Courtesy and to be a leader in the locker room. They most likely asked him to decline his option in order to get cap space. It would be pretty cold if they asked him to do them a favor and turned around and didn't hold up their end of the bargain.
To be clear though the rockets still don't have cap space yet, but this move helps if the Rockets are able to move Lin and Asik to get below the cap.
Nawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!! We couldn't ask him to opt out and then promise him we will re-sign him to a minimum deal after we make our moves!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That.........that would be like telling the Kings that we will sign Aaron Brooks and make him whole if they will buy him out. That.....that.....that would be circumvention. The league would stop it. It's illegal. Morey would NEVER do anything like that. Nope nope nope. You don't know what you're talking about if you think Morey is that stupid. You must be crazy! Yada yada yada......
That 2nd year player option was always more or less just insurance for a major injury. Unless Garcia got hurt badly or otherwise just can't play at all any more, the logical incentive was always for him to decline it whether or not he wants to stay in Houston or go elsewhere. It sounds like from the report that he-- and his agent-- are confident that he can get at least as much guaranteed money as the 1 year veteran minimum option would have given him. If so, he should decline it unless something comes up before the option decision day.
His never-ending mean face did not mesh well with Dwight's constant smiling. Dwight probably forced him to opt out.
It gives us a little more cap space if we just dump Lin and Asik. But, it gives us less contract volume to trade if we're going that route instead. If you want Melo (which I don't), it'll be in an S&T not by shedding salary - Melo makes too much for that. So I think it's a negative to not have him opt in for manuevers. It's a positive only in that it gives us the flexibility to go get someone different. It would be circumvention. And, while Morey wouldn't get caught, I don't think he did it. We get barely any benefit -- $800k -- one that you could also get by trade, and then only if we go the route of dumping Lin and Asik for cap space to sign an FA and can actually pull it off, both of which I deem unlikely. Even if it was useful to have his cap space (at the cost of a trade chip), why risk breaking the rules to create a benefit you could create legally? Makes no sense. The simple -- and stated -- answer is probably the right one. Garcia saw his own self-interest in opting out. He's good enough to get a contract with somebody. Worst-case scenario, he signs a 1-year for the same money and loses nothing. Best case, he gets the security of a multiyear. He might leave the Rockets in the process, but he fell out of the rotation anyway, so who cares? People are imagining backroom deals everywhere for no reason.
First of all.... We are going to need you to calm down. You didn't just win an internet achievement award or anything. Secondly.... In this situation Garcia really is just gauging the market more than likely to get more money and at the very least another year on a new deal, but there have more than likely been conversations between Morey and Garcia's agent to tell him that given their priorities this off-season, they think its a good idea for EVERYONE. I would be willing to promise you there is no guarantee to Garcia, but if all else fails I would think that resigning him to a vet min contract if he didn't find any better offers is something they wan to do if they can. If Garcia does end up resigning with the Rockets after the free agency dust settles, I guarantee you that Morey and Garcia will need evidence ,in case they get investigated, that he did seek a higher contract in free agency, and only came back to the Rockets seeking a higher contract elsewhere. ............... Lastly - In AB's case, you are talking about a player that if he was told by the Rockets and Kings staff that "Hey... we will Make You Whole next year with a fat VET MIN CONTRACT" he would have thrown up at the thought of his value being that low in free agency, and the Rockets wouldn't have wanted to basically slap him in the face by saying something like that. Whether the Rockets were hoping they could get him back at the vet min contract is one thing, but there was no indication at the time from Brooks that he was going to gladly accept a low veteran minimum contract. Just as in that situation.... if Garcia gets more money he's walking elsewhere. If Brooks had gotten more money elsewhere... he's not a Rockets last year in training camp. The only back door deal is definitely a hand shake and Morey telling them thank you for your services and if they can't find the contract they are looking for, they will make a stop for them in Houston. I do not believe that the AB trade/Contract was ever a given at the time of the trade. The Rockets got lucky that he struck out in free agency. If Garcia strikes out in free agency I guess they are lucky to have him come back to them, but not nearly as much as they were with AB.
Thank God he's gone. When I can recall you hitting about five corner threes off the side of the back board, it's time to go.
