am I a conspiracy theorist for thinking this move hinders our 2015 cap space and seals the door shut on a run at a major star, and was likely part of a gebtlemans agreemebt between morey and dan fegan, who represents howard and parsons?
Yes this is true, but when you listen to Dirk discuss it, he literally seems as if he thinks he's going to have to take a massive pay cut. I honestly think he's going to be caught off guard if a GM like Morey shows up at his doorstep with a ridiculous offer. Not doubting Dirks loyalty. I'm doubting his realization of his true market value. I say this because I live up here (unfortunately), and have to hear about it all the time, and even when the local media talk to him about it, its almost like he's saying it cause he thinks he's realized his value isn't where it used to be, and they throw out that 9 mil a year number which he doesn't refute or get offended by. He talks about it pretty openly, or shares as much as he can. Either way though.... good for Morey for at least putting it out there. Even if it forces Cuban to come up a little bit, it helps weaken their free agent position a little.
Thank you for the info! I didn't even know the matching is gonna be tougher in that aspect. Sorry for sounding like a newbie, but you seem to be knowledgeable of this...to me it sounds like you're implying that if there are teams who wants Parsons, he will actually sign the offer sheet from that team and then they will have to wait 72 hours if Rockets will matched the offer? Is that how it usually happens? That's why their assets would be tied and be difficult to pursue other players. Damn. That's gonna be tough So Morey doing this now is likely gonna turn off at least half of Parsons suitors in the trade deal, not to mention Parsons has a great reputation in Rockets team so other teams will assume that he's valuable and more likely will be matched. I just hope no loser team is suicidal enough to pursue him and like do a mission impossible do or die offer.
You're writing as if we're talking about Chicago signing him outright while my response was considering Chicago TRADING for Melo, not signing him. My original proposal had Chicago sending NY Boozer, Gibson, Butler, and a pick. With that in mind, the Bulls wouldn't have to amnesty Boozer and use him for an expiring/cap filler, which is something you and the other posters try to emphasize with the "Lin and Asik are expiring contracts the Knicks would like!" mantra. Adding Gibson takes a hit on their 2015 cap room but it's not like he's a bad player on a bad contract like JR Smith. Getting a solid starting PF for 8 mill a year isn't bad for the Knicks. Even with Gibson's contract and JR Smith and Felton picking up their options, the Knicks will still have plenty of room to sign two max players (according to the salaries on hoopshype). As for Jimmy Butler, his value will be up to the Knicks to decide upon. If he blossoms as a borderline all-star, why would the Knicks bring him back? The only plausible reason is that they struck out on the LeBrons and Loves in free agency. Worst case scenario, Butler performs well as a Knick during the season and can be used for a trade down the road. Thanks for the correction but the Knicks somehow still managed to get themselves in salary cap hell after 2010. The biggest question is whether or not Melo picks up his player option and if he miraculously do opt back in to let the Knicks trade him, you'd have to consider the possibility that another team would have another package of players/picks that might be as good or better than what Houston has to offer.
Hypothetically? Yes, I think. But practically speaking, the team trading for Parsons would want to have a pretty good idea of what kind of contract it would take to keep Parsons before giving up much value for him in trade. Melo cannot be traded unless he and the Knicks mutually agree to amend his current contract to remove the Early Termination Option for next year. Without amending his contract to keep him locked in until 2015, Melo would have a contract that COULD end on July 1 and therefore is ineligible to be traded. Sorry, but work is keeping me too busy to sit down and write anything. Feel free to take a look at my prior pieces on Parsons, which may provide much of the substance I would put in any updated article. http://rockets.clutchfans.net/5862/chandler-parsons-contract-exercise-decline-team-option/ http://rockets.clutchfans.net/3681/chandler-parsons-contract-take-two/
I think its much closer to a fact than a conspiracy theory. Harden & Howard account for 38 of the 66 Million wrapped up in the 2015/16 cap. If you sign Parsons for a reasonable deal (lets say 8 to 10 mil a year) and you trade or waive all other contracts than its not out of the question for the Rockets to still make a move in free agency that Summer. The salary cap's projected increase makes the possibilities for Houston much much better. However, I dont think Morey wants to gut all remaining contracts again next Summer. You are talking about letting guys like Beverley, Daniels, etc. walk to get all the cap space you can find. I think the gameplan has to still be get an impact player this Summer first, lock up Parsons, and then begin to build around the core with solid pieces. They can't keep on churning through role players like this (Keep in mind that Asik, Lin, possibly Jones & D-Mo, Casspi, etc. were pretty much all contributors last year as key role players. Even in keeping the core guys together to bring in a 3rd star this Summer the Rockets are still looking at a pretty hefty turnover yet again) More than likely if Morey doesn't acquire a 3rd star and signs Parsons to a large deal, you are probably looking at Morey prepping to use the MLE, and prepping to keep Beverley next Summer in Restricted Free agency. You might also see Morey hold onto Asik & Lin until the last moment just in case his free agency plans fall through. That way he has a potential trade package to offer at the deadline to upgrade the team later on this year.
