So the Rockets are looking for an Assistant GM apparently. Imagine that you had an elevator ride to pitch your idea for rebuilding the Rockets to Stone/Fertitta what would your 5 minutes or less pitch be? Mine: I am prepared to write off the 2020/2021 season and start the rebuild now. I want youth and I am going to let them develop. To that end I am trading PJ, Oladipo and House for guys who will be ready to help our next franchise player(s) compete for a title. Briefly: PJ+House to Philly for Thybulle+Bradley+2021 FRP ( https://tradenba.com/trades/gPXTXj9pD ) Oladipo to Miami for Olnyk+Achiuwa+Okpala ( https://tradenba.com/trades/4X9qiaPGZ ) Going into the 2021 draft where the Rockets would have their picks (4 & 34), Portland's frp (20) & Philly's frp (27) to add to a core of: Wood (25), Tate (25), Porter (20), Martin (20), Jones (22), Thybulle (23), Bradley (23), Achiuwa (21) & Okpala (21). With those picks I would try and select Jonathan Kuminga (4th), Kai Jones (20th), Tre Mann (27th), & Davion Mitchell (34th). Wall, Gordon and Cousins stick around or are brought back as verteran leaders. So, going into 2021-2022, this is the Houston Rockets: 1 - Wall/Mann vs Mitchell for backup minutes (one to RGV) 2 - Gordon/Porter vs Thybulle vs Okpala 3 - Kuminga/Tate vs Okpala 4 - Achiuwa/Wood or Kuminga/Jones (likely to RGV) 5 - Wood/Bradley/Cousins
In an elevator I'd say Maximize the player's value this year, regardless of the W column. Tanking is risky given our protections. If it happens to be the 4th pick then great, but actively getting losses to try to get the pick could cost you the opportunity to develop the young players, maximize the trade assets, and could create a losing mentality/culture. 2022/2023 no pj, no olidipo, no cousins, just lots of young players with upside. Goal: get highest picks and develop young players and accumulate young future prospects(or picks) 2024+ get back to trying to make the playoffs. Sorry this is my stop... sorry I pushed every floor between first and 23rd floor but I needed to tell you this, Mr stone
The only "risk" tanking represents is that OKC gets a moderately higher pick (like 5 rather than 7). Not tanking for the Rockets means accepting that their (likley) horrible season only nets them the Miami pick (which is likely to be in the teens somewhere). The funny thing is that if the Rockets tank and fail they still walk away with what they would have had if they didnt tank at all.
Thanks for the correction. For some reason I didn't realize this year's pick was a swap, not a straight up protected draft pick
This is how it went.... OP gets in to propose deals. Rockets VP thinks about option 1 and 2. STONE looks pissed because you didn't get enough protected picks. Tilman and Patrick laugh at the thought of adding more salary. Leave for lunch to Saltgrass.
Does Pat Fertita need a refreshing beverage? I have this mini fridge portable bar for just such occasions Rule of the Bahamas: “a drink half full is a drink needing to be topped off.”
You missed the most important part. The other team saying yes to these deals. First deal you have there will just make Morey laugh and the 2nd one? Pat Riley won't let go of a young rookie with lots of potential for a 1 year rental. He can just wait for Vic to be a free agent without giving up assets.
I disagree. Both Philly and miami are firmly in their title windows. Philly's is wide open while miami, with Butler and Dragic being in their 30s and Nunn and Robinson about to get paid, have maybe this season and next before a retool is in order. For those reasons I think both teams would be willing to trade long term value for shirt term value. Both teams have to be concerned about facing brooklyn in the playoffs. It's an arms race and therefore a seller's market.
how you not getting back duncan robinson in the miami trade? i'm tired of not having shooters on this team man.
I think you can be bad without tanking. Like they are right now. name a situation where tanking ended up with championships....?
I knew someone that started a job with the Rockets. She was next to Mutombo on the elevator. She said, hi, I'm so-and-so and I'm just starting! Mutombo says, hi, I'm Deke, and I'm just finishing. It was his last year, IIRC he was already out for the season with an injury. I also took an elevator with Horry but that's a normal 99'er occurence.
