I'm going with Flynn too. Although the Rockets may decide to cut Thabeet in order to give a huge offer to Gasol or Nene. I'm leery about such a gamble, but if Morey does it I'll give him the benefit of the doubt on player evaluation.
If they agree to the amnesty exception and the Rockets use it, why would they decide to use it on a guy in a contract year? The expiring deals (Williams, Thabeet, Flynn, Hill, and others) could have value in trades depending on how the cap sets up next season. I really see them trading for the next piece, not signing the player outright. The long deals that are a mistake are what this amnesty thing will help. If you're calling for a one year deal to be let go, it might mean Daryl has done a good job with positioning this team with no long term poison contracts.
There was a Grantland article today with Bill Simmons that discusses what player each team should use amnesty on. It's kinda funny because they went through every team with a pretty thorough explanation, but when they got to the Rockets at the very end all they said was: http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7026680/welcome-amnesty-20-nba But I agree with others that Flynn would be the better choice than Thabeet based on positional needs.
[Grantland] Welcome to Amnesty 2.0 in the NBA http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7026680/welcome-amnesty-20-nba Who should the Rockets cut according to Bill Simmons and Jonathan Abrams? Well if they have half a brain, they would agree with almost everyone which they did...
One year at 5 mil to take a chance and see if he can develop is worth it. There's not many free agent prizes we have a shot at this year, anyway. Most of them are restricted.
The players will agree because they still get paid, in fact they double dip, they get paid for their old contract and get to sign a new one. It is a win win for them. Who was the player that left the Mavs and joined the Spurs the last time they did this? DD
Dang it, I knew there was a reason he was blacked out of my mind...that guy is STILL out of bounds. DD
Yeah, I was at that game in Dallas, turrible call! It would've been sweet justice if the Spurs never won a title when Finley was on the roster. Unfortunately, he got a ring for the 2007 title. Who would've thought that out of the Mavs' Big 3, Nash would be the one without a ring.
I'm glad the amnesty issue is finally gaining traction; concern yourselves more with whom might come in rather than who to bid ta-ta to.
I notice that there are a lot of centers hypothesized for amnesty cuts. I'm betting most of those don't materialize. Centers are a rare breed and are overpaid as a rule. Plus, they are easier to trade since so many teams need more size. So particular onerous contracts held be centers aren't as onerous as they look. If the Rockets would be willing to offer an amnesty center a contract, then they probably won't be cut in the first place. More likely, overpaid guards will be cut because they are easier to replace. I think it's only a win for the players that get cut and can re-sign with someone else. Because of the escrow system, one player making more money by double-dipping is taking escrow money from every other player in the league. I think we should use our amnesty to finally get Matt Maloney off the books.
It shows how good Morey is that their worst contract is Thabeet, and the Rockets are only committed to paying him one more year.
http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/or...sf/2011/09/canzano_time_is_running_short.html I still say can Thabeet. I'd rather better position ourselves for a play at Gasol or a worthwhile amnesty big. Thabeet is complete trash. The damn Vipers put a cap on the number of minutes they were willing to <s>waste on</s> give him. The NBA is changing - the "expiring contract nets a blockbuster" trend is going away. Look at our return for Battier - is anyone a big enough homer to think Thabust is giving us a blue chip in return when he couldn't? We had TEs, picks, and expirings and weren't even on the mailing list for the Melo sweepstakes. If we are in play for Dwight, it certainly will not be because we can dangle Thabeet at them. As far as him putting it together: a) Joey freaking Dorsey was further along offensively. How'd that work out? b) Should we have a season, there will be virtually no training camp or preseason, and in-season practice times (off days) will be cut considerably for a compacted schedule. Until then, he'll be picking his nose and trying hard not to foul someone doing so. Where is this magical development supposed to come from? When was the last time a 7-3 trainwreck turned things around after starting off as a hot mess for two years? Cut him, take the cap space, make your best play for a real center. Waive Flynn's $3.4M at the end of the year.
I do not see it being used on anyone for the Rockets unless they think Gasol might be in play... but, I think it is safe to assume that Memphis won't let Gasol go.
Suns need a backup PG behind Nash as Brooks is off contract while the Hawks could look to Flynn as a cheaper alternative to Crawford in the combo guard role. Both teams have the required trade exceptions to make it happen. Amnesty waiving Thabeet and trading Flynn for a TE would clear enough salary for the the Rockets to offer Marc Gasol the max he is qualified for.