Isn't nene like....a 6-7 million dollar player at best? He is not a superstar and shouldn't be paid like it.
nuggetsnews Benjamin Hochman nothin yet on aaa and nene... weighing options ... my hunch says we'll know tomorrow
http://www.iamagm.com/news/2011/12/...million?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter Nets rumored to increase offer to 4 yrs $70 million. That is insane. Nene is good but that money should be reserved for superstars. I think the Rockets should go another route rather than overpaying.
Here's the rub... of the FA options, Nene was the closest thing to perfect for the rockets... he is a very efficient offensive player who does not need to be a focus of the offense, he is pretty good passer, especially of the pick and roll, he eats space in the paint and defends well. He is good on the run and fills lane. Name another option at C that the above description fits? Pau will be the primary low post offense, and overall scoring shouldn't be a problem so Nene's relatively scoring numbers shouldn't be a concern here. The other options (eg Dalembert) have bigger question marks and Nene's salary demand will cause the plan B centers to accordingly raise their demands too. To get the next best options (Jordan and McGhee) will require trades and again, at least for Jordan his salary desires will also rise. So, unless you want to all-in on Thabust, it is 1:45am and even though they may be beergoggles Nene is Brooklyn Decker sitting there at the bar.
Marc Gasol or Jordan depending on how much Morey likes them? I think both will be matched, and Morey would probably go after Gasol over Jordan. Another would be to sign Dalembert and trade for someone looking for a salary dump(Iggy if Philly wants to tank?) sort of deal. I think with time and capspace, Morey can work something out. At least with Pau Gasol, we have one 7 footer who can play center. That's a good start.
We could also absorb Emeka Okafor in the deal. He gives us a legit shot blocker in the paint, and despite having a large contract its still no where near what Nene is getting offered.
Does someone have a way to come up with LAL's defensive stats with Pau at C? I know Pau is better at C than Scola, but is he really seen as the space eater we want, especially paired with Patterson?
Nene is overpaid. That is the amount of money you pay a superstar. Nene is a borderline all star at his very best.
The Rockets might have to give up half their team to acquire Gasol, and now practically a max deal for Nene? This is looking worse and worse for the Rockets. They should just say "Oh well, we tried" and move on.
Yeah, just as Scola is. And Scola is paid half of what Nene is gonna get. And Scola`s stats are better in almost every category. Plus he is a great leader. The only thing he lacks is size. If we get a 7 footer in there, we don`t really need Nene. Overpaying is the road to a long era of first round exits. If he doesn`t make us a contender, don`t overpay!
Intriguing but hard to match up salary wise. In essence, we'd either have to trade KMart or he becomes our "free agent signing", so to speak. Personally, I'd rather have Nene at a couple of mil extra per year, but that would be something. If we do that though, I want at least a draft pick back. Otherwise, I think Morey would prefer the capspace sitting there for later use instead.
Nene is a stud. Pau Gasol is a stud. If you can pair them together under 33 million or so, you do it.
Doesn`t Pau have a trade kicker - and wouldn`t that mean he makes 20 millions here? So getting Nene for close to 13 millions a year, I´d be ok with that. But paying him 16 millions? No way!
Acutally I just checked: he has a 15% trade kicker, so he will make 21.5 millions a year here. So getting Nene for 11.4 millions (that`s actually close to his actual value) - sounds good. But investing 37.5 million in this tandem - no way!
