Sam Smith: Rockets "quietly sending out signals they’d trade Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin"

You understand that we're about the talking type of PG would be ideal IF Lin (and Asik) were to get traded for a marque guy and thus leaving you with limited $ resources, right?

This isn't about Lin (vs. Beverley).

 

Thanks for the reply. I agree that up until now that the roster turnover has been needed. Like u said the turnover stops once you have a team on its way to the championship. I think that time is now. We may be far away from it but there are 6 or 7 players on this team that have the potential to be top 10 players at their position. You mentioned Harden as a franchise guy with everyone else having question marks. I agree to a certain extent but i guess im just more opstimistic about our young guys than most.

I just really think that Howard and Paul both coming here is a long shot. Yes we are set up to make a play for them, but we are set up to do pretty much everything. Our team is so inexperienced but we are winning and individually our players have shown the ability to work hard and improve. I think that this year and next year we really have the ability to build a winning culture that can lead to multiple titles. Sort of like SA.

Howard is a huge injury risk and for all the negative talk about Asik being an offensive liability howard isnt that much better and he is expected to be a primary option. Asik's finishing around the basket has dramatically improved over the season. He only has 2 years of NBA experience . His work ethic throughout the year has been incredible. Unlike Howard he doesnt excessively rely on athletisicm. Does Howard have higher potential/ is a better player healthy .. no doubt. But Howard comes with his fair share of question marks. Asik is a defensive monster in his own right and we really dont lose too much on offense. Plus Howard will definitely want his touches and when that takes away from CP3 and Harden 3 pointers its not very efficient. Howard has to prove the rest of the season that he is completely healthy and back to his old form before i change my tune.

Paul and Howard would both have to take a paycut and in guaranteed years to sign here. The situation in Miami was different. It was created by player collusion and planned well in advance. Morey is oportunistic so he has set us up to recreate that, but i think he will look at all the variables and decide that the safer bet is to use our capspace in a way that just lets us build more assets and lets our young guys flourish. Morey is gonna give D-mo, Lin, Asik, and T-rob every chance to build their value since potentially our roster now has more talent than anyone in the league.

And to answer your first question , yes i do. if we get both then I assume you would grant that we will not win a chip. Miami didnt and those 3 had experience playing together already. Look im all for getting CP3 and DHOW if we keep our core but we cant. We are gonna be too thin and our flexibility will be limited. Same situation in which you think Paul will leave LA to go to. Except instead of veterans already on the team he goes to a team with young inexperienced bench players at best. Paul has a better chance of winning with LA the next two years than he does with us ( even with howard). Howard prolly has the better chance here, but if we get howard absent paul, then our ability to get a third star is crippled. You know Howard would never outright sign with us in FA, he would want max years given his injury. That forces us into a sign and trade with LA and God know what they milk from us.

Our roster, right now, has one of the better chances to win a chip 3 years from now. Miami will be getting old, OKC will still be strong but are also somewhat inflexible and are a smaller market. Even if some young stars break out they wont have the supporting cast. When u look at teams like in terms of potential i really see no one with more of it down the line than the rockets. What if some of our players do pan out ? Then we potentially throw away a shot at a dynasty for a small 3 year window with Paul and Howard, Im gonna be extremely optimistic and say the chances of us winning a chip during that window is about 30%. 70% we dont and end up having to start retooling and loose a legit shot at the title for a while. You can keep the capspace/ use it to absorb a contract and get a pick/ young player .. and then u have it again next year for a better FA class and you have another year to evaluate your current roster. Simply put the roster as is right now has too much unknown potential if everything goes right. Everything would have to go right for us to win with Paul and Howard.

Everything has to go right for a team to win a title. Howard and Paul could get us one before they get to the wrong side of 30. Tim Duncan, a more dominant player that Howard could dream of being hasnt won a title since 07. Not only that, he doesnt rely on athletisicm as much. Timmy is 36 now which would make him 30 in 07. What I'm saying is that chips are so tough to win, that to unless circumstances are extreme you have you give yourself a big window. Why settle for 3 years when you can set up one for 5. Our roster isnt ready now, but we have so much potential, its smarter to wait a year before going for the all in gambit. We have the ability to have huge cap space again next year so no hurry.

 

For the most part you are right but that wasn't always the case. I remember the good old days when players wanted to play for the Rockets.

We had Yao and Mcgrady agreed to sign an extension with us. The Rockets was one of a small handful of teams Mgrady wanted to play for.

Even better times was with Dream when guys like Charles Barkley took less money to play with Hakeem. I remember when this team had superstars like: Dream, Clyde, Barkley, Pippen (the money stealer). When SF3 refused to play for Canada but wanted to play here.

