That's actually the opposite of what happened. The "assets" all genearlly fit fine, and the assets that don't (Brooks and Martin combining to be horrible on defense...or Ariza beocming a chucking maniac on a team that didn't need one) are moved out in short order. The assets fit together fine, adn the rockets record is arguably more than the sum of its parts, they just have no franchise player to build around - obviously.
Good post. When drafting though, your quote above is called "drafting the best player available" vs "drafting for need." So, Morey applies that to trades and FAs as well...where "trading for need" is evaluated partly based on value, so you actually CAN trade them later if needed vs getting stuck with a overpaid player who you can never move -- see Maurice Taylor. And so your team salary remains manageable. When it comes to the big trades, that Morey hasn't not "officially" pulled off, evidence shows with the Pau/Nene deal...Morey was indeed traded for a fit to go with Lowry. And we can also say the TMac trade resulting in Martin was a trade for need (wing scorer) and value, as well as the trade for Scola. Morey also has a track record with FAs to go for need and value. bottomline: the pure "assets with no fit" trades that get all the attention here are the Morey "bets" trades...low risk/high reward. And yes, nearly all his moves include something in them that adds an "asset" like a pick or a valuable expiring, etc. He definitely does a great job of collecting 2nd rounders.
Most organizations we work for don't acquire their "assets" and then trade them away for better "assets." There lies the problem.
This is because most employment contracts outside of sports cannot be traded. In the NBA, however, every team trades and turns over their assets regularly.
Very well said, but that is were the coach or superstar comes in, you can build to fit if one of them is already on the team. In Houston's case, it would be easy to argue none are on the team.
Next predictable statement is a reply to Carl Herrera's picture of McHale to remind us that Dumars also won as a GM. So, if you have won both as a player and coach (or GM)l, like Phil and Joe and Larry Brown have, then you can call-out your players and refer to them as assets ... because they will respect you for it. haha
Morey might not have been a great player and a champion in the NBA, but Kevin McHale was. McHale said himself that the Gasol trade was something that he had a hand in and was wanting to happen. If Kevin Martin is the player that has spoken up about not wanting to feel like a trade asset, then he should look toward his coach, a top 50 players of all time, who wanted to trade him just weeks ago. There is no doubt that McHale is now having a say so in who makes the cuts, who plays, who they draft, and who they trade for. The whole, players dont like how Morey treats them like assets thing, is just made up from a bunch of sensative internet posters. If a player gets traded its because some team in the league finds either them or their contract valuable to their team. If a player doesnt want to get traded then they just need to work hard enough to take their game to an all-star level. Then YOU can be the one who leaves the other standing at the alter. Its a two way street. These guys want to choose where they want to play, but they dont want to be able to be traded when they arent that good to begin with.
