I’d be willing to swap him out with Brooks. The only way to really do it is if Toronto did a sign-and-trade for Brooks where they sign GTJ for about $23m. Otherwise, they are over the first apron. Not sure if they want to be that close or if they have any desire to add Brooks (even though it’s a homecoming of sorts). We would also have to attach picks for them to even bother, and I doubt we want to do that.
I’ll be honest that I haven’t watched him a ton in Toronto, but I watched him a lot when he was in Portland, and I saw a very talented young 2-way player. I wanted him last year during free agency. Maybe his defense has fallen off. Maybe there are bballIQ issues. I know he had a down year last season, but he still shot 39% and that Toronto team was a circus.
If we gave GTJ the MLE, can’t we just waive Jeff Green to get under the apron? We have until July 11 to waive him.
Gary Trent, Jr is just one of those players that is just kind of there. He's a good three point shooter, but doesn't pressure the rim much and is more than willing to hoist up a long 2. As such, he's got a below average TS% and doesn't offer much playmaking. Not a bad player, but he's probably not cracking the Rockets rotation (i.e., I think Cam will improve to being better and limiting the playing time for a non-playmaking SG).
I was assuming it would require more than that to get him. I think he made around $20m this past year.
Reports I read said he may end up taking less than the MLE. Personally, I think he’s well worth it. https://www.givemesport.com/doubt-gary-trent-jr-mid-level-exception-toronto-raptors/
I agree. He's the caliber of player you hope shakes free and you can trade into the MLE later in the season. If he's available now, all the better. Especially if he wants to be here. I'm sure some of Stone's concern would be an actual free agent signing (rather than trading an expiring contract into the MLE) eating into future cap space.
Honestly feels good to just chill during the madness of free agency. I really like this group. Reminds me of those Scola years where everyone on the team was likeable and the games were fun. Though this team has much more talent on it.
Nah Scola was most likable, I would even say more than Yao and Yao was one of the nicest people in franchise past.
I read about GTJ that he converts a crazy amount of open three-pointers, but struggles when there is any sort of defense. True for most but the splits were crazy. Would like to swap Brooks for GTJ.
Wait what, how does N’Faly Dante get a 2-way spot with those 3 signed? Who is on the training camp deal Sengun and Griffin are also expiring (team option for AJ).
Dante 2-way Williams 2-way Hinton Exhibit 10 Samuels Exhibit 10 If they both get 2-ways as Feigen indicates, one of them obviously won’t.
Your math has a problem in projecting cap space, and that is that the Rockets are operating over the cap before the expiring contracts. So not every expiring creates space. However: It's a long way off, but assuming Sengun continues his trajectory: We don't need to max him until we use all the other remaining cap space. His QO is $7,621,639, so that is the extent of the cap space that his potential max contract takes up. If we keep all of: Brooks Smith Sheppard Thompson Griffin Eason Holiday Whitmore plus extend the QO to both Green and Sengun We have just on $55M in projected cap space. That should be enough for a max contract even for a 10year vet. But TBH, I'm not sure who I'd throw the farm at who is a FA next summer (Jalen Brunson to replace FVV seems the only one worth it). It might be more of an option to trade for an all-star, and then S&T Green (for example) for a second all-star. I project we'd lose some players in that process, but it would still leave us with a good share of our assets!
