Derrick White could be cool but I wish he wasn't 31. That basically puts us all-in on this 2-3 year window. May not be a bad bet before Wemby gets into his true prime from 24-30...
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com...-improve-title-odds/articleshow/124743412.cms Another trade rumor. Tari Eason for Rui Hachimura and a 1st round pick. Per the article, the salaries match and states "Hachimura's midrange shooting could thrive alongside Durant and Jalen Green". Rui next to Durant and Jalen Green could work.
In hindsight, Oladipo looks colossally bad because he got injured after being traded, but I think it's likely he would have done better than $45M in free agency that year, considering Duncan Robinson, Spencer Dinwiddie, Evan Fournier, and Tim Hardaway, Jr. all got somewhere between $18 - 20M that summer on 3 - 5 year deals. I could see either side having motivation to leak the offer; from Oladipo's perspective, it would depress the market in trying to trade for him, since he wanted to engineer his way to Miami. From Houston's side, Oladipo was the centerpiece of the Harden trade, and the Rockets were trying to peddle the fiction that they were not starting a shameless tank job. So they needed the information out there that they were trying to commit to keeping players, and that they HAD to trade Oladipo, since there was no amount of money that could keep him in Houston. Less than a month after that tweet from Woj, he writes an article that might as well have come straight off the desk of Rafael Stone that is practically begging for a team to make a better offer than what they got from Miami. So clearly the team had a pretty good relationship with Woj at this time. Last thing on the Eason contract, because I agree, at this point we're just speculating, is that Stone is very good at playing the media game, and realizes that creating an anchor point for future contract discussions has some major value. From now on, Tari is forever going to be the guy who passed up $100M. If he eventually signs for less, even if the guarantees are higher, then Stone gets to be a "winner". If he gets injured and has to resign for less, then Stone dodged a bullet and Tari is a generational bag fumbler. RFA is so team-favored, Stone likely knows that as pissed off as Tari is, he's got zero leverage, just like Jonathan Kuminga. You don't survive three tanking seasons in a row, and messing up your very first draft pick on a potentially generational level, without learning to always be working the public and the press, even on small stuff they should let go like Tari's extension.
I hope Tari responds as well as Kuminga who is balling right now. Of course, he has Steve Kerr who is one of the best coaches in NBA history, even if he is a complete douche.
I don't disagree, he is the most expendable and Stone gave himself an insurance policy in the form of DFS on coming to terms with Tari. The question is, what the heck can you get for Tari's $5.6m contract? Or what can you add to it? The obvious answer is FVV but he has a no trade option that he has to incentive to waive. You can't add DFS is he's your Tari replacement?! (that contract sure would help at $12.7m). Reed and his $10.6m? Team seems high on him, would they really? Capela at $6m .... that may not be enough outgoing salary. After that it's minimum contracts. Yeah, we need a point guard. Who's out there that fits Tari's salary slot? (or Tari & Capela).
Colby White is going to be expendable for the Bulls...Buzelis is the player the Bulls will build around and he's LEGIT
Tari & Capela makes the $$ work for White and the Rockets are still $742,465 under the 1A BUT Chicago would have to clear a roster spot to take back the 2 contracts. That leaves the Rockets enough cap space to convert JD Davison after the 56th game of the season (February 11th) - OR sign another player to a vet minimum, which would make him eligible for the playoffs (have to sign before March 1). The only issue with White is that he's a free agent at seasons end and is going to want a deal in the $30m range. They could likely make that happen but would have to move FVV for no return salary. I haven't done the math to see how that would affect an extension for Amen.
