Trade Francisco and Brooks + cap space for Pau, then sign Josh. Re-sign Gasol after next year for 3/30 or so. Keep Omer in this scenario. Pau, Josh, Omer, and Parsons give you a top 5 defense for the next 3 years, and a top 5 offense. You don't have to worry about Dwight flaking out or pulling him out of the game b/c he can't hit FTs. No drama whatsoever, just a lunch pail team that will compete immediately. Trade the young PFs to upgrade other spots, or keep and develop them. Start Josh and Pau at the 4/5, bring Omer off the bench. With Dwight all you can do is underachieve, due to huge expectations. In this scenario you are a more under the radar elite team, that will probably be better anyway since Gasol is more of a 2-way player than Dwight and you keep Asik. I have no problem with going after Howard, but it would be easier to root for this team than a DH/Harden team that could be more interested in goofing off than winning. Above all just please stop talking about Chris Paul. It ain't happening, and I don't want him anyway. And I'm sure this could have gone in another thread. I don't really care.
Have to say I dont find rooting for any team with Pau Gasol all that easy. This is a league of superstars. Aside from the lone Pistons team, I can't think of a lunchpail team that won an NBA Finals.
You don't pick up Garcia and Brooks' options knowing Dwight is interested in Houston. You have to create cap space first before the free agency, and that's done by not picking up their options. Even then, it still might not be enough, depending on the cap situation this year.
Hasn't Cisco been waived? Don't like the idea of signing an old Gasol to a three year contract year after next. Isn't he undergoing very risky surgery this summer? Would rather develop our young PFs.
The team I described would have more star power than the Mavs team that won the title the year before last. Not sure what your issue is with Gasol.
Calm down! IT's two years plan. If we get Howard this year, we will try to get James Lebron next year
I don't think the cap number works. Under the scenario as proposed, the Rockets would have no cap space after making the Pau trade. If you want to trade for Pau Gasol and sign Josh Smith, you probably need to send away at least one of Asik and Lin, plus one or more of the smaller guaranteed contracts (White, Robinson, Jones, DMo, etc.).
^^ Well that sucks. Although trading away Lin doesn't really break my heart. Offering up Brooks hurts more, sorry to say.
First off.... Cisco cannot be traded. He has a true team option, and Im pretty sure there are no circumstances as to which the Rockets could sign and trade him. Secondly.... as others have said, the Rockets will not the capspace to take on both Gasol at 19 million and Josh Smith at anything other than an exception. The Rockets would need to send out one of either Asik or Lin to make the deal work. Not sure if they would elect to go that route. Most likely if they think that highly of Josh Smith, they will just target him alone as to give him and Asik more heavy minutes. If the Rockets do not think he's a franchise player, Pau is an option on his one year deal to help with the big rotation next season, and potentially on a discounted contract the year after.... However, you are almost certainly not going to have the cap space or the Morey Marbles to bank on Gasol/Smith on the frontline enough to give up someone like Asik to do this.
Looking at the math again, the Rockets would most likely need to send out BOTH Lin AND Asik, in addition to waiving/getting rid of non-guaranteed contracts like Delfino, Garcia and Brooks, in order to have enough room to get Gasol and Smith. Specifically, by waiving all the non-guaranteed guys, the Rocket would have $17M or so in cap room under most recent cap projections. Gasol makes $19.3M. So, if you send just Lin (or Asik) at $8.4M plus, say, Robinson at $3.5M, it's $11.9M out, $19.3M in, and you are left with no more than $9.6M in cap room, most likely not enough to sign Smith (I'm guessing he'll command a $13-14M starting salary at the very least).
Anybody that wants ball chucker and a guy who's ceiling been flatlining for the past two years shouldn't be in Houston. Josh Smith is a terrible basketball player, Morey shouldn't even think about him even if Rockets don't get Dwight. Save that cap room for next year.
FYI, Pau Gasol's contract contains a trade kicker, although the trade kicker will "only" take Gasol's salary to the absolute max he could possibly had gotten otherwise. According to Larry Coon, the "max" for determining Pau's trade kicker would be 105% of Pau's 2012-13 salary (which was $19 million). That puts Pau's cap number at $19.95 million for purposes of matching salaries for a trade and available cap room needed to absorb his salary. Also, because Pau's contract was signed under the prior CBA, Les Alexander would have to pay Pau's $664,150 trade kicker on Day 1. All that said, if the Rockets strike out on Dwight Howard, Chris Paul or another "top-priority target" we all might not be thinking of (either via free agency or trade), I'd STILL be open to trading for Pau.
