No, any first round picks whose options are not picked up will be UNRESTRICTED free agents at the end of the season. The Rockets will, however, have Bird rights on all such players.
Dammit! I wanted Blakely to make the team!! Oh well, we still have Smith and Linn left. Wonder how long they will last. I would look to keep Smith so that we have enough big men to throw at opposing 5's. So my final roster to start the season would look like.. Lowry/ Dragic/ Flynn(Linn) Martin/ Lee/ (Taylor/ Linn) Bud/ T-Will/ Morris Scola/ Pats/ Adrien Hill/ Thabeet/ Smith
FYI, I've come across some information about the new CBA that changes my answers to the two bolded issues above. (1) Apparently, the new CBA has done away with (or otherwise modified) the rules about how first round picks playing overseas count against a team's cap. It appears as though the new CBA allows for teams to retain such players rights WITHOUT having them count against the cap. Hence, Donatas Motiejunas counts as $0 against the Rockets' cap. (2) I have been informed that the deadline to exercise team options on first round rookie scale contracts (in our case, for Thabeet, Flynn, Hill, Williams and Patterson) has been pushed until mid-January. I'll let you know more once I learn more details about these issues under the new CBA. Sorry for the earlier misinformation.
not surprise at all regular 12 active players are pretty much lock C - Hill, Thabeet PF - Scola, Patterson, Morris SF - Budinger, Williams SG - Martin, Lee PG - Lowry, Dragic, Flynn 13th - Parsons 14th - ??? my guess would be Smith 15th - ??? maybe Hayes or Lin
Nope. Dragic is closer to Budinger's situation. This is Year 4 of a four-year deal that Dragic (a SECOND round pick) signed with Phoenix. The Rockets exercised their team option on Dragic for 2011-12 prior to the June 30, 2011 deadline. Dragic will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.
I hope that Saunders guy makes it to final 15. Screw Lin, Taylor and Parsons too. They are not even worthy of keeping as inactive.
Then how did that work for Lowry, when they did not pick up his option? Or was it different. Thanks for taking my call.. DD
Come to think of it, Blakelt was screwed. They have had him on the roster since the last couple of games from last season and he has never played a game.