I think most think that if they add 2 stars to porter/green/sengun/top 5 pick.... The goal is to trade for a star and sign one with cap space in a year...
As an example... with some luck in lottery this year... To Lakers Eric Gordon Christian Wood John Wall Brooklyn pick Future pick To Rockets Anthony Davis Russell Westbrook (buyout) Draft Jabari Smith... Then in a year sign Khris Middleton... PG Porter SG Green SF Middleton PF Smith C Davis Bench Sengun Christopher Martin Tate Something like that could compete for a title if they hit on Green/Jabari... Asking Davis and Middleton to be your 3rd or 4th best player is reasonable... They could also go Kyrie and take Porter off the bench with someone like Harrison Barnes at the 3....
Random thought... To Hornets: Wall Wood Tate Nwaba Garuba To Rockets Rozier Plumlee (NG) Hayward Future 1st pick (top 5 protection) No Match on Miles Bridges Flip Eric Gordon for expiring and a first rounder (same money or less) Miles bridges = 15 million x 3 years, 45 total PG Rozier / Porter SG Green / Christopher / Mathews SF Bridges / Hayward PF Jabari Smith? / Martin Jr C Sengun / FA stiff This would leave about 30 million in cap space in still in 2023 assuming about 12 million for porter. This also assumes a cap increase large enough to cover our high pick's salary from this year... this also assumes stretching hayward after this season... Main pros... Rozier still somewhat young and a competent 3 pt shooter. Bridges is a solid defender, young, and has shown potential to be a reliable 3pt shooter. This adds a couple of decent future picks... Hayward and plumlee there for salary reasons... Hornets get wood as a 5 with pj Washington at 4 and wall replacing Rozier for role... gives hornets cap savings to use on free agent prior to ball extension... Not in love with it but i think a solid double...
This one is the most practical one I can think of Rockets Send: #17 Christian Wood/David Nwaba OR just Eric Gordon for Blazers Send: #11 Eric Bledsoe There is no way that if the Blazers plan on keeping Dame Lillard (everything is pointing towards that), that they will keep and draft at both the #6 and #11 positions. They will need to find a trade partner that fits the following 3 elements 1) Has win-now pieces 2) Is willing to trade win-now pieces for a lottery pick 3) Win-now pieces have similar cap hit to Eric Bledsoe's $19.375m. This piece is important as his salary number is more valuable to the Blazers as a trade matching mechanism than it is for freeing up cap space. If acquired, the Rockets could waive Bledsoe and only incur a $3.9m cap hit for 22-23 season The Rockets fit all 3 areas. I am sure there are other interesting iterations of this that might involve the 6th pick (17, Wood, Gordon & Tate?), but the posted trade above its the most simplistic, mutually beneficial trade that I see. I almost expect us to do something with Portland given how well it lines up with both teams.
Houston Rockets Trade Breakdown Change in Team Outlook: -22.8 ppg, -4.1 rpg, and -5.4 apg. Incoming Players Rudy Gobert 29 year old, 7-1, 245 lb C from Cholet Basket (France) 15.6 ppg, 14.7 rpg, 1.1 apg in 32.1 minutes in 2021-2022 Outgoing Players Eric Gordon 33 year old, 6-3, 215 lb G from Indiana 13.4 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.7 apg in 29.3 minutes in 2021-2022 Christian Wood 26 year old, 6-10, 223 lb PF from UNLV 17.9 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 2.3 apg in 30.8 minutes in 2021-2022 David Nwaba 29 year old, 6-5, 219 lb G from Cal Poly 5.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 0.8 apg in 13.2 minutes in 2021-2022 Usman Garuba 20 year old, 6-8, 220 lb C from Real Madrid (Spain) 2.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 0.7 apg in 10.0 minutes in 2021-2022
New way to think about dumping Wall contract... Looking at teams in need of passing, a point guard, and defense: Bottom 5 assists: Knicks Raptors Thunder Jazz Trail Blazers Bottom 5 defense: Rockets Kings Lakers Trail Blazers Pacers Out of those teams you're looking for teams not tanking and have need at PG. Finally you're looking for contracts to match... I think Knicks, Jazz (if Conley out),Trail Blazers, and Raptors could make sense... I'll check the books to see what's realistic...
Not crazy about it, but... To Rockets Derrick Rose Julius Randle First from portland with protection To Trail Blazers John Wall 4 firsts from Knicks To Knicks Damian Lillard Gives Blazers clean cap space and net of 3 picks for Lillard. Rockets get a first for taking on randle's contract... Depends on what you think of randle i guess... not crazy myself, would prefer to let wall walk for cap space i think...
Bridges wants the Max and is the best player in that whole deal. You want them to give us a first? Cmon. It would cost us first to do that trade.
Josh Christopher has no chance of being better than Kobe. But Garuba has defensive player of the year potential. And Gobert is a nothing on offense anyways.
He turned down similar money but i don't think he's getting max money as a free agent... maybe he gets 20... he's not a top 2 player on a contender so it's hard to see him getting paid to be... Fyi, strong case Wood is best player in the deal. Bridges more upside but Wood is more skilled now... And i think you underestimate the bad contracts being lifted from the hornets... Just an opinion though. People can have different ones...
Garuba can't get on the floor on the worst team... Christopher can.. Not sure how you can give him a better chance when he's not an nba player yet like Christopher...
Garuba isn't even 20 and he showed elite defense in professional leagues and the Olympics before he even got to the NBA. Our coach deciding not to play him is something else. I just think Rudy Gobert contract will be worse than John Walls in a year. I wouldn't dare trade for him.
Rockets should trade Nets pick for Hawks Jalen Johnson. His upside as point forward is similar to Banchero's. Except JJ is more explosive, better 3ball shooter, better in transition and better defender 1-5.
It's a fair opinion to be concerned about Gobert's contract. It's a completely other thing to pretend Garuba is even remotely close to likely a future defensive player of the year when he can't get on the court. He does have a high ceiling on defense but he is also a high bust potential...
I’m kind of the same way, but there is not much in free agency in 2023 that really excites me. We are going to have a ton of money and nothing to spend it on.