Your position is that the Bulls offering Boozer, Gibson, Butler and a pick? Boozer is dead money, he has negative value. Gibson eats up the 2015 cap space they want to keep. Butler is looking for a deal in the 12-14 million dollar range. How does that help NY in the least? Further, I don't think that the Bulls will offer what it would take anyway. The Bulls are a conservative organization, they are telling Mrotic they are bringing him over (knowing it will cost 8-10 million) and they cannot do that and get Anthony unless they move Noah or Rose (aint happening) or they know they will not get Anthony or know they can get him at a big discount. It isn't a matter of the Rockets having the only offer worth a damn.... but when you look at it objectively, the Rockets give Anthony the best chance to win right away, the Rockets have fairly liquid assets and are progressing with the Parsons restricted free agency as if they will get that 3rd star. There are teams that can offer as much or more than the Rockets.... including the Bulls, but most those teams either are not willing to do it or it will be difficult to pull off.
That's pretty much the gist of it. I think one thing that could be addressed in the next CBA negotiations is how much the moratorium REALLY hurts restricted FAs. Because the way it works now, unrestricted FAs "commit" all over the place in early July. All the moratorium does is prevent them from signing on the bottom line... for all practical purposes, it's like it doesn't exist. The exception is with restricted FAs, because for them, the moratorium is huge. The original teams aren't going to indicate whether they're matching the offer until the end of the 72-hour clock, and that doesn't even start until after July 10. So if, say, Dallas decides they really want Parsons... they'd be tying up $10+ million in cap space (that could presumably be used on other FAs) during the heart of free agency, all for a guy most expect the Rockets will match on, anyway. The risk/reward just isn't worth it. That could change by late July, when much of the market is gone and teams with cap space are more inclined to take the gamble (that and it actually would only be 3 days by then). But that timetable should give the Rockets plenty of opportunities to trade for or sign the elusive "3rd star" before then.
Parsons does have a team option and that team option, if not exercised, could end his contract. So, wouldn't that team option have to be exercised basically extending him at the $964,000 salary for 14-15 before he could be traded, thereby making him a player with one year left on his deal headed for unrestricted free agency next July?? This was my point on why Parsons did not have great trade value and would not be traded prior to July 1. Based on the understanding that to be traded the Rox had to exercise their team option and make him a one-year contract player headed for free agency.
Yes it would hinder our 2015 cap space but what everyone is speculating is that we are going to acquire the 3rd star this offseason rather than in 2015. If we are able to do that it would likely require a trade of some sort rather than an outright signing.
Guys - Rockets are going to try hard to trade both Lin and Asik... Possibly attaching a draft pick and some cash to take them on. They will see then what they can do with the big FA's and what can come of it. Les will go over the salary cap, but by how much? The problem is if they keep hitting the luxury tax, most of these players are in their early years of long term deals. The penalty becomes more and more excessive for each year with the repeaters tax.
If the Rockets strike out in July, and match a Parsons offer, they have very little to no major assets to upgrade the team on a large deal at the trade deadline. Plus the Rockets are going to need SOME depth this year to be competitive, and both players are useful. If Morey trades them ahead of July free agency, then its a foregone conclusion that SOMEONE is getting signed. If he still strikes out and has to sign someone not originally on the list out of desperation than Morey could very well shoot himself in the foot either with a overpaid player/contract that just happened to be in the right play at the right time.
LeBron, Bosh, Anthony, Dirk, Love Woj and Feigen listed them in that order...sorta. Not that you or I should read anything into that.
It's almost frightening how everything we've speculated up until now is gonna happen in just a month. These are the moves that's gonna dictate how our new season will be. I'm both excited and fearful for the outcome.
