the problem is that it just always seems like we are kicking the can, waiting for that magical moment to make a deal that will significantly improve the team. But Stone hasn’t really proven that he can make that kind of a deal. And sometimes those opportunities just don’t materialize. If we don’t do something this offseason, they’ll punt to next deadline, but sooner or later I feel like Stone will get backed into a bad trade. I really need to see the front office make some tough decisions and pull something off this summer.
The lack of deadline trades means this off-season will be a lot more fun. The Rockets will have a Top 10 pick, young players with upside to move like Jalen and a coach that players want to play for. Will make for a much more interesting summer.
Teams that win trades are typically the teams that can credibly commit to standing pat and kicking the can down the road. As a GM, you have to go into the trade market with the real possibility you make no trade at all if the deal isn’t good enough. That’s where your leverage comes from. This is one of Presti’s superpowers. Everyone believes he has infinite runway in OKC to never move a piece. I would have liked us to make some kind of move at the deadline this year, but standing pat rather than overpay does help credibly establish that this front office is not operating purely at the win-now whim of ownership; that *should* help the next big trade negotiation. You’re right that if there comes a time when patience is no longer an option, and Stone truly HAS to make a move to save his job… we’re gonna get absolutely fleeced.
Would love that starting 5: Amen PG Smith Eason Alp but with enriched bench: Vasilije Micic Cam Dillon Vezenkov S. Adams Unbeatable team.
Draft Reed Sheppard and acquire another lottery pick for Filipowski. 2025-2026 Sengun/Adams Smith/Filipowski Tari/Brooks Cam/Sheppard Amen
So Trae Young is the top by frequency PnR ball handler and Sengun is the 2nd by frequency PnR roller. If Alpy can't fit with Trae Young on offense, that's a really bad indictment on Alpy, not Trae. Defense, I get.
Any player that gets added to this team needs to be able to do 4 things: 1. Shoot the 3 at 35%+ efficiency 2. Move the ball and move off the ball. 3. Rebound 4. Play gritty defense and be switchable. If they can't do those 4 things, pass. Everything else is bonus.
This reminds me of the saying “Good, Fast, Cheap, pick 2". I'd guess the list of players that fit those 4 items is small, and mostly unavailable.
I think the ultimate subtraction of Jalen Green and his dumb shot selection with a simple 3 and D player would be the missing piece. Jalen may have a high ceiling, and I wish he would reach it, but he needs to have more awareness of where his career is at. We can't afford a chucker working things out. For simplicity, if you average Whitmore, Amen, Holiday, Brooks, and Jabari; they average 1.274 points per fga. Jalen is 1.198. So if you shift 10 shot away from Jalen, that should be about .75 more points per game. That's worth going from 22nd to 18th. Ideally with someone shooting 40% from 3 and playing defense it would be a bigger difference. Bridges was 1.40 last year with the Nets. That level player would be ideal. These are the players with a worse efg% on the team: Marijanovic Landale That's it... He's second on the team in FGAs at 15.6. If he's going to keep playing, Ime needs to get him down to 8-10 shots per game until he can shoot better. I think ultimately his trade value isn't enough to just move him and take the L. 6th man role could be good for his development...
Working under the assumption Donovan Mitchell asks for a trade in the offseason, does the following get it done? Keep in mind he’s an expiring and is going to control his trade market by indicating who he would re-sign with Jalen Green Dillon Brooks 2024 #8 pick (BKN) 2026 BKN 1st Round Pick for Donovan Mitchell
If we are talking about all those assets - The starting point has to be can he be the lead dog on a title team. Mitchell has had very good teams around him in two different places and hasn't been about to get beyond the 2nd round. 2 and 6 in playoff series .... And reports are he wants to play for the Knicks .... meaning not likely he resigns here, what's the point of throwing away assets for that guy?
The Knicks won't have the salary to sign him when he's a free agent after next season, so they will need to trade for him, unless he picks up his option for 2025 and waits until 2026 when they might have the room. But players only pick up that option when they know they are overpaid. He will have the chance to cash in in 2025, so I seriously doubt that he will pass that opportunity up for the possibility of signing with the Knicks. I think his desire to play for the Knicks will ultimately factor very little. That said, I'd do the proposed deal if I had an assurance of extending him. This team is on the way up, not contending for a championship. We can't afford to give up those assets for a rental. That possibility should drive his price down overall, though. If Cleveland can't get him extended, they need to be shopping him.
Apologies if this was mentioned and missed, but in the 2024 offseason, will the Rockets be able to add one of their own future first rounders in a trade that was otherwise unavailable this past trade deadline?
Yes, I think 2030 picks become available. I personally have a hard time sending picks so far out. For certain players, I could be persuaded, but I generally don't like the idea of sending out draft picks beyond what the player is signed for. I realize it can be the cost of doing business, but it rubs me the wrong way (same as giving up multiple picks for another team to take your trash contracts).
