what is highest pick we could acquire in this draft for jalen?

Could we squeeze a Luka or Antman trade in there too?

 

It's hilarious to see people talk about Harden's playoff disappointments for a team that has never won a playoff series since he left. Harden was the best player on a team that made it to Game 7 of the WCFs. If the Rockets ever make the finals again, you can mock Harden all you want. But until then, he's still the most impactful Rockets player in the playoffs since Hakeem.

 

When the game actually counts, he is the last one you will trust. Case closed.

 

You're basically like a homeless man laughing at someone with $900mil and saying you two are both equals cause neither of you are billionaires. It's one of those technically true thing but also make no sense for anyone who think just a bit deeper.

 

I hope he sees you bro

 

A certain group of people have a wildly distorted view of Jalen Green's trade value. He was worth a 2nd overall pick when he was drafted but 4 years in and not much improvement to show for it, his value is low for a player about to make 35M per year. His contract basically being an eject button is about the best thing going for him. He isn't worth at Top 10 pick in this draft right now. Not when you have the chance to draft someone with actual upside in Demin, Jakucionis, Fears or Johnson. The fallacy that is "the Jalen Green upside" is over. No team is looking at Jalen at this point as anything more than a reclamation project. He isn't SGA when he was traded by the Clippers or Harden when he was traded by the Thunder who were never really given much chance. Jalen has been given chance after chance after chance and has failed every time.

Stone is going to do that same thing he always does which is hold on to an asset way longer than he should (Eric Gordon, KPj) and will eventually trade him for peanuts just to free up the cap space.

 

Wait, why would they trade us PG and the 3rd pick for Jalen and the 10th pick? Do people realise that in the draft 3 is actually better than 10? And that PG's a significantly better player than Jalen? Are we saying Jock Landale is the next big thing or something? I don't get that at all...

 

PG has an albatross contract and is not better than Jalen since he is injured 90% of the time. The Sixers would do this in a heartbeat just to get off PG. I hope the Rockets wouldn’t be that stupid. The no. 3 pick in this draft is not worth taking on that insane contract.

 

I'm not sure we live in the same reality tbh so I'll just agree to disagree because lmao.

 

I don't think at this point you are getting any real value for Green other than as a salary filler.

Unfortunately, the Rockets didn't do all that well on that pick.

Green is an NBA player and will be around for a long time - but he isn't as good as guys like Mobley, Barnes, Wagner, Murphy or Herb Jones.

In hindsight, the Rockets should have taken Mobley at #2 and let him play/defend the post or taken Barnes for his versatility.

 

I would trade Jalen and filler to the Sixers for PG and the #2 pick if they had it - Harper and Flagg are the two jewels in this draft. At #3, I don't see a lot there.

 

I think in this case it depends on the individual team's special needs, the Draft has lots of potential.....

GMs are going to second guess and triple guess a dude named Jalen Green......

Nobody wants that Player Option in his Contract and his 34 Million!!!

 

Agree. If Dobbizle wants to laugh his ass off it should be at himself. Nobody in the NBA will take on PG without Philadelphia including a lot of assets. Somebody like Washington or Utah might take the salary hit for the #3 and more, but eating 53m for 3 years is rough.

 

If I'm being honest and not a homer--and I'm not one of the Jalen hater squad, just a bit of a skeptic--Jalen might end up being something like the 10th or 11th best player in his draft class. Even Quentin Grimes might end up being better at this point. (Not saying he definitely will, but there's a real chance.)

 

Yeah - I agree with this - with the understanding of roles. Someone like Quentin Grimes or Herbert Jones are role players ideally. However, they are better at being role players than Jalen is as a #1 option. It is also the reason that someone like Trey Murphy is more valuable that Jalen. While Murphy is more limited, he is a lot better at his role and doesn't require the ball in his hands.

The book isn't completely written - but the 2021 draft is only saved by Sengun at #16. Green at #2 looks bad, and #22, #23 with Christoper and Garuba over Grimes and Aldama and Herb Jones is really bad.

The 2022 draft really isn't looking all that great either - Jabari Smith has not been as good as some of the guys drafted after him. Tari Eason has been a solid pick, but there are some injury concerns.

At this point - that Sengun pick, the one pushed by the metrics guys in the front office, has really rescued the Rockets first couple of drafts.

 

Depth is important, but the NBA is still dominated by the better players.

If given the choice between:
1) the 10th best player is a draft in hindsight being paid ~110M for 3 years after his rookie contract has been extended, or
2) the 10th pick in the draft.

The $110M for 3 years is enormous. Most teams would rather swing on potential cheaply than on a 5th-year player having a big leap while being paid like he already had that leap.

 

You are probably right. If we go over the careers of Jalen vs. all the picks in this draft in 20 years, he will probably come in top-10 if inserted into this draft. But the problem is he's not a lottery ticket with superstar upside, something most draft picks are. And he's paid $33mil/yr and can opt out in 2 years. Whereas rookie contracts are much cheaper with at least 4 years of cheap team control.

 

I still think the rockets could get a handful of 1st round picks for Jalen but virtually none of them that are valued as top 5 potential superstar talent.

I think most nba people now kind of agree Jalen is most likely a Zach Levine type of talent. Not someone to build around as a cornerstone but someone you’d rather have than not have. People forget that Jalen did help win games in the regular season. There is value there and outside of the salty Rockets fan base, anyone would want what he brings at the right price and in the right role.

In this draft it just depends on how many teams fall in love with players in the top 10 vs how teams would view a draft class that is perceived weak like last year.

Last draft if another team was in the top 5, I suspect a player like Jalen would be a safer bet for a team looking to win now. This year with a stronger draft…. Maybe there’s a win now team in the top 10 that would trade their pick for Jalen like the Sixers example people mention but it’s iffy.

For future picks though I suspect many teams would part with what they project as likely late firsts… and I think they’d give up multiple of those picks.

 

I’d offend a ton of people here but personally I’d trade Whitmore and 10 to whoever will pick Kon Knueppel