And the Rockets would have gotten nothing. I personally think there is value in being able to swap the Heat pick for BK pick next year. I don't believe in the Heat long term. They are a Butler injury away from trash at any moment and Jimmy has never been the healthiest player. Unprotected rights to a team's pick when they don't have a young superstar is valuable.
Everything the Rockets do tells me that this is a true tear down for a long rebuild but everything I hear about TF tells me he will not stand for such a thing. Deal sucks unless the Rockets value moving up 10 or so spots in the 2022 draft more than Oladipo. I didnt think they felt that way until....now? I am not sure they know precisely what the plan is or how they are going to move forward.
I bet HOU just feels like there’s no way we could keep Vic long-term. Im sure he made it clear that he would not sign here. I had my own reservations about us resigning Vic and I’m an IU alum, but I digress. This (crummy) deal was likely better than what we could’ve gotten in a S&T when he did leave. I do not like this deal at all prob I’m guessing we made the best decision we could, which is upping our 1st rounder hopefully 10 slots (swap BKNs late first w/ MIA’s hopefully mid-first).
Who said the swap is unprotected? We don't know the details of the swap they could have protections just like Houston's swap with OKC. You don't need to believe in the long term the swap will happen in 2022 aka next year. They WERE a Butler injury from trash but since they got Dipo they will be better. Might only be slightly better or way better we'll find out but definitely better. If the Rox don't get that top 4 pick then they just screwed themselves giving Dipo to Miami.
I think as soon as there are really fans in the stands, TF will want to win, and do something stupid like give Oladipo a max contract offer this Summer (kidding kidding... had to). But yeah I think he's 100% going to be thinking about the Houston Rockets from a marketing, ticket sales, concessions standpoint because that's kind who he is. The only reason he's probably pro-tank this year is honestly because nobody can really even go to the games anyways.
I agree 100%. That is why now is so important. It is imperative that Stone make moves this offseason that turn the Rockets into an exciting team if not necessarily a contender (sizzle can sell as much as steak think Lob City vs the Lakers). That all starts with that draft pick. That is the single most important thing for this franchise.
I would imagine we would have heard about any protections now. If there are strong protections I will feel differently. I don't care much about slightly better. I don't think slightly better is something that guarantees them a playoff spot this year or next. Slightly better doesn't take away from them collapsing if Butler gets injured. And being better isn't a guarantee. Midseason trades have made several teams worse in the past. The Rockets are screwed no matter what if they don't get their top 4 pick. Swapping from pick 5 to pick 20 instead of pick 16 isn't a big. They have plenty of picks to move up from either position if they love a player. The Rockets need routes to superstars. An unprotected right to a first round pick is a route there even if it is unlikely.
What if the Rockets fall outside of the top 4 this year and Oladipo makes Miami better. Then we have to swap to trade down with Miami and we just made them better which completely offsets the swap next year.. so we basically got nothing...
Odds are the switch in positions this year is less than the switch in positions next year. So very disappointing but not nothing.
But with our luck we will swap this year. Harden KD and Kyrie get injured and we get no swap next year.
I think Stone probably knows it too which is why the Nets package was preferred because the pick swaps and picks sort of boxes in a rebuild focus at least at some level. I know Ben Simmons alone is vastly better now than anything we have.... BUT.... I cannot tell you if Ben Simmons as your centerpiece is better than the Rockets 2022, 2023, and possible (if we are lucky) our 2021 pick. The fear with TF would be a situation where he gets a guy like Ben Simmons, and forces a bunch of Isaiah Thomas Knicks signings to sell a contender on paper in August of 2021 which has no real shot of winning a title. The best asset that trading got us is our 2022 draft pick... and I love the idea of keeping John Wall because it give TF a big name technically on the roster, and he has played enough games already to be on some commercials, and beer cups.... but he never has to play another moment as a Houston Rocket in my opinion. It's a big name on the roster we would be stuck with anyways, and maybe keeps TF at bay. So in short, I think it's important for TF's sake that Stone keeps the impression of being able to compete, market, and sell tickets this offseason.... but I think the 2022 and 2023 pick is the real franchise changer, and Stone better be best suited to tank hard when he needs to next season, and rebuild the only way to truly get a franchise changing player, or players.
I can almost be certain that Miami will finish with a better record than us in 2022. So that pick swap is useless. Am I missing anything here? We basically traded Dipo for a bag of peanuts. Oh well.
Tilman must be happy that he is $2M richer. Hell, he will likely make sure that Olynyk doesn't get his $1M minutes bonus (he is already going to lose out on the $400k playoff bonus).
Maybe more. The Heat are 16 right now. Boston, Bulls, Hornets, Knicks, Hawks are all younger teams than the Heat. The Heat could battle for a bottom seed next year. I don't see the Heat as a guarantee for anything with their aging roster, no cap space if they keep VO and Robinson, and no picks to really trade.
