RedNationBlogga sources: Rockets actively shopping FVV say his knee is done

Sadly, if Fred can even run a little bit, he's almost certainly a better starting PG than Reed.

Reed is clearly an undersized two or microwave scorer on the NBA level.

 

Which is hilarious given that FVV is smaller and less athletic than Reed, but I could see thinking this based on vibes rather than anything else more substantive

 

Being large and athletic are not requirements for success at the PG position. Amen is bigger and more athletic than both Fred and Reed........we saw how his time as PG went.

 

As ever, look at what a front office does, not what they say. Their job is often to equivocate, and Fred is an important person in the league with a lot of status and influence - with the NBAPA, Klutch, etc.

Ultimately we did not extend Fred and left him on an expiring contract.

In the NBA, invariably if you do not extend an important veteran starter in the last year of their contract (and it’s not a cap space play or an unextendable contract, neither of which are the case here), that player is gonna get traded.

Look through the last year, there are essentially no exceptions. It’s how the game works between players/agencies/teams.

All the rest of the conversation around this is just messaging and relationship management stuff. Which is part of the FO’s job too.

 

How good was FVV at 21?

It's true that PG is a position that takes a bit of time but he showed flashes of what he's likely to be sooner rather than later.... especially if he ever gets a competent coach to install some form of actual NBA offense for him to run.

The "**** it, figure something out on your own" offense that Ime is known for is the worst possible scenario for a young PG getting their first real minutes in the NBA

 

this is a really stupid narrative

the front office has had access to fred's medical the entire time.

tearing a meniscus on top of an ACL is not surprising. The rehab remains similar if not the same. It was always a 31 year old who had a devastating injury. FVV getting that extension was about the best thing he could have hoped for.

any team trading for fred would do a physical exam, they aren't going to trick someone into taking damaged goods, this isn't the 80s.

 

All that being true.

What really stands out is our winning record whenever Sheppard started.

No matter how he played, the team's record was pretty damned good. Spacing opened up, Amen was playing his more proper role at 3-4, etcetera.

 

I don’t think u can be really certain about that after just two yrs of Reed sparingly playing in an offensive system with no structure.

I agree that things don’t look promising. My biggest disappointment with Reed is his mid-handles. He won’t be a starter at either guard spot with mid-handles. But I suspect he will improve all the parts of his game if given the opportunity. Ime is a terrible coach for Reed. There’s a lot of reasons things could go south. But I’m interested in seeing if he can take a leap next season. If there’s not a lot of improvement in year 3 I think you’re pribably right. Can’t write him off after so little playing time through two seasons.

 

Any team trading for Fred is wanting that expiring contract, a team needing / wanting to drop salary and gain picks.

 

Without attaching anything to it, the only suitors who would take on FVv are teams looking for cap relief which means we would be taking back a higher value contract. Do I have that correct?

 

Rockets wouldn't do that. They value Fred and would definitely rather him expire than attach assets to dump him. There's no scenario where he's salary dumped with assets attached.

 

He wasn’t a “good winning” player when he was healthy. I was fine with the initial signing since we had to spend the money anyway and thought he would be a good mentor for the kids. He functioned very well in that capacity. I was totally against extending him. He is a bottom five Pg in the league when healthy. We are screwed anyway with a brain dead coach and I’d be alright if Dallas would take his salary, DFS, and their own pick in 29 for Irving, who I also don’t want, but at least at that point we would have a slither of hope for a more entertaining year.

 

No one knows for sure and FVV wouldn't obviously admit to it but he did say out loud that his knee exploded. Im just not sure why anyone from the Rockets brass would tell a media member/blogger this (unless of course RedNation is just making this up). It would nuke his trade value and they've been pretty adamant about not shading their players (to keep their values up).

Still remember Stone's reaction to Jackson's questions about Green last year.

 

Agreed. He was arguably our safest ball handler and teams were outright afraid of his 3 point shooting even when it wasn't falling well.

Despite rookie mistakes, he was one of the only bright spots on the entire roster

 

That’s the point. It’s not going to to be a salary dump. So they would have to back a more expensive salary? But that would add more luxury tax to their roster which we know ownership isn’t fond of.

my point is I think this is just Stone using the local media to make it look like he’s not done and just sitting on his hands(again) to appease the fanbase

 

Yes and that is why Irving is in the conversation. We would have to send out matching salary so Dallas wouldn’t save money this upcoming year, but would have dumped 42m in salary the following year. I do it, because I think we are screwed with Durant, Ime, and Stone for at least another year and Irving becomes an expiring the next year. It will cost us a pick. I would rather pick up a younger player while giving up the pick, but I doubt there would be any takers. Both FVV and DFS are negative assets that we will either have to eat this year or attach a pick(s) to get rid of.

 

Posted this in the other fred thread at 8:41…

 

I don't believe him.

 

I don't personally believe they will aggregate DFS and FVV to get a player like Kyrie.

I think they will find a dumping partner for DFS using second round picks to reduce the tax bill, he is an expiring neutral.

FVV could be used for an upgrade. I am still hoping for Trey Murphy III and would attached 2/3 FRP with protections so they get their asking.