Asik, parsons, and brewer for Varajeao, Earl Clark, and Anthony Randolph? An Oft injured center, a decent PF, and a guy that has failed to tap into his potential for years now? I'll pass.
I watch a lot of Suns games. That assessment of him is absurd!!! P.J. Tucker is a candidate for the all-defense teams this season for sure.
Chicago has a number of picks, actually. It definitely looks like they could pull off a big deal. I don't think that Carmelo will get moved. But could they be in play for Kevin Love? I'd say definitely. Mirotic + an army of 1st round picks, the Bulls have a serious collection of trade assets. Re bolded, the Bulls can't sign Melo so easily. Not enough cap space. They would have to move at least Taj Gibson, possibly Gibson + Mike Dunleavy, depending on where they draft. That would probably require adding some picks. Also, Carmelo is just a bird in a bush for the Bulls right now. Who says he would sign there and decline a better offer from New York. If the Bulls trade for him, they can offer him an extra year and more money. Anyway, I don't think the Knicks will trade him at all.
Here is a list of players who Morey has likely identified as undervalues and available. By undervalued, I mean that they are well-liked by advanced stats but conventional wisdom says they're nothing special. I am including only players who I think can be fairly easily acquired, so most of these guys play for bad teams. Kris Humphries Jordan Hill Anderson Varejao Trevor Ariza Trevor Booker Bismack Biyombo Al-Farouq Aminu Jeremy Evans Pablo Prigioni DeMarre Carroll Mason Plumlee Martell Webster Ed Davis Hollis Thompson Elton Brand Jordan Hamilton Steve Blake C.J. Miles Here's who I think are the most available, and why. Kris Humphries. He will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and Danny Ainge clearly does not intend to re-sign him. The problem is that he makes $12 mil this season, so he's not exactly easy to obtain. Boston would take a second round pick for him. Jordan Hill. The Lakers will waste their time pursuing big name free agents this summer and will likely allow Hill to slip away. The problem is that this is probably the most poorly managed team in the league these days, so it's difficult to reason with them. Fans and media blame Mike D'Antoni for this disaster, which is truly bizarre. Look at the roster! It's horrible! Not the coach's fault that this roster stinks. Trevor Ariza. Washington just invested a very high lottery pick on a SF (Otto Porter) and they have another good SF (Martell Webster) locked up at a reasonable price for the next few years. Ariza will be an unrestricted free agent and Washington will probably not attempt to re-sign him. I think Washington would accept Donatas Motiejunas and filler for Ariza. Ariza helps Houston a lot more this season than Motiejunas will! Bismack Biyombo. He is viewed by Charlotte as a failed prospect (he was a pretty high lottery pick) but if he can be obtained for next to nothing, or as a throw-in, he provides good value as a backup C. Jeremy Evans. Excellent high energy and efficient young rotation guy who has never really gotten much of a shot in Utah. I think you could get him for a second round pick. He's an upgrade over Motiejunas, and Omri Casspi. Pablo Prigioni. The Knicks do not properly value this guy. He's cheaper and better than Jeremy Lin. Tough to work out a trade with the knicks, though, they have too many bad contracts. Jordan Hamilton. Also a free agent who won't be retained, and whose team is going nowhere. Yet another guy who would upgrade Houston's bench on the cheap. I expect Daryl Morey to trade Omer Asik, Lin, Motiejunas and possible filler (e.g., Ronnie Brewer, Greg Smith) by the Feb 20 deadline in one or more big, complicated trades in exchange for a big PG upgrade (Kyle Lowry, hopefully, although don't count out Ty Lawson or Rajon Rondo), a good veteran backup big man (e.g., Spencer Hawes), and possibly a bench upgrade (see the names above for possibilities). I will be surprised, and disappointed, if Morey stands pat. Morey may also throw in second rounders, and/or Isaiah Canaan. The Rockets can still become a championship contender THIS season but the roster needs some tweaking.
To get Melo you'd have to include Jones and picks. Something like Lin, Asik, Jones and at least one first rounder. Maybe DMo too. If Melo is not resigning then that's a competitive deal. From the Rockets standpoint it's a no brainer. You get a true championship run right now. If Melo walks to LA you make a run at Bosh, Dirk, etc. If you don't land a third star then you sign a couple of guys to one year deals like Pau and Granger and try again in 2015. I honestly believe Morey wants to clear the cap this season. Asik and Lin are gone by the trade deadline.
This is not worth arguing for me. Believe what you want about Tucker's value stacked up against Lin's and Asik's value.
