I trust his judgement, but I'll be disappointed to say the least if Morey ends up getting out maneuvered here. There's a few teams out there with the money to make a push for Parsons, and if nothing else, raise the cap figure that the Rockets will have to take to extend him. One team that could do that and see it as a win-win is Dallas. They could add Parsons to a team that pushed the eventual Western conference champs to the brink, and/or stick it to an in-state/division rival. Watch out for them. Also, what if Chicago amnesties Boozer and finds out early on that Carmelo isn't coming there. They have a hole at the three and they'll have the money to purse Parsons. What if the Lakers lose out on Love and Melo, they have the space and the need. Then to a lesser extent there's the Hawks and Orlando, and Parsons is a Florida native. There's a decent chance that the rockets lose Parsons for nothing in return, not even cap space. There's also a chance that another team inflates the price that the Rockets have to pay to keep him. IMO, that could be just as bad. Parsons can be a key piece for this team, but not as the third best player. And I'd hate to see his salary come in the way and prevent this team from getting that third top tier talent. But we shall see...
1. Whatever maneuvers, timing, cap and other issues that we here think of, you better bet that Morey and his crew have thought through them all and hundreds more. These guys may not always be right, but they do their homework. 2. There is one player on the market who will likely set a market on Parsons' contract: Gordon Hayward. He and Parsons are competing for the cute white boy money and will likely end up with similar $ figures. I think Hayward will get a little more since he is two years younger. 3. One thing that HOU has in its pocket is the ability to offer a 5th year on the contract, which no other team can do. This allows the Rockets more flexibility in structuring a contract that offers to compete with outside offers. 4. Often, when a player receives an outside offer, rather than accepting it and triggering the 3 day match period, the player would go back to his current team and work out a contract based on the offers he received but not formally accepted. I recall that both Marc Gasol and Nene did this a couple seasons ago, using a Rockets 4 year max offer to work out 5 year deals with Memphis and Denver. I expect that Parsosn will do something similar this year rather than sign an outside offer and forcing Houston to match. As long as the Rockets can assure Parsons that they will in fact offer similar money to the outside team, Parsons has little incentive to be in a hurry to sign the outside deal. He is on a good team here, which will be even better if HOU adds a big time player. Which team can offer him both money and a more competitive roster?
As a basketball player you have to be smart about your NBA salary vs your endorsement salary. Staying on a team that is winning and getting paid 8 million is better than being in Milwaukee and making 13 million. In the end, endorsements for a Parsons (who has a high endorsement value because he is a white basketball player and clutch fans think he is pretty) is much more important then his base salary. The teams that will make Parson an offer that he will accept will be teams like L.A., Miami, New York, Chicago, Boston, and maybe Dallas. Those teams will offer market value or maybe slightly higher. Those are the teams are big markets or have pretty boy/girl industries to entice him with big endorsements.
I gotta question. Can we conceivably sign Melo, extend Parsons, and still keep our MLE? How can we do that?
Im not hating on parsons but theres at least 8 other small forwards that i can think of off the top of my head id rather have than him. In no particular order 1. Lebron 2. Durant 3. Melo 4. George 5. Kawhi Leonard 6. Rudy Gay 7. Nic Batum 8. Iggy
I'm baffled by the number of posters here who seem shocked by this move. These options have been spelled out and discussed for some time now. There was a risk either way, but if the Rockets want to keep Parsons long term (and have flexibility in the short term), allowing him to become an RFA is the best plan. There's no guarantee, but it's quite likely that allowing another team to set his value now, knowing the rockets can match, will result in a smaller number than CP might fetch as an UFA. At the very least, the Rockets know they still have a degree of control in the process in that they can match any contract he is offered. That wouldn't be the case next year. On the downside, keeping him at a new rate would result in higher payroll next year than if they picked up the option; but that only really matters if the team is focused on next year and not beyond. Anyway, I think almost anyone who has been paying attention to this over the last year would have expected this.
By trading for Melo. We are over the cap, so we have our MLE, so long as we do not ship out our trades for nothing in return.
remember, just the threat of matching any contract offers for Parsons in effect holds down the amount teams may be willing to offer. Why get hamstrung during the siging period with an exorbitant cap hold that the Rockets say they will match anyway (didn't hit post until after I took the trash out Zaam)
So Lin/Asik would have to go the other way? I am also assuming they would want some other assets (potentially Jones, Motiejunas, etc.)
seems like the plan is: -by hook or by crook, get a third star, whatever it takes, at or before the beginning of free agency -match whatever Parsons is offered and go over the cap for a championship run
This, Morey will state (true or not) that they will match any offer for Parsons, and wait the entire allowed time to do it, denying teams access to that cap space during free agency.
I know this move makes sense, but it doesn't mean there is no risk involved here. If we strike out on Melo, which I bet is the number one target here, then I see us signing Kyle Lowry. Unfortunately, I dont think Melo will come here in the end and as much as I like Lowry as a player, if we're tied down with him and Parsons for the future I don't see that as being enough for a championship. I want the three stars system.
Lin/Asik will need to be traded in any scenario for a FA to come here, and I would expect Jones to be sent out as well, but he doesn't have to be included. In order to keep the MLE, the rockets must remain over the cap, so they must trade for a player, instead of trading for cap relief.
Also this move is a sign that Les is willing to go over the cap and pay the tax in the next few years to go for it. Cause you can resign Parsons to go over the cap as we have his bird right.
Agree, at this point there is no way to go back Rockets have to land a big FA if not Lebron/Dirk/Bosh/Carmelo rocket need to go after Lowry in a second
Parsons is not worth $12-$13 million a year. He's just not. And the Rockets definitely won't pay him that much, so if he is worth it then he's going elsewhere (unless he's willing to play here for less).
http://www.cbafaq.com/salarycap.htm From Larry Coon's FAQ it seems Morey can wait until Jun. 29 to decide whether to exercise Parsons' option? And players (like LBJ/Bosh) with player options can also wait until that date to decide?
I know there is gonna be a couple of new SFs coming into this year's draft... but I still have a bad feeling about this. Dragic-level 4th year player option bad feeling.
