While Lee is still likely gone, Dragic walking at least leaves the door open a crack to re-signing Lee. Doubtful, though. Even if Martin--who gets WAYYY too bad a wrap on this BBS--were dumped (not getting fair value for his skill/contract), the issue is more about what the Dragic and Lee contracts would do to the Rockets' cap/financial flexibility 3-4 years down the road. Just the opposite. With Dragic gone, you HAVE to keep Lowry. He's their guy now. They'll run with him. The Rockets were NEVER going to trade Lowry unless it was for a star (i.e., Dwight Howard). I never bought into the mass hysteria on this board about absolutely needing to jettison Lowry for pennies on the dollar just because he let his tiff with McHale slip in an interview. That crap happens all the time in the NBA.
I don't think NY will match, they have a tendency to overpay for players, maybe this time, they won't bite???
I forgot Martin was expiring so I guess we aren't handicapped by his salary but after reading the article I can add Lin to the list of handicapping salaries.
I think because Lin puts butts in the seats..nobody wants to come see Dragic..Lin isn't a star on the court but he is in the media
superstar? Skill-wise, not that I can tell...yet. Popularity-wise? NY was crazy about this guy, so was the media. So, yeah maybe. Funny headline for sure though.
EDIT: Saw you retracted this statement, but figured I'd keep it up here in case anyone else had the same mistaken belief. Martin??? He's an expiring contract in a year when the Rockets could have had max cap room anyway! He's also a key component to any major trade the Rockets hope to pull off between now and the February trade deadline. (For instance, the Pau Gasol trade to the Lakers never happens without the Lakers having Kwame Brown's expiring contract. An equivalent amount of cap room would not have gotten the deal done.) Again, I don't trust that report. The NY Post is not exactly the pinnacle of journalistic integrity. Just wait and see. This report will be proven inaccurate.
Ding Ding Ding. Marketing = Money. But it will not bring a championship. Until we get a new owner with a passion for the game instead of the money, look for many years of this...