I think we should throw in White in that package to the Lakers as well to clear additional cap space. If we can convince DH and CP3 to take a few million less like Lebron did, say 17 million each. Then we could bring in a PF making around 4 million or so. Maybe Landry can make his triumph return if he turns down his player option with GS. Then use are book room exception on someone like Garcia or Kaman.
Marcus Spears talked on CSN and said Rockets arnt gonna get nothing for Thomas Robinson cause he hasn't shown anything and that he might be a bust ....
We'll let's see if you end up being right. I believe you said we would need to trade a draft pick with him in order to dump him (I don't think you meant Dwight)? I bet we get at least a second rounder for him (a real one - not a protected one we would basically never get).
YEA! 2nd round pick! I said I'd be glad if HOU didn't have to throw in an asset to dump him. Not that I expect it. Wouldn't suprise me if this is the case. Wouldn't surprise me if not either. HOU is unlikely to be getting anything valuable for him, though. At most a very crappy heavily protected 1st (like what they got for Jordan Hill or worse), maybe a mid 2nd (which typically can be bought for cash), maybe a free giveaway, may even cost an asset.
Time for some Rockets PR... 1) What an amazing story T-Rob has... His grandparent and parent dies in the space of a week leaving him and his very young little sister alone in the world. How does he respond? He works his but off, comes back for the Jay Hawks as an absolute MONSTER down low and leads the team to the Finals against Unibrow and T-Jones. OK. He lost the final to a great team but was selected All-American. He looks to make it in the NBA and take custody of, and provide for, his little sister. T-Rob has the character and work ethic of an elite athlete. 2) He is drafted number 5 to the Sacramento Kings. Plays 13 min. a game behind Cousins and Thompson, shows very high rebounding and defensive skills, like Asik did in Chicago. The Kings have one of the worst FOs in the NBA and the owner is trying to sell the franchise. Player development is said to be terrible. The atmosphere in the organization is toxic and not good for a rookie like T-Rob. 3) He gets traded to the Rockets. A team that has one of the best scouting and analytics program in the NBA. The Rockets are very high on T-Rob. Unfortunately, he is plunged into a situation with 3 other young talented PFs (D-Mo, G.Smith, T-Jones) all vying for playing time at the 4 whilst the Rockets are in the middle of a playoff run. There is no time for McHale to ease him into the system and develop him. The Rockets decide to go small ball, playing Delfino and Parsons at the 4. 4) Thomas Robinson has one more guaranteed year on his contract after which there are two years of team options. The Rockets only reason for shopping T-Rob is because of the need to clear cap space to sign Dwight Howard, nothing to do with his potential. Trying to move 3 or 4 players at $1m would be too difficult for the Rockets, that's why T-Rob's $3.5 rookie scale contract was the best option to move. What is a top 5 draft pick with high character, proven strong work ethic, boundless energy and athleticism, and enormous potential, on a final year guaranteed contract with option for two more years worth??? Teams with cap room would be crazy not to offer a future first round draft pick or early second round for T-Rob!!! Hello Charlotte? Wake up? The upside on this trade doesn't come often, plus there is almost no risk.
Rockets plan was likely not to get much for him...it's a cap dump. Not sure what we were supposed to get...even if a team wants to give up a top 5 pick that would actually not be doing anything. Just trading one top 5 prospect for another.
Of course the Rockets are telling everybody that they still believe in Robinson's potential and that they are only shopping him for cap clearing reasons. Of course they are not gonna admit that Robinson hasn't shown much "potential" at all. No reason to take what they say at face value. They have reasons not to tell the truth. If they actually believed in Robinson's potential to any kind of substantial degree (i.e. they believe that he's actually got "top 5 pick talent"), the Rockets would be willing to trade several of their other young players for little in return in order to keep Robinson while still clearing cap space. It's not like some combination of Jones, DMo, White, Smith, Ohlbrecht, Anderson, etc. would be untouchable in the event that giving them away allows you to keep an elite prospect. The fact that they are shopping Robinson instead means that, at the very least, they don't think of him as worth keeping over a couple of their other young prospects (who really haven't shown a whole lot as rookies, either, but arguably several of them has shown more potential than Robinson has).
I'm more interested in which side leaked this news, whether its the Rockets or one of the teams that the Rockets contacted.
because of cap holds, they'd need to trade or dump all of them except for White to clear as much space Jones clears $1m Dmo clears $900k Smith clears $400k Anderson clears $400k Ohlbrecht clears $300k Combined $3m Robinson clears $3m
Hi Carl, I don't necessarily disagree with you but I think you underestimate the importance of the amount of salary that needs to be moved in the time frame that it needs to be done. From my calculations (if we don't rely on a cap increase), we need an extra $3.0 - $4.0m cap space to offer Dwight the max. Here are the breakdowns of the salaries of the players you mentioned: Robinson 3,526,440 Jones 1,551,840 Montiejunas 1,422,720 White 1,719,480 Smith 884,293 Ohlbrect 788,872 Anderson 916,099 DING DING DING, from those salaries, of course Robinson would be the easiest to move. Jones, Montiejunas, +1 (Smith, Ohlbrect, Anderson) could get there. I left White out of the equation because he is a "special case". Moving 3 or 4 players is infinitely more difficult than 1. The team will have to have cap room + 3 or 4 roster spots to dedicate to these players. Moreover, the Rockets would also incur a cap hold x 4 instead of 1 thus eating into the cap room we are trying to create. The time factor is also important. Dallas also has to clear room to offer Dwight the max. Getting this done early and well before draft night, allows us to avoid desperation deals 4 weeks later. Again, moving one player is easier than moving 3 or 4 (time-wise). In my calculations Ohlbrect and Anderson were already waived and we still needed to free up 3-4m in cap room. Adding their salaries to any trade deal would not contribute to freeing cap space, only to sweeten the deal if the other team really desired these two players. Finally, I believe T-Rob is an opening offer and not the final offer. If the interested team wants more, I'm sure Morey would entertain counter offers for the combination of T-Rob and the other players you mentioned. Basically, I don't think that the selection of T-Rob as the initial trade piece to free up cap room necessarily means the Rockets think he is a bust as you suggest. In fact, he could be just a victim of circumstance.
Dammit Aleron, Every time I post something, I look up and you've beaten me to it. Great minds think alike... only you're faster.
The value is really in losing the salary to sign Dwight. Getting a pick or talent in return is gravy. They could have waited and dealt PP for nothing but at least this way they got to check out TRob for a bit.
James: Hey, didn't you hear Jalen talking about the great strip clubs Houston has? Sign here and I'll bring you there!
That's the biggest problem IMO. He has a lean upper body and not so broad shoulders. It is going to take him longer to develop.
