I'm pretty apprehensive about trading for Gasol but.. If the price is Scola and our two picks, sign me the hell up. Lowry? Eeeeeeeehhhh. That'd be awesome.
I don't see realistic pieces to add to a 30+ Gasol in the next 2-3 years which makes the team a contender. Do you? I feel like you are just racing against the clock. The original deal was solid IMHO because it gave you those pieces immediately (BTW I really like Nene's game): Lowry / Lin Lee / Bud Parsons / Morris Nene / Patterson Gasol / Hayes Hypothetical lineup would be: Dragic / Lowry Martin / Lee Parsons / Budinger / Morris Gasol / Patterson / Camby / Montejounas Meh, I guess it could work, but I am not convinced thats a championship squad. Maybe do an Iggy for Martin swap? Dragic / Lowry Lee / Bud Iggy / Morris Gasol / Patterson Camby / Montejounas
our own pick would be top 14 protected, dallas is top 20, I don't think NJ would go for that especially since they're looking for picks in this years draft
this draft to me after like pick 4 is pretty even.. everyone is saying no to Zeller/Moultire but Perry Jones, Terrence Jones, Quincy Miller, John Henson ETC.. all have questions marks as well… no matter who we select at 14 & 16 half the people on here will complain.. i do not think we will draft at 14 though… of course i have said that EVERY draft and Morey underwhelms me and we stay at 14...
The key here is that you can do one or more of the following: (a) trade Lowry for someone at a position of bigger need, (b) trade Martin for salary relief plus some asset (to Minny, for example), (c) let Dragic and/or Lee go to create more cap room. I agree that the pieces don't quite fit given the depth/duplication at certain positions, but that's an issue even without making the swap-- in fact, it probably would be worse without it if we are going to add two mid-first rounders to the roster. People are scared by Gasol's salary, but it really doesn't hurt the team's flexibility much if you make the right arrangements.
I know I don't want Zeller. Too limited or a player in my opinion. Not sure about Moultrie, but if he's a bad defender then there's no real need for him here. I'm leaning towards big potential, risky picks. Too bad Meyers won't be around. If we don't trade the picks then I want Miller and Wroten. Both athletic, young, can get to the FT line, can spend a year or two developing. I'd like Sullinger, too, if the medical flags are not that big of a deal.
Here's what the salary situation looks like if the Rockets trades the 14th and 16th pick plus Scola and Dalembert (salary filler, partially guaranteed) for Gasol: <style type="text/css"> table.tableizer-table {border: 1px solid #CCC; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;} .tableizer-table td {padding: 4px; margin: 3px; border: 1px solid #ccc;} .tableizer-table th {background-color: #104E8B; color: #FFF; font-weight: bold;} </style> <table class="tableizer-table"> <tr class="tableizer-firstrow"><th> Name </th><th> Notes </th><th> 2011-12 </th><th> 2012-13 </th><th> 2013-14 </th><th>2014-15</th><th>2015-16</th></tr> <tr><td> Kevin Martin </td><td> </td><td> $11,519,840 </td><td> $12,439,675 </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr> <tr><td> Luis Scola </td><td> Traded </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr> <tr><td> Samuel Dalembert </td><td> Traded </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr> <tr><td> Kyle Lowry </td><td> </td><td> $5,750,000 </td><td> $5,750,000 </td><td> $6,210,000 </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr> <tr><td> Courtney Lee </td><td> Cap Hold </td><td> $2,225,093 </td><td> $5,560,000 </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr> <tr><td> Goran Dragic </td><td> Cap Hold </td><td> $2,108,000 </td><td> $4,010,000 </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr> <tr><td> Patrick Patterson </td><td> </td><td> $1,959,960 </td><td> $2,096,760 </td><td> $3,105,302 </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr> <tr><td> Marcus Morris </td><td> </td><td> $1,823,280 </td><td> $1,905,360 </td><td> $1,987,320 </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr> <tr><td> Chase Budinger </td><td> </td><td> $854,389 </td><td> $885,120 </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr> <tr><td> Chandler Parsons </td><td> </td><td> $850,000 </td><td> $888,250 </td><td> $926,500 </td><td> $964,750 </td><td> </td></tr> <tr><td> Greg Smith </td><td> </td><td> $473,604 </td><td> $762,195 </td><td> $854,389 </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr> <tr><td> Derek Fisher </td><td> Waived </td><td> $3,400,000 </td><td> $644,005 </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr> <tr><td>Courtney Fortson</td><td>Waived</td><td> $473,604 </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr> <tr><td>Diamon Simpson</td><td>Waived</td><td> $473,604 </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr> <tr><td>Marcus Camby</td><td>Renounced</td><td> $11,071,500 </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr> <tr><td>Earl Boykins</td><td>Renounced</td><td> $762,195 </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr> <tr><td>14th Pick</td><td>Traded</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr> <tr><td>16th Pick </td><td>Traded </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr> <tr><td>Donatas Motiejunas </td><td>Cap Hold</td><td> </td><td> $1,134,500 </td><td> $1,422,720 </td><td> $1,483,920 </td><td> $2,288,205 </td></tr> <tr><td>Pau Gasol</td><td>Acquired by Trade</td><td> $18,714,150 </td><td> $19,000,000 </td><td> $19,285,850 </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr> <tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr> <tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr> <tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr> <tr><td>SUM</td><td>Add Lee/Dragic</td><td> $62,459,219 </td><td> $55,075,865 </td><td> $33,792,081 </td><td> $2,448,670 </td><td> $2,288,205 </td></tr> <tr><td># of Players</td><td> </td><td>15 </td><td>11 </td><td>7 </td><td>2 </td><td>1 </td></tr> <tr><td>$ below $58.04 mil Cap</td><td> </td><td> $(4,419,219)</td><td> $2,964,135 </td><td> $24,247,919 </td><td> $55,591,330 </td><td> $55,751,795 </td></tr></table> They will have 8 guys under contract for roughly $44 million, plus the cap holds of 3 guys (Motiejunas, Dragic and Lee) for a total of $55 million. If they just let their own FAs go, they'll have roughly $12 million in cap room. I don't think it's likely since there really aren't many top FAs in this class that the Rockets would want (besides Deron Williams). They also have many more options for opening up more cap room with trades (Martin being the most obvious candidate) if they believe cap room is the way to go. To me. the most obvious thing to do would be to trade Martin to Minnesota for a draft pick + salary relief. This will given them options in free agency and to make trades that involve eating salary. They'll also have Lowry with whom they can make deals, either for mid-lotto pick or an established player at a position other than PG if they are planning on bringing Dragic back.
This. Morey has built this team so we are capable of doing something exactly like this. Yes he is overpaid, but we are a team that can actually afford to overpay for a guy if Morey and Les feel like it will help us.
Your crazy if you think the Lakers wont do that deal The Rockets are the ones who would be getting HOSED
Rumor has it that the Nets want a pick in THIS year's draft. Of course, Prokhorov can always just BUY a pick (to the extent the Nets will have the alottment available). Still, I think the Rockets would benefit more from dealing a late 2012 first rounder (as opposed to the #16 pick) than they would dealing the Mavs pick. It opens up so many more trade options to have both (a) their own future picks (including UNPROTECTED future picks) and (b) an extra "future first rounder", to trade to other teams. F-L-E-X-I-B-I-L-I-T-Y Agreed. Hate on his massive salary all you want, but (a) Gasol is better than anyone the Rockets currently have on their roster; (b) he is capable of being a top-flight STARTING CENTER in the NBA, for which most teams will gladly overpay; and (c) his style of play, while transitioning more towards center, should allow him to play at a high level well into his 30s. Sure, getting Dwight Howard AND Deron Williams would be great. But stop kidding yourselves about getting anyone--including anyone with a top-5 pick in this year's draft--who will ever be much better than Pau Gasol is right now and will be over the next 2-3 years. As long as other better ACTUAL, AVAILABLE avenues to improve the team are not foreclosed by a Gasol trade, and if it only took Scola, Dalembert and mid-first round picks, I think Rockets fans should actually dare to feel "JOY" about such a deal. Shocking, I know.
True but Drummond had one of the most disappointing years in recent memory. If you recall, early in the NCAA year Drummond was 1st pick overall with Lamb at 2nd and Rivers 3rd. What happened
