My great, big, huge Melo trade: Sova/Lin/Asik/Jones/Okafor/Rox#1/PHX#1 to Knicks Brewer/Smith/Knicks#2 to Bucks Tyson Chandler to PHX Melo/Ridnour/3 minimum salary guys from Knicks to Rockets
Okay so piecing some rumors together: NOLA wants Asik. NOLA wants to move Eric Gordon. Bucks want Eric Gordon. Rockets want Ilyasova (according to Doc Rocket). Rockets trade: Asik, Brewer, Covington Rockets Receive: Ilyasova, Gary Neal, and Greg Stiemsma NOLA trade: Stiemsma and Eric Gordon NOLA receive: Asik and Butler Bucks trade: Butler, Ilyasova, Neal Bucks receive: Eric Gordon, Brewer, Covington Rockets make Asik happy by moving him and in return get a stretch 4, a shooter off the bench, and a backup center who plays D NOLA gets rid of Eric Gordons huge contract and is able to pick up a center to play next to anthony davis and a big expiring contract Bucks get their man in eric gordon
Asik and Lin to Knicks Tyson Chandler to Phoenix Okafor/Smith/Brewer/Knicks 2014 second rounder to Philly Hawes/Shumpert/first rounder from PHX to Rox. $8.37 TPE to Rox or $5.8 million in 2014 cap space to sign a free agent or claim a player off waivers.
Hmmm.... That actually sounds moderately plausible. Not sure if Philly parts with Hawes AND rents out its cap space all for the NYK second rounder and the prospect of maybe keeping (impending restricted free agent) Greg Smith. The Sixers may just prefer to hold onto Hawes. But if they have no plans to keep him, and that's the best offer they get, then it could maybe work. Also, four-team trades are exceedingly difficult to consummate as a practical matter. But I can envision a world in which all four teams accept such a trade. And I can't say that about most of the trades on this BBS.
This is definitely one of the best trades I've seen on here. Knicks still get to have a defensive center while bringing back linsanity. Suns pickup another big time player they've been looking for. Sixer get a draft pick and keep cap space. Rockets get a center who can play with Dwight, a defensive wing, and an extra draft pick.
IF Philly can't find anything better for Hawes (I think it is getting more and more likely they don't as each day passes) then the above deal gets them to the minimum salary threshold but it also gives them 80% salary relief for Okafor's contract if I understand Okafor's situation correctly. That basically means they can meet their minimum league requirements while still dumping a lot of money in their pockets.
You have a lot higher opinion of Hawes and Shrumpert than I do. Would rather just keep Lin and Asik and just wait until 2015 free agency.
We want to play in 2014 free agency too...not just 2015. Morey never puts his eggs in one basket. He always leaves himself multiple options. 2014 is an option and there's a lot more potential big time free agents in 2014 than there is in 2015.
I didn't say the Rockets should definitely do it. Just that it was moderately plausible. Hawes and Shumpert are both good fits in the Rockets' rotation. That first rounder could be good trade fodder for a draft day deal or (if it's a 2015 pick or beyond) later this summer or next season. Another doubt I have about that deal, from Phoenix's perspective, is that they may rather just deal Okafor's contract to the Lakers for Gasol. They probably don't have to give up a first rounder in the process (I am interested to see if the Buss family just caves on that demand), and Gasol's salary commitments end after this season (as opposed to Chandler's $15M salary next year), although Gasol will cost a few millions more (including a $600-700k trade kicker) than Chandler for THIS season.
http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=lob7pmu Rockets IN: Rajon Rondo & Channing Frye + (fillers) Knicks IN: Jeremy Lin & Omer Asik Celtics IN: Emeka Okafor, Iman Shumpert, Terrence Jones, Donatas Motiejunas, 2014 1st round pick from Suns, 2014 2nd Round pick from Rockets (via Knicks). Suns IN: Tyson Chandler & Brandon Bass
How about Anthony Morrow? Can the Rockets make a run for this guy? Heard NOP has made him available and from what I remembered, he seems to be a pretty efficient 3pt shooter. Perhaps and upgrade to Casspi.
That might happen if Lakers can give away Hill to the Nets or Blake to some other team and actually get under the lux tax with a Gasol for Okafor move. However if the second deal doesn't evolve that kicks the Lakers under the luxury tax, then they have no real incentive to trade Gasol for Okafor straight up. Dipping under the luxury tax is what is important to them...not the few million that they save from Okafor's contract.
Agreed that a Hill to Brooklyn (for nothing) trade certainly changes the calculus on a Gasol-for-Okafor trade due to dipping below the tax line. However, Jim Buss is not Jerry Buss, and there's still plenty of money to be saved with a Gasol-for-Okafor swap. Perhaps more importantly, trading out your best active player in exchange for an inactive player further assures the Lakers of amassing more ping pong ball combinations for the NBA Draft Lottery.
I don't think they do it. I think they keep Pau in that scenario so they can woo him into either signing an artificially low contract with a player opt out after next year while retaining his birds rights or they offer him basically 2 years in 1 ($10 million X 2) if they can't sign another free agent so they can get him for cheap in 2015.
My doubts would be that TPE isn't big enough to acquire a star and can't be combined with other contracts. Rockets lose a lot of cap flexibility in regards to trading as Shumpert's 2.6 million may be biggest on Rockets roster next season not including Howard and Harden unless the Rockets are willing to give up 2015 cap space by re-signing Hawes. I think either Lin's or Asik's contract is on the Rockets next season unless Morey pulls a star out of his hat. I don't think Hawes fits the Rockets defensively.
