You'd HAVE to think that the 2 new wings are in big trouble right away. New to the plate and little chance to impress. Forbes and Livingstone firm as 'keepers' due to their size and ability to play the 2. Ungauranteeds: Smith slides due to Aldrich. Machado slides due to Livingstone being able to play the 2. Brockman is a goner anyway. Those last 3 names would be my cut list? Smith, Machado and Brockman. And that's assuming Cook and Hayward are cut. However, knowing Morey, we'll be working the phones hard the next few days to shuffle all those expirings for an established player.
Cole Aldrich will be getting the backup center role. http://newsok.com/okc-thunder-notebook-cole-aldrich-not-always-pretty-but-always-effective/article/3718839
C: Omer Asik/Cole Aldrich/Donatas Motiejunas PF: Patrick Patterson/Terrence Jones/Macus Morris SF: Chandler Parsons/Carlos Delfino/Royce White SG: James Harden/Daequan Cook/Gary Forbes PG: Jeremy Lin/Shaun Livingston/Toney Douglas Jon Brockman (cut) Lazar Hayward (cut) JaJuan Johnson (cut) Scott Machado (try to sign to RGV) Greg Smith (try to sign to RGV)
This is probably right, but I'd rather them cut Douglas than Machado. I hate to cut Smith. He's had a good pre-season, but I don't think they cut Cook. I doubt they cut Forbes. He can play 3 positions. I also hate to lose JJJ - too much of a tweener I guess.
Thank goodness Morey isn't an idiot and wouldn't listen to that kind of counsel! Douglas is our backup point for sure and certain. Machado sits behind Livingstone. I'd be shocked to see him make the roster at this stage, ESPECIALLY considering his contract rolls over to RGV if he gets cut.
Well personally I'd do anything to keep Greg Smith and Machado. You really need 3rd string guys on the squad in case Ask or Lin goes down, and Machado and Smith are still developing...better to keep the 3rd string unknown over the known quantity. I hope they don't look at the contracts when cutting players, those are peanuts and cutting machado or smith just because they don't have a contract could lead into Lin 2.0.
Cole Aldrich is a two year pro who has averaged 7 mpg in the 44 games he played. Not a lot to get excited about. DM has stated that for the backup 5 the Rockets will go small and use a 4. I suspect that DM will keep a higher upside project (Greg Smith) over Aldrich. 5: Omer Asik/Greg Smith 4: Patrick Patterson/Terrence Jones/Donatas Motiejunas/Royce White 3: Chandler Parsons/Carlos Delfino/Macus Morris 2: James Harden/Daequan Cook/Gary Forbes 1: Jeremy Lin/Shaun Livingston/Toney Douglas The backup 1 is a mess. Livingston is a good passer but a below average shooter. Douglas is a shoot first 1. Machado is a great passer but has no shot which is a deal breaker. Machado needs to spend time in the D League working on his shot.
So is Cook a keeper as a salary filler for future trades? I think he might be. I'd certainly keep him over Forbes. Aldrich... eh. I haven't watched him a whole lot, but I guess he may be able to become a decent backup. If the Rockets keep him that's fine. If not, big deal. I prefer Greg Smith, but obviously you very well could keep both Smith and Aldrich. Again, I'd argue that capable bigs are much harder to find then guards or wings, so I really wouldn't have any problem keeping Aldrich and cutting Machado.
Yes, but interestingly, the Rockets will have MORE 2012-13 cap room, even after cutting five players, than they would have had before this trade.
I would assume that Morey is working the phones heavily this morning(between media interviews about the Harden trade) to see if he can move any number of the bubble guys in the next 72 hours. I would assume that also includes Aldrich if there are any takers for a second round pick, or better.
That's where we fundamentally differ in opinion. The vast majority of people who cover the entire NBA disagree with you on this point. Also, one cannot say (and I'm not accusing you of this) that a guy is not worth the max because he's not nearly as good as Lebron. A guy like Lebron could make $50 million per season if not for the artificially low ceiling on maximum player salaries under the CBA. Harden is at least worthy of making this artificially low amount (for him, a starting salary of below $13.7 million, with an average salary of $15-16 million).
You are worth what the market dictates. If you think Harden wasn't going to get the max from multiple teams next Summer then you are very, very wrong. Whether you think he is the player you like or not is your opinion. The facts are the facts... He produces like a max player, he is valued as a max player among the league, and he now will be payed as a max contract player.
