Bima, If Toronto is going to require someone be attached to that draft pick to make salaries match who would you target as a likely option. IMO, I think they will want to tag Amir Johnson who is essentially making 6.5 mil on average for the next 3 seasons. Just like the Rockets front office was cheering when Toronto took Ed Davis before Patterson in the draft, they would probably be cheering just as much if they got Ed Davis instead of Johnson in the potential trade.
I'm not sure whether comparisons to earlier player-for-pick deals (whether it's Ray Allen for 5th or Battier for 8th) are that relevant. The value of a #8 pick (or any other pick) depends a lot on who is available in a particular draft and who is projected to be available at the 8th or whatever spot. In the end, you are trading not trading a generic 8th round pick from the average NBA draft, but rather a pick in a very specific draft with a very specific set of players being available.
Unfortunately every year draft picks escalate way beyond their intrinsic value. Potential is such an expensive word. For instance Lilliard will take years before he is as good as Lowry, and might not ever reach that level.
After trading Barbosa to the Pacers at the trade deadline, the Raptors are significantly under the cap for the 2011-12 season, meaning that they can absorb Lowry's salary without having to send back any salary in return. That is why I have them tagged as a potential landing spot for Dalembert in a draft day deal, as well.
Why would they try to? And why would the Rockets agree to eat any salary instead of just having more cap room? The Raptors team salary, for this year and the upcoming year, are well below the NBA salary cap even after adding Lowry. http://www.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/raptors.jsp Besides, Lowry only costs roughly $3 million more than the 8th pick's salary would have cost them. The Rockets, on the other hand, probably want to add the $3 million or so of extra cap space onto what they already have rather than spending it on an Ed Davis or A Mere Johnson or whatever trash.
With Jonas V. coming in, Barghani healthy, Davis improving, Aaron (Do-boy) Gray, it would make sense to me for them to use that pick to try and unload Johnsons contract. Even though they have plenty of capspace to absorb his contract, it just makes sense to open up playing time for their young post players, and unload a worthless contract. Hopefully Toronto's front office isn't that smart to notice.
You kind of wonder then if a deal could then have Calderon coming back to the Rockets instead of someone like Davis or Johnson. He is a large expiring contract that could easily be moved in a mega trade involving a max contract type of star. Worse comes to worst and he's a solid backup PG behind Dragic(assuming he's resigned).
A Mere Johnson's money is a bigger negative for the Rockets than it is for the Raptors. Worst comes to worst, the Raptors can amnesty his ass. The Rockets don't have the option with a player received in a trade. I'm sure everyone notices the salary that each player makes, it's just unlikely that the Rockets, who are very much watching their cap room in pursuit of a FA or a trade, would ever agree to such a thing.
Not true. With the way the NBA officiates the perimeter, Lillard will be good out of the box, will be a starter somewhere (Toronto), and will put up very good numbers. He could potentially be better than Lowry in time, won't be initially, but it won't take very long at all for him to get up to speed with the NBA game. Mark my words, Lillard will be good out of the gate and will finish in the top 5 ROY voting.
Even if the player at #8 is as much coveted as the other players the Rockets have tried to move down in the draft to get in prior years? I know that Rubio, Cousins, and Jonas V. were all lower than that in the draft, but if "their guy" falls to #8 and they think this is a guy who is a future star...I still have to think its a possibility. Again though, we just have no clue who "their guy" is at that 2 through 8 spot, and probably wont know until draft night.
I don't understand what about my post you believe is not true. I never said he could not potentially be better than Lowry. You took what I said, repeated it, fleshed out some comments I could have made and then posted it. Which is just fine. But why start out with not true?
I agree totally ... I think dally and Lowry for Davis and 8th makes sense for both teams ...even if we just flip Davis to say move into top 3 with 8th pick
If we don't have to take back salary, maybe we can let them add a couple second round picks to the package.
He was saying that he disagreed with your assessment of Lillard taking long to catch on to the NBA. I too think that he will hit the floor running. His shooting is just too good not to succeed right away. Maybe by the 1st quarter of the season he will be making noise as a good backup to Dragic.
Toronto has already came out and basically said that Jonas V. and Barghani are off the table on any deals. Unless you are offering a superstar in return, you probably wont get a callback on any offer for him.