Sigh the good old days

 

trade lin, patrick beverly is the future

 

Why is everyone so excited about these trades. Lin and Asik are both raw players who have shown continuous flashes of the kind of players they can be down the road. Lin is putting up decent numbers even though he doesnt have a shot and has to play off the ball a lot. Im pretty sure once he and Harden continually learn how to play better together and once he develops a shot he'd be much better since that would open up driving lanes for him. I think Lin could put up a solid 16 and 7-7.5 in a couple years. As for Asik, hes arguably the second most important player on this team. He works his butt off each game basically anchoring our defense (albeit it is pretty bad) and almost leading the league in rebounding. The only thing he needs to work on is his finishing and free throws and he could easily be a top 3-5 center.

Sure, the addition of cp3 and Howard would obviously be extreme current upgrades, but with that there would be too much risk involved in putting all the chips on those 3 guys where we've seen injury problems from cp3 and howard and of course the drama tht comes from howard. Not to mention they would all need time to adjust and figure out roles. I would say they have about a 35 percent chance of winning it all with this big 3 and I dont think thts enough to basically invest everything u have.

Of all the teams in the nba we are currently the youngest and probably have the most potential. I say we let our chemistry continue to develop and instead of getting a big time superstar, add more solid role players. Therefore I believe we wont be financially burdened and wont lose team chemistry with new players and all. I do think we'll finish off with the 6th seed this year and def into the top 4 the next couple years. We have three potentially all star caliber players in lin parsons and asik, and one emerging superstar in harden. I like the future of this current squad and it has been shown that teams can win it all with one superstar surrounded with very solid role players. Not to mention we would actually build a contending team, not just being sellouts

 

Isn't the maximum contract length for a sign-and-trade is 4 years under the new CBA? Why would Howard and the Rockets want to do a sign-and-trade with LA and let them get our future picks and young players?

I agree that Howard probably wants max years given his injury and the chances of Howard and CP3 signing with us are slim and none probably. However, if somehow the Rockets have reached verbal agreements with them, why do the Rockets need to give up assets to move Asik and Lin? Why can't they be traded to teams under the salary cap? There'll be multiple teams that have cap rooms this offseason, so it's not like there is only one trade partner and he can take advantage of the situation. Asik and Lin are worth their current contracts based on their performances this season as well as their potential. I actually think Morey can turn Asik and Lin into future picks and build around the three stars with players under rookie contracts. I don't understand why you think we can't keep our core (other than Asik and Lin)?

 

I just cant understand why so many ppl are so jumpy about CP3, he aint leaving LA, not a chance, nada, zero. Why the hell does he even entertain that idea? LAC is a far better team which alreay has a shot to the title this year, Blake is the single most promising front court allstar in the league, and it's LA... so just forget about it.

 

howard and cp3 arent leaving. lin brings in a lot of money to this organization and still has a lot of up side. i can see love coming here, and maybe LA but thats it. i think morey has set a good foundation, if anything i think he is looking to get some good young talent that has not developed yet (like robinson) and see if they pan out. id much rather keep a steady core that can grow together, and add on other young prospects to this team.

 

Yes agreed. CP3 0% chance. Howard some possibility.

 

The Rockets should cancel their Taiwan tour this summer if they plan to trade Lin.

 

Easier said than done with the new CBA.

 

why would CP3 leave? He'd have to share the ball with Harden, unless Harden goes back to the 2. And whoever the Rockets and bring in with Lin/Asik, Clippers can get the same or maybe even more with Jordan/Bledsoe.

 

Because we're trading lin! It makes perfect sense. If we don't want lin here and he has the trade value of a pepsi can, then it's obvious that opposing gms would want to give us their franchise players.

we could get paul, then flip harden for lebron, flip something else for D rose, then make a run at Love and have eric gordon coming of the bench as a sixth man! Maybe we can offer beverely for irving straight up?


DWight
Love
Lebron
Drose/gordon
Irving/d-rose


We run a 6 man rotation. if they die,they die.

 

Great thinking! This guy would be a perfect fit wit Harden. Imagine in 5 years or so...

Erick Green
James Harden
Chandler Parsons
??? (hopefully a star PF)
Omer Asik

I love Lin, but this guy's skillset is just a perfect compliment to JH13.

 

Some of you guys really are hilarious.

 

Championship or bust!

 

Of course. But I still wouldn't. It's not about Lin, it's about the drop-off.

Harden has to (should) sit 12 minutes a game. He'll have injuries and miss games. That's to be expected. You don't want players that are only able to fit in a role next to a ball-dominant SG as your only options.

TD would be out of this league if he didn't get a chance to play alongside Harden (and even now he may still not get an offer next season), and I don't think anybody is exactly kicking themselves for missing Beverley. Both were good pick-ups by Morey (and one effectively played for free), but ... no ... if people can't get over a downgrade from Lowry to Lin (and sidegrade from Dragic to Lin), they will absolutely **** on Beverley/Douglas when they're the only options at PG.

 

Why not just recruit this year's all-NBA first team. That should do it!

 

People haven't realized Beverley hasn't scored a point in the last 51 minutes. If Lin's biggest problem is consistency ...

 

This is a joke right? Trade Lin and Asik for who? LOL*100,000,000 you guys crack me up!