the first place. If you send out Tucker or House, you’re saying Gordon is definitely the answer. If you send out just Eric Gordon, you’ve hedged yourself some.
We have a $2.5M trade exception now, right? Something like that? Could we use that to bring in a matching contract in one transaction, only to be combined with other outgoing salary in a second bigger transaction?
If Rockets trade 3 for 1 sending out EGo-Tucker-House and receive Otto Porter Jr. in return. https://tradenba.com/trades/ISTUvOCHQ Or a 4 for 2: https://tradenba.com/trades/Xd6nuZfpo And then sign Jonah Bolden to vet min. Wall/Nwaba Harden/Brown Thybulle/Greenlight Porter/Bolden Wood/Cousins/Bruno Rockets have 4 ball handlers in Wall, Harden, Porter, Cousins. And 5 potential defensive disruptors in starting 5.
A straight Gordon swap probably includes all of the following: Portland 2021 Protected First Houston 2021 First (lesser of OKC, HOU and MIA) Detroit 2021 Protected First Washington 2023 Protected First The question is if that is enough. You are asking Orlando to both eat EGos salary AND trade a talented player to you. That’s where a Tucker trade may come in. this is also why it might be best to start the season with the current team and see if we can’t restore Eric Gordon’s value. The only exception to that is if Harden says he will extend if we do the Aaron Gordon trade now...then you do it immediately.
I would target Larry Nance jr and Cedi Osman Take Eric Gordon with another minimal contract Sure others have proposed this before https://tradenba.com/trades/XHV0KGfH5
That's why I suggested Porter because he is expiring and it should not take as many picks to acquire him. Perhaps 2 FRP at most. Or if you include Tucker, the 3rd team can send a FRP.
porter too expensive in salary and AG costs too much in assets (plus i’m not sold on his game) we need an under the radar long swingman, gotta be some player out there who fits and is an upgrade over what gordon gives us
