Goran Dragic on if the Rockets ever had a chance to keep him

Giving Dragic a player option when we had zero superstars (no Harden or Howard at the time) would have been very dumb IMO.

Now that we have Harden and Howard, sure Dragic as the third guy would be amazing. But no way we could have known this was how it would turn out.

We were in cap flexibility mode.

 

Exactly.

Morey played his hand correctly, and lost. It was still a good play.

 

Despite rumors to the contrary McHale is perhaps the finest players coach in the NBA today. And a pretty good judge of NBA talent. Do statements like Dragic's affect future player decisions? I have no idea. But Howard thought highly of McHale that is for sure.

If Dragic was still a Rocket would he be a major contributor? Sure. But a priori knowledge is not something that Morey has. So it is hard to argue with his decision to let him go. Besides that was the summer that everyone not on a rookie contract was let go. Housekeeping.

 

If Morey was preparing to save cap space and have most of the newly signed contracts expire by 2015, would those Goran's $7.5 mil on an empty cap really make that much of a difference? Even if it turned out that his performance as a starter was just a flash in the pan, losing games wouldn't be such a problem because it meant a better pick (we're talking as if Houston was in rebuilding mode). And that player option isn't that big of an issue trade-wise, there are always desperate teams like the Knicks (Bargnani). In contrast, Morey thought it was okay to sign Asik and Lin to contracts with balloon payments in year 3, which have been frowned upon by most of the owners in the league (again, not the Knicks). Aren't those two contracts on the same level as contracts with player options?
I mean, it's easy to preach now and talk about the what-ifs, but I always had a feeling Morey played it too safe with Dragić. It was a good, calculated decision to let him go, but you have to take risks to make great ones. Daryl had taken one with Terrence Williams and burned himself, then hit he jackpot with the Harden trade, but he also had an opportunity with Goran and missed it.

 

This.

I consider myself a fan of Jeremy Lin. He is not only a talented basketball player but also a remarkable human being. On a personal level, it is hard not to root for such a player.

However, for one to be a truly objective basketball fan (or at least as objective as reasonably practicable), one must separate the desire to see a terrific person succeed with the reality that such person may not be better than another comparable player.

Most people knowledgeable about NBA basketball will say that both Goran Dragic and Kyle Lowry are currently better basketball players than Jeremy Lin. This is not in any way intended to be an insult to Lin. It is more a compliment to Dragic and Lowry, both of whom would have deserved an All-Star nod this season had they received one.

Sure, there is a segment of ClutchFans (not Clutch himself) who either are reactionary to the overwhelming love that Lin receives from many of his most ardent fans or are just trolling. They like to make smart-ass, counter-productive remarks about Dragic and Lowry being better than Lin, largely to get a rise out of Lin fans. But when such ulterior motives are stripped away, the underlying reality does not change: Dragic and Lowry ARE better than Lin right now.

As someone who has had honest and open basketball discussions with Clutch, both on and off the BBS, I can attest to the fact that he has no "agenda" against Jeremy Lin and actually does like him. Unfortunately, the slew of accusations from people on this BBS about this alleged agenda has no doubt worn him down.

Cut the man some freaking slack and enjoy this Rockets fan website he has so generously made available to us all.

 

if i recall right, phoenix's offer was only a couple of mil more and an extra year than houston's offer?

 

The strategy of overpaying guys in the hopes they become stars is what turns you into the Charlotte Bobcats.

No one has a crystal ball. If you are going to take risks, take it on guys who are cheaper and can be had for shorter contracts.

 

Well, one thing's for sure - he's played out of his mind the first half of this season posting FG and 3PT %'s that are way above his career averages - like 5% higher on both counts (shooting 41%from 3 this season shot 31% last season) Will be interesting to see if these #'s keep up of regress to the mean - if he keeps it up over the season, he must have had one heck of an off season making improvements across the board.

 

The extra year was also a player option

 

Same money but Goran wanted player option for 4th year. We wanted 3 years with no player option. Phoenix gave him pretty much same money and player option so he took it.

 

You're telling me that signing James Harden on a 5-year, $80 million contract when he came here with the pedigree of a sixth man and a third option on offense for the Thunder wasn't a risk?

 

I guess we will just have to disagree completely. Your idea of cap flexibility was to sign a worse player (in my, Clutch's, and many other's opinion) for more money over 3 years instead of less money over 3 + a player option? I mean, did we overpay for Jeremy and Omer in the hopes that they would be back-ups? You always pay someone with the hope that they will become a star.

We don't have to ignore hindsight - we have the luxury of looking back now. It was a mistake, and we will move on, but that doesn't change the fact that we can look back and say with certainty that it was a clear mistake by Morey. There is little reason to defend him in this case. We paid more for a worse player with a 3rd year balloon payment at the expense of a 4th year player option that it now looks like Goran would've opted out of anyway.

Clutch is also correct in that if you leave this forum (and JeremyLin.net) off the table, the unbiased position for fans and analysts is clearly that Dragic is the better player. That is not a knock on Jeremy, but a kudos for Goran. Goran is not thriving at the expense of Jeremy, and anyone who takes offense at the idea that Goran is the better player most likely has irrational hate of Gogi or an irrational love of Jeremy.

 

James Harden was and is way better than Dragic. It was obvious Harden had the makings of a superstar.

Not even close, really.

 

Goran Dragić had playoff experience with the Suns under the tutelage of Steve Nash, dominated the Spurs in the postseason (as did Harden), had a great relationship with McHale and two months under his belt as a Rockets starter averaging 18 and 8. He asked for 4 years, $30 mil.
James Harden was the NBA Sixth Man of the Year, a stats geek wet dream, played great in the Western Conference playoffs, but never played as a first option in his career and stunk it up in the Finals against the Heat. He asked for 5 years, $80 mil.

It is easy to say now that Harden is much better than Dragić, but was he OBVIOUSLY $50 million guaranteed money better in 2012? Remember, there were a fair amount of doubters in James when Morey traded for him.

 

Yes, he was. I remember pretty clearly.

No one was offering Dragic the max.

 

I love Goran but Dwight isn't coming to Houston for Gogi.

 

Harden was 23 coming off a six man of the year award when Morey traded for him 23.

Goran was 25 coming off leading a lotto team.

 

This. So I don't understand what is here that is worth discussing? Even if one wants to use hindsight, wait till 2015 to see who Morey can sign and then discuss.

 

No one other than Morey was offering Harden the max, either. Teams were shying away from dealing for him until Presti called Morey.
But you completely missed the point of my previous posts. I said that Dragić's contract wasn't that big of a risk for Houston, especially when compared to Harden's max. James could've been another Eric Gordon and that would've severely set back the franchise, unlike Goran being a flop. You can live with $7.5 million dead weight on a rebuilding roster, even trade it as an expiring in the summer of 2015. Morey should've resigned Dragić, when all is said and done, without hindsight.

Ben Gordon was 22 coming off a six man of the year award in 2005. 22.