Don't shoot the messenger. I'm just passing along the plan. I'm sure the Rockets will ask for Durant, but they will settle for Beal. You aren't getting Booker for just the picks. I don't like Beal, but if that's the price, I'll live with it. I think he could regain some form away from Durant (albeit for only 50 games a year). Booker/Sheppard Beal/Cam Amen/Brooks Jabari/Tari Sengun/Adams(?)
FVV is really great. If Sengun has another big step forward, the Rockets could compete this year with the right addition. Granted, Sengun taking another big step forward is asking a lot as the better a player gets the harder it is to get even better.
This is why if a trade happens Whitmore or Eason are gone. Rockets just have to be comfortable taking a risk. FVV + Eason or Whitmore + 1-2 firsts is a good starting point for any big deal. Dealing FVV immediately throws Amen in the starting 5 and allows for more minutes for Reed Sheppard (who the Rockets think is the best player in the draft).
I'd throw Amen in the starting 5 right now. I see Brooks being more of a minutes question relating to the young wings than FVV. Fit with Sengun might cause some spacing issues on offense, but defense was amazing last season when Amen played with either Sengun or Landale. FVV really helped the offense run when Amen and Sengun were on the court. Without him, the offense crumbled. Granted, that was the case with just about any unit without FVV.
Completely fell apart without FVV. It would hurt losing him but if we gained a significant piece I’m in. I do think Amen will probably see a 3-5 minute increase and agree that he should be starting.
iHart is The Great Sturdy Hope™ so for reporting purposes it is race-neutral in a classical superhero sense
This roster is very full and already going to have some minutes crunch. The only thing I'd like is some veteran PG insurance, I'd take Aaron Holiday back on a 1 year deal or some sort of equivalent player. Someone that could realistically play 0 minutes without pitching a fit/being way overpaid for that but covers us a bit of FVV is hurt and Reed or Amen isn't up to the PG task. Honestly maybe Patrick Beverley could fill that role too, and he shouldn't cost more than a vet minimum Beyond that, I think you keep the MLE and just keep lines open for maybe taking a contract for an asset. Like if the Clippers want to give us a pick for taking PJ Tucker, I'm all over that. Also not quick to trade anyone this off-season. There's a few guys that if they don't start off consistently I'm potentially shopping at the deadline but I think we should give this squad a shot as is to start the season
They could offer us a swap, though I'm not sure they do that just to get off PJ. Maybe we get a 2030 top 10 protected pick swap or something like that That was just the best example of someone I'd take into the MLE I could think of.
There are a bunch of guys who could take a big step forward, and you are not wrong to say the right addition could get us in the playoffs. I was talking about a long term superstar type. But the right super-role player on a short deal could be tempting.
So start a worse player at SF who isn't a great shooter nor having great handles without Amen's rebounding, efficient scoring at the rim, passing out of the short roll, and who's defense was much worse than Amen's in the second half of last year (though was also great before January).
