Rockets Expected to Decline Option on Fred VanVleet: Report

3 years $70–75 mil is around what I’m thinking he’ll get. If they get it lower than that, they should just give Stone executive of the year now.

 

He's insinuating the Rockets will be paying him $25-$30 per season.

At $25 Million or less per year for 2+1(team option), it's a no brainer to bring him back (even as a FVV hater) in my opinion. With Brooks gone, his leadership will be even more needed as the young guys slowly grow into that kind of role.

 

The only thing that really concerns me about a potential FVV extension is the third year. I'm guessing we extend KD for two years. That means KD's final year will overlap with the first of Amen's rookie extension. So we'll likely be paying 150 mil between KD, Amen, Sengun, and Adams with a projected 187 mil cap. That isn't including potential extensions for Tari and Bari. Add in a third year for FVV and things get really dicey.

All that to say we should be fine IF we opt out of FVV's contract and only give him a two year deal (or a three year with a TO).

 

Let's be specific. The offense wasn't just "meh". We were bottom 5 in TS% and we became bottom 3. Negligible difference.

No matter which $40m chunk you took out of the rotation and put in street clothes the team was going to tank. The real question is what else can you do with that portion of salary cap.

For me the solution was clearly to move Amen to PG - not as a slow paced floor general but as a part time PG democratizing and speeding up the offense more. I would also have moved Sengun further out of the paint and had him take a step towards a Draymond or Sabonis type passing role in the offense - thus reducing the pressure on Amen.

The biggest chess piece would be acquiring Durant who would turn the majority of Amen and Sengun's duties into "get the ball to KD". KD will be running a ton of iso ball as the first and most frequent option - FVV's skills are barely needed anymore and he was already only averaging 5.6 assists.

Derrick White I think will cost no less than 2-3 picks. That's a sell-high situation. Excellent player, too expensive. I would have just let Sengun/Durant/Amen run a fast paced offense and signed a backup PG for safety.

 

Whether or not FVV is underrated here is irrelevant. There are only a few teams who can pay him more than the MLE. Brooklyn who won't because they are tanking and will prefer to absorb bad salaries for picks. Detroit who has Cunningham. Or the Bulls who also won't because they will re-sign Josh Giddey. If the Rockets let him go in FA, he is not getting more than the MLE unless the Rockets are involved in a S&T and taking back assets.

 

It can mean several things - including the Rockets seeing if a deal for a long term star is possible, or preferrable with FVV not having his option picked up. I expect this to drag out until the last minute.

 

Can we trade FVV to Boston for Derick White + salary filler and can Boston decline the option for next year and renogotiate with FVV? I think Boston can save money and can get decent PG this way

 

Yes, but why pay him that much if the market isn't there? And put yourself over the apron, we need to maximize this window.

DD

 

The market is there because i'm fairly certain there's 5 or so teams who are reaching out asking for sign and trades and are being rebuffed.

 

They owe the Brooklyn fans.

 

No this cannot happen. To trade FVV we either have to pick up the team option and trade him. Boston would have to wait a year if they wanted to jettison the salary. We could also extend FVV and do a sign and trade with Boston. I don’t think Boston wants to trade Derrick White, but if they did in order to make FVV part of the trade he would have to be extended. I would love to do that and be willing to trade 2 of the Phx picks and the Dallas pick. It’s my opinion that the Phoenix picks are going to be a lot less valuable at the end of this off-season. Phoenix doesn’t want to re-build and now has Jalen and/or Dillon and 3 frp’s(one which is pretty good) to trade to get a center and a pg. A starting unit of Amen, White, KD, Jabari, and Sengun would instantly put us in the conversation for a ring. Does anyone know if the Holiday trade put Boston under the 2nd Apron? If it did it would make trading with Boston much more easy.

 

After trading for KD knowing his history, I think it's VITAL that we keep FVV, and his voice in the locker room. Love the KD trade obviously, but it doesn't come without risks. That phoenix team was a DISASTER in the locker room and it's not far fetched to see the Rockets trade for another star, and without those glue guy veterans who have power in the locker room, and in practice, I fear we are at high risk of another team chemistry implosion.

Obviously if FVV is the only way to get Giannis, or another super-duper star, you have to seriously consider it, but otherwise if its just about a few million here and there to save on luxury tax, you gotta pony up for Fred. He's that important to the culture of the team IMO.

....

Side note but related - If we are doing a Giannis deal, i'm like 95% certain that deal revolves around Sengun, and like a million draft picks. I don't think we can get a deal done for FVV, and draft picks. I think Sengun goes in any Giannis deal.

 

You don’t like the fit?

Another opportunity to buy low like KD. FVV The Great will be a great mentor to Cooper Flagg!

Tell FernTits to apologize to Chris Paul. Chris Paul 1/$10M >>>> Fred $3/30M+

Fred & Dillon were supposed to be bridges. Not long term, retire as Rockets. (Dillon has now served his purpose, buh-bye).

Rip that Fred Maldonado bandaid off!

Spoiler

Would they trade their PG for Fred?
Sixers Maxey (NO)
Bucks KPJ (YES)
Bulls Giddey (NO)
Cavs Garland (NO)
Celtics Simon? (MAYBE)
Clippers Harden (NO)
Grizzlies Ja (NO)
Hawks Trae (NO)
Heat Mitchell (YES)
Hornets Ball (MAYBE)
Jazz Collier (TANKING; NO)
Kings Monk (YES)
Knicks Brunson (NO)
Lakers Luka (NO)
Magic Suggs (NO)
Mavs Kyrie (NO)
Nets Russell (TANKING; NO)
Nuggets Murray (NO)
Pacers Haliburton (NO)
Pelicans McCollum (MAYBE)
Pistons Cade (NO)
Raptors Quickley (NO)
Spurs Fox (NO)
Suns ??? (YES)
Thunder SGA (NO)
Wolves Conley (MAYBE)
Warriors Curry (NO)
Wizards Bub (TANKING; NO)

 

There are several possibilities on a Giannis trade - one would be to center a trade around Amen Thompson and some secondary pieces. The reasoning being that the Bucks want a young franchise level talent and a very quick reload. The Rockets would possibly want this type of deal because it lets them keep a lot of pieces around KD and Giannis.

A second option would be the Rockets gutting their draft picks, trading Sheppard or Eason and Sengun for Giannis. This lets the Rockets keep Thompson to extend the team going forward beyond KD and Giannis.

I don't think I would do either deal - but if I did one, I might do the one moving Thompson, because it gives me more pieces the next couple years to compete.

 

Based on what you hear coming out of the Rockets camp, I don't think Stone would trade Amen for Jordan in 95.

However it's hard to know how they really feel about him, but I would assume they'd do everything they can to keep him out of the trade based on how they feel about him, and if you look at what the Bucks are going to get from other teams for Giannis, I really don't know a deal out there that would be much better than Sengun, the Phoenix picks, and a couple of our own picks. As we saw with the KD trade, if a star is dictating where they go, and the market isn't all that great, you never know.

 

Maybe like 35/30/25 situations

Rocket River

 

I hear this guy could use some more money.

 

I’d do Sengun and Eason for Giannis. I really really don’t wanna let Amen go.

Sengun pretty much is who he is at this point.

FVV
Amen
KD
Jabari
Giannis

Reed
Cam
Holiday
Adams


That’s undeniably the best team in the league.