To be honest with you I do not agree with myself at times. But Patterson's top side is a career back up power forward. He hopefully will become rich in the process and have a decade long career.
Incorrect. Even if the Rockets managed to trade both D-Mo and Smith for nothing, it only would have cleared less than $1.33 million in cap room (when incomplete roster charges are factored in). By comparison, clearing Patterson's salary by itself would have created nearly twice as much cap room ($2.62 million). Even if you jettisoned Terrence Jones along with D-Mo and Smith, that total cap room savings would still be less than Patterson by himself (less than $2.39 million for all 3 guys). The Rockets ended up getting just barely enough room necessary to give Dwight his max salary (with a few thousand to spare to give Isaiah Canaan a little extra money). Moving Patterson was a near-certainty for the Rockets if they expected to get Dwight. EDIT: And as for Patterson being better than the four second rounders, you are probably right. But the Rockets' goal was to acquire assets that didn't take up any cap room. And second rounders were the best possible fit given the situation at the time. (No one was offering up first rounders for Robinson. Morey tried. And they CERTAINLY weren't going to give up first rounders for Patrick Patterson.)
You want to trade a mobile and coordinated seven footer with a serious post game instead of Patterson???
I think the reason some people had an issue with the Patterson trade at the time (for the record, I was just fine with it) was out of fear that the team would end up missing the playoffs by a game or two, when the sixth seed was basically up-for-grabs. Ultimately, dumping Pat didn't really end up costing the team anything material.
Lin to Knicks (for obvious reasons for both teams) Brewer to Knicks (dead salary) Felton to Toronto (Lowry Insurance) DMo to Toronto (young prospect) Udrih to Washington (they want a backup PG) GSmith to Phoenix for a second rounder. (they're looking for a big, Smith could probably be traded to a number of teams for a second rounder) Metta, $1.48 million in cash, and the PHX second rounder(or one of our second rounders) to Philly. (Once again, free money and free asset for Philly) Patterson to Houston Buycks to Houston (need for salary match for Toronto, subsequently waived) Aldrich to Houston (outgoing salary match for Knicks, possibly cut here or possibly kept) $8.37 million TPE to Houston Toronto then buys out Hayes and saves $3.3 million (wink wink) We sign Hayes to our Room MLE with a second non-guaranteed season. (wink wink) Toronto can then use the Hayes savings to buy out Felton later if they want to. Sign Troy Daniels Leave one roster spot open to see what else develops. --------------------------------------------------- This trade could probably actually happen if: 1. Knicks wanted Lin 2. Toronto was ok with DMo/Felton for Patterson. Everything else after that could be negotiated a number of different ways to have similar (or possibly better) results. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- If we did this deal and kept Asik into the off season it would leave us with a myriad of options this off season. Firstly, Patterson. He's restricted. We'd have the opportunity to match, let him walk, or negotiate an alternative contract for him. I don't know what Patterson's market value will be this off season (would be interesting to see some speculation on this from the resident cap expert himself) but with the plethora of power forwards in this league and Patterson's current status as basically a bench big perhaps he gets an offer of $25 mill/4 years???? We would have his Bird rights and those rights give us greater flexibility in designing a contract including front end bonus and decreasing 7.5% salaries along with partial guarantees that could give Patterson a lot of money up front but make him a very trade-able commodity going forward. Next, the Lin TPE could be used a number of different ways. And with Lin removed and Patterson's restricted status, it makes it a whole lot easier to move Asik out for nothing but a draft pick. You send out $3 million with Asik and some team is paying $12 million for one season for him...a pretty fair value. I like Lin and DMo but I would do this deal I laid out above because of the flexibility it gives us in 2014 free agency and because of the need for a sweet-shooting 4 alongside Dwight and Asik. This trade does make us kinda top heavy with Dwight/Asik/Patterson/Jones/Hayes but that's a lot of D to throw at OKC, SA, and the Pacers/Heat. And I think Lin's contributions can be replicated by Brooks and better yet by Canaan. We're still lacking a perimeter defender. Perhaps we could get someone with a minimum salary deal with the last roster spot. Unless of course Daniels turns out to be a huge bonus defensively. (not likely)
Not if you keep Dragic and not sign Lin. Release players you kept. There is the rest of the money you need. Keep TJones and Patterson. Edit: I think Morey could have easily found a way to have: Dragic Harden Parsons TJones/Patterson Howard/Asik
I rather look back and say "Wow it sucks that we don't have Patrick Patterson to play alongside Harden, Parsons, and Howard" than to say "Wow I wished we had cleared enough cap room to sign Howard to play alongside Harden, Parsons, and Patterson"
That is a lot of drama talk. Serious post game? Really? Thanks for setting me straight because I've been watching the wrong player then. Wait maybe you think a foul machine = SERIOUS post game... And talk about your journeyman. The problem is DMo won't have near the run in the NBA as Patterson will. And I'm not saying Patterson is all that but tell me again how DMo is better? Size <> Talent. But the answer is Yes. Yes tomorrow. Yes the next day. No question...Yes...
