I really think the move is to get a sweet-shooting 6th man of the year calibre C. Porzingis to Boston type acquisition on a smaller scale. Vucevic ($20m/season, 2 years) and Portis ($12m/season, 2 years) both available for modest prices. Would give up a top 20 protected pick and expiring contracts for them. My logic: 1) We need shooting. I think we REALLY need shooting but we don't want to touch the core. So I think the most impactful position at which you can have a shooter - i.e. you can create the most spacing - is the C position. That's how your effectively take out the opponent's rim protector for long stretches. Every team in the league is employing it. We especially have players who can benefit from it (Sengun/Green/Amen). 2) The C will bring 4-5 attempts per game, which will reduce the amount of attempts the rest of the roster should take. Brooks and Jabari have found a sweet spot it seems but Jalen and FVV can DEFINITELY stand to take 4-5 fewer 3PA per game which would in turn improve their efficiency. 3) In order to go into the playoffs with a Larry Brown Pistons type balance, I feel like we need another major offensive contributor off the bench (till we acquire a star). The terror twins would benefit immensely and we would probably have the best bench in the NBA at that point. Imagine Amen and Tari with tons of spacing. 4) Very interested to open two new dimensions other than FVV/Sengun PnR. One is a big lineup with Vucevic/Sengun/Tari/Brooks/FVV to bully some small teams offensively in the halfcourt. The other is a pace and space lineup with Vucevic/Jabari/Amen/Green/Holiday. These are some serious playoff-calibre lineups that can carry us when we have those droughts. Could solidify our hold on homecourt advantage as veteran teams start ramping up now.
Pretty good idea if that is the price. One thing I keep asking myself is how many picks can we trade in one-off trades before it effects our flexibilty for the "big one". Lots of suggestions are being made on how we improve the team this year by trading a pick for this guy or that guy. In some cases, people are talking about a couple of picks for mid level guys like Fox for 2 years. I myself have talked about a trade for Brogdon for Jalen insurance. I'm starting to think the status quo is the way to go and save our powder for the off-season unless something very unexpected becomes available.
Great post brother. I love Portis and I think that he fits super well. I just don’t see MIL going down that road. Now I think they’re going to try to just keep their core now that they are heating up. Also agree on Vucevic. Gives us some flexibility. To my knowledge, he is a good defensive rebounder, but not a good defender at all.
I think that our biggest problem is that we don’t really want to sit anyone in the starting lineup down. I don’t see us making that decision. Not only that, but some of the guys that are star level that we had hoped had come available like Donovan Mitchell are not going to be so. And then you have to think about whoever you acquire are they going to be OK going to the bench on a team where maybe they are actually better than the starter. CJ McCollum sticks out to me, but I don’t know if we can make it work with just a draft pick and then our spare parts. Adams is OK And serves a purpose, but I am thinking he or Landale eventually needs to be the 10th man. Playing as needed and not necessarily every night. If we can get a center that can shoot I’m all about that off the bench. 9 man nightly for 2024-2025 needs to be something like the below if we want to try to win a couple playoff series. Sengun/Smith Smith/Tari Dillon/Amen Green/CJ McCollum FVV/Holiday That might win a round or so
I think our goal should be to better what is already happening. small trades that nets Quentin Grimes and Tyler Kolek; continue looking for a next superstar. Build a solid team that coach will actually use in the meantime keeping them on reasonable contracts. Grimes is coming off his rookie contract next season. Kolek is everything we hope for in Reed Shepherd
I say stay patient. You never know who will shake loose. We don’t have to make a big move with our assets until 2026. Jalen is the only player I’d like to upgrade this summer. I’m willing to give everyone else time, and we should extend both Bari and Tari this summer.
I agree. I do think we need to get Jalen apart from FVV either by experimenting with an Amen/Jalen backcourt or sending Jalen to the bench. I'm not sure Jalen is as bad as we think with a different offense. If he is, then he and FVV should be gone this off-season.
I like the idea of Portis moreso than Vuc, especially if Tari is going to miss a ton of games again (TBD). I know Vucevic is having a great shooting season, but he's a turnstile on defense and I'm not sure he'd be happy with the minutes we could offer him. Portis is an Udoka kind of player and he's been steady and solid on both ends for a long time. Not a great or even good defender, but passable. Vuc is probably more attainable though. I don't know if Milwaukee is ready to throw in the towel and start trading away key rotation pieces.
Why not go for Fox and Ant? If the Kings and Wolves continue to crash, why wouldn’t they both want to trade their young(ish) star players to Houston? HOU IN: Fox & Edwards MIN IN: Jalen & Bari SAC IN: FVV Obviously a ton of draft picks would need to be included as well as additional talent (Reed &/or Cam). I think I would cash almost everything in to build around the below line up. Fox Edwards Brooks/Tari Amen Alpi
A realistic ant trade would be something like: reed, tari, amen, and all of the picks we have. Why would they give away a young star for cheap?
It really depends on who the rockets are bidding against. Obviously every team in the league would be interested in trading for Ant, but how many make sense (become an instant contender) and have the assets to make this kind of move? I think Reed (or Cam), Jalen and Bari with 2 FRPs and a FRP swap is a very competitive offer. I don’t think teams are going to be as willing to include draft assets as they have been in past.
It’s not a remotely competitive offer, you gotta be realistic. An Ant trade would require a MASSIVE offer.
Not if Ant requests out. The only other two teams who I think the Rockets would be bidding against are OKC and SA. Is San Antonio an instant contender with Wemby and Ant? Maybe in a year or two. Would Ant want to wait for Wemby? Who else to the Spurs have after the trade? OKC has the picks but what young talent/salary are they willing to part with? I don’t think they are offering Jalen Williams or Chet.
Huh? Wemby is better than anyone on the rockets, why would the spurs not be a contender with those 2? They would be insane together. Ant still have 4 years on his contract, they are not giving him away for peanuts, it's ridiculous.
Wemby is a hell of a talent but I don’t think he can be a major piece of a contender yet. It’s also about what young talent the Spurs can offer and who would be left after the trade. If you’re Minneapolis does Sochan and Castle interest you more than the players the Rockets have to offer? If so, then the Spurs have to build a whole new team around Wemby and Ant. How long does that take? Maybe the offer I outlined isn’t enough draft compensation due to Ant’s contract. But I would start the negotiations there if I were the Rockets.