Bingo. I think if he can get rid of both of them for expirings that will give us something for the stretch run and perhaps a pick for Asik, I think he'll do it. But he won't give Asik away if he can't move Lin. Lin is the whole key. If he can get rid of Lin's contract then he'll be more willing to move Asik for not so much value because of the prize of cap space in 2014.
The value of "cap space" is consistently overrated. What is important to have is "cap flexibility," which is different. If you have cap flexibility, this means you have the ability tp create cap space, as needed, that you can easily and quickly move contracts around. The Lin and Asik contracts inhibit cap flexibility because teams are not eager to pay either player the nearly $15 mil that each will cost in 2014-15. But Houston may take back a player or players whose contracts do not expire at the end of this season. The key is for any non-expiring contract to have value, thus, it will be easy to move this summer, if that's what Morey needs to do. Also, it is difficult to believe that Morey punts on this season, simply to create 2014 cap space. The West is pretty wide open. Russell Westbrook may or may not come back strong, the Spurs may or may not be at full health this spring, Chris Paul may or may not be 100% healthy this spring, obviously the Blazers are cooling off, obviously the Warriors are injury prone. So yes, Morey would like to unload Lin and Asik (and, I think, Motiejunas), but he also wants to make the 2013-14 team better, a lot better. Also: I think some of you are underrating Terrence Jones' value. He will be under team control for the next few years, and, at his price, he provides excellent value. I really doubt that Morey is all that interested in giving this guy up. Also: Kyle Lowry, or Ty Lawson, represents a MUCH bigger upgrade over Jeremy Lin/Patrick Beverley at PG than Carmelo Anthony represents over Terrence Jones at PF. Especially when you factor in cost. Carmelo Anthony should be one of the five most expensive players in the league for the next several years, and he is nowhere near as good as Lebron James or Kevin Durant. I seriously doubt Morey is going to go after Carmelo. The Carmelo-to-Houston trade idea posts are a real waste of time.
LOVE the suggestion of Ty Lawson and I have mentioned the same thing before. This guy seems to be a good pg for us. Good all around and an upgrade as a shooter. But I have to think Denver values him more than our available assets.
I don't think Morey will be punting on this season if he moves Asik and Lin. First of all we are getting absolutely nothing from Asik right now. He's essentially dead weight if he ain't playing. But if he trades Asik for Spencer Hawes or KHump, that might actually help us. Just a reminder, I don't think he gives Asik away. BUT if he can scrape a deal for Lin to essentially move Lin's salary out for an expiring deal (like Ben Gordon or Danny Granger, etc.) while at the same time getting back a useful player for the stretch run (Gordon and Granger would definitely meet that criteria) then I can see him moving Asik out too for another expiring and pick to have cap space or cap flexibility this summer.
Toronto Trades: Kyle Lowry, Patrick Patterson, Terrence Ross, Landry Fields, 2015 1st Round Pick, 2017 1st Round Pick, 2014 2nd Round Pick (via SAC) Toronto Receives: Russell Westbrook, Donatas Motiejunas, Ronnie Brewer Houston Trades: Omer Asik, Donatas Motiejunas, Ronnie Brewer, 2014 2nd Round Pick (via NYK) Houston Receives: Kendrick Perkins, Patrick Patterson, Terrence Ross, Toronto's 2015 1st Round Pick, Dallas' 1st Round Pick OKC Trades: Russell Westbrook, Kendrick Perkins, 1st Round Pick from Dallas (via Houston) OKC Receives: Kyle Lowry, Omer Asik, Landry Fields, 2014 2nd Round Pick (via NYK), 2014 2nd Round Pick (via SAC), Toronto's 2017 1st Round Pick
This whole argument is stupid. First, anyone following the Bulls and living in Chicago knows that Paxson and Foreman are not giving up all their assets for Anthony. Second, Taj Gibson has to be moved to sign Anthony AND Boozer has to be amnestied. Third if the Bulls sign Anthony, Mirotic is not coming over. He makes 5 million Euros right now. Fourth, all the Rockets have to do is make Parsons available if they really want Anthony. What you fail to realize is that while Chicago and Boston have more assets potentially, they also have more rebuilding to do than Houston and do not wish to use all their assets on someone like Anthony.
Only problem I see here is that I don't think OKC risks trading Westbrook with how well he played when he was back, how well the team is playing right now, and the aftermath of the Harden trade. The fans would call for the FO's heads if they made this trade and then didn't win a championship.
Trade 1: Lin+Smith+1st rd pick for Lowry+Novak Trade 2: Asik+Garcia for Okafor+Pacers 1st rd pick Doing both of these trades almost leaves enough room for signing a max player in the summer... Plus they stay in contention for the rest of this season.