Wow. Just wow. Sacrificing Lin and D-Mo for a career backup in Patterson. You need to slow down your thought processes and consider the long term. Lin is a starting quality PG/SG in the NBA and D-Mo is improving by leaps and bounds. Get rid of Asik??? Kissing a chip run this season goodbye?
Each to his own. I am going with the seven footer who is turning out to be a serious defensive plus. If you watch the Rockets games ...
Sacrificing Lin and DMo for Patterson (a better fit right now and would be a greater contributor to a championship team than DMo) AND the option to play in the 2014 free agency game. IF we don't move Lin it severely hampers our flexibility this off season. If we move Lin while retaining Asik, we can become prime players for another max player this off season....not to mention 2015 also. The above trade is done with the idea of keeping Asik through this season. Asik on a one-year deal owed $15 million with a cap hit of $8.37 million and birds rights and $3 million of cash to offset the $15 million he is owed is a great trade asset. Don't know what you read above about me trading Asik in that deal. I'm simply alluding to the position we would be in going into the 2014 off season.
I think the reason Rockets got rid of Patterson was that he would command a nice pay cut after his rookie contract.
Wait a minute. So, now you're going back to a move made SEVEN MONTHS EARLIER to change the parameters of the debate?!?!?! By that rationale, why don't we just have the Rockets not signing Asik altogether? That would create all SORTS of room! Each decision the Rockets make needs to be viewed with the lens of what their situation was AT THE TIME THE MOVE WAS MADE.
-BimaThug is right about the cap math at the trade deadline. The Rocket pretty much had to trade away Patterson and Morris in order to clear the cap space for Dwight Howard. The other guys didn't make enough money to really yield much cap flexibility when traded. - The concern I had at the time was that because Thomas Robinson sucks at NBA basketball, teams would not want to trade for him and would instead demand a ransom to take on his rather expensive contract like Sam Hinkie did with Royce White. Turns out I was wrong about NBA teams, or at least about one of them. The Blazers decided to actually pay some minor assets for Robinson despite the fact that he struggled both in Sacramento and in Houston. The value gained by having been a high lotto pick outweighed his actual NBA performance. - Patterson hasn't just had one good game in Toronto. He's been productive for them for almost the entire time since the trade: In 30 games, he has a 18.7 PER, and 118 ORtg, a .587 TS% at a 19.2 Usage Rate in nearly 23 minutes per game. His skills are being put to good use in Toronto. - Patterson is not a huge game changer, but would be a very good fit next to the guys that we have. He isn't a great defender, but like Luis Scola, he is smart enough to be at the right place at the right time and should be effective next to an elite rim protector like Dwight Howard and Omer Asik. He also doesn't create many of his own shots, but makes open jumpers and finishes at the rim at a good rate. He is also an underrated offensive rebounder wtih a 9.2 OReb% (Terrence Jones's OReb% is 8.6).
Sigh. Have you noticed that the Rockets are right now perhaps the best team in the NBA? With Asik back and getting into game shape are their any holes in the roster? IND and MEM become very manageable wins with Howard/Asik to match up with their bigs. Is there any team that can defeat the Rockets in a seven game series? Early this season the Rockets were rough around the edges. Not so now. Why would Morey risk a trade when every player is playing so well?
