Morey will upgrade and spend where the highest differential in production will be seen with the upgrade. IMO, that's why I wouldn't necessarily think that Morey would jump to only slightly upgrade the PG spot from Bev to Rubio, or someone on that caliber. He will upgrade where he can when he can, but not at the cost of other moves. A move for Rubio right now WOULD BE AT THE COST OF OTHER NECESSARY MOVES. Flip and Minny really don't have great reasons to move Rubio right now, really at all this season. They can still retain him long term, and all inclinations are that they feel he's a great fit for the current team they have to grow with long term. A higher impact trade would be to acquire a talent like an Al Horford, Millsap, or maybe even a Gallinari. Much like with the Rockets were trying to do with the Bosh acquisition, it adds a much more dynamic identity to the team's gameplay. I think Millsap is the main 2015 summer free agent I would keep in the back of my head this season that I think the Rockets will be patient to target. Rubio becoming a Rocket almost surely kills that notion with a very high QO and cap hold for a rookie contract going into RFA. Thinking about the Summer of 2015's REALISTIC cap situation. Right now without moving out the salaries of Ariza & Papanikolaou, & keeping guys like Jones, D-Mo, Dorsey, etc. that have guaranteed $, the Rockets will be sitting with around 62 million against a salary cap right now that is projected (before the new TV deal came in) of 66.5 mil. If you swap Beverley's cap hold (below 2 million) for Rubio's cap hold (more than 6 million), that makes a HUGE difference in what they can do in free agency. *The bottom line- We all can probably assume that 66.5mil (around 4 mil in cap space for Rox) will probably be more like 70 to 75 mil (which gives the Rockets more like 10 mil in cap space before other moves) given the huge increase in the TV deal which will almost surely bump the salary cap up starting next year. However the Rockets won't be the only team looking to spent on bigs next Summer, and they will surely have to pay competitively to get someone like Millsap. Which makes sense if I'm Morey to pass on minor upgrades with higher salaries that will cost the Rockets either players they will have to shed(like Papanikolaou or Jones) or will cost them their targets in FA that at the end of the day are the REAL UPGRADES long term that the team needs to take that next step. The Rockets have a unique bargain situation with the Beverley contract that they NEED to take advantage of in order to upgrade more important areas on the roster. If they make a trade for a player like Rubio, with his contract situation you can kiss that major upgrade down the road goodbye. So can we please pipe down on the Rubio love fest for a hot minute and use some damn common sense for once???
That would be about as terrible of an idea as letting Parsons out of his contract a year early. Good thing the Rockets don't make dumb moves like that though... am I right? Oh wait..... crap .......................... Like I mentioned above, the Beverley contract going into this Summer presents the Rockets with a unique situation (super small cap hold and RFA) where they can make a major upgrade before resigning him. Out of spite a team like Cuban and the Mavs can do what they did with Parsons, but I have a feeling that was an isolated incident, and the Mavs at the end of the day, aren't going to be in love with those types of contracts. Its only the preseason, and already Chandler is catching heat in the Mavs circle (Carlisle calling Chandler out publicly for needing to lose weight).
The only thing Rubio does that Ish Smith can't is defend better. Ish Smith is also a better finisher at the rim and can actually make lay ups. That is not indicative of how good Ish Smith is because he is just a back up at best but indicative of the fact that Rubio is massively over-rated and doesn't make this team that much better - not when we are rumored to give up all that we are.
- The question about Rubio is not whether he is a good player. He is, or at least the plus-minus type stats say so. The question is whether he qualifies as the "third star" on which to commit the remainder of the team's salary flexibility, or at least can be signed to a sufficiently team-friendly contract that you can use him as a part of a package to trade for that third star (or at the very least, easily dump his salary to open cap room to chase the third star). It's the same thing that the Rockets went through with Parsons. No doubt they think he is a useful good player. They just didn't think that he can be a third star or can be traded for positive value with that contract. You never know for sure how a player turns out and you might answer the question wrong. But these are the questions Morey seems to ask nowadays. - I don't see Rubio traded because of how Flip operated this summer. Specifically, Flip Saunders traded for Thaddeus Young instead of keeping an extra 1st round pick. Right or wrong, it seems that the Wolves want to compete some this year. I don't see them giving up on this intention so early. But they might change their mind if the team goes off to a bad start. For this reason, I also think Rondo is much more likely to be available. Seems that BOS knows they are rebuilding around youth and will not be winning a title this year before Rondo hits free agency.
Is the bird as reliable as the dog 'Chico'? <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Little birdie says contract extension talks between TWolves and point guard Ricky Rubio at standstill.</p>— Charley Walters (@Charley_Walters) <a href="https://twitter.com/Charley_Walters/status/521460467928403969">October 13, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Why is it a good thing that we're supposedly now a lock to acquire via trade one of a few "available" point guards, neither of which are as good as Kyle Lowry, who we could have easily signed as a free agent? Am I supposed to feel good about that if it happens? And this hypothetical transaction may not even happen until the trade deadline, effectively throwing away another season of contention. Yay?
As with all other possible PGs to trade, I think it's much more likely something happens mid-season once teams start dropping out of the races. At the beginning, every team *thinks* they have a chance. But it's a numbers game. By December/January some teams are going to drop out and start selling.
I assume you mean beyond this year right? This Summer Bev is going to be a RFA with a super low cap hold so where some are worried, I see opportunity. Much like the Parsons situation, the Rockets have a window to make a major move to bring in someone with cap space or cap maneuvering this Summer and still retain Bev's services is he is signed after they have made that move. The only difference in the Parsons situation is it was done a year too early..... and Dan Fegen happened. My thoughts are the Rockets know what they have with Bev, and they know he fits alongside Harden. Yeah you'd like to upgrade to a Rondo, or whoever, but the fact is, if the Rockets were to upgrade at PG, its almost surely going to be a situation that locks them out of an upgrade anywhere else. If the Rockets keep Bev this year, and make a play for a guy like say Millsap, Horford, Gallinari, or whoever either at the deadline or this July, they can make that upgrade and still have the ability to keep Beverley in the process too.... (and here's the key)......Which will probably be better than anything the Rockets can get at PG from that point on using the BAE, minimum vet signings, D-League bargains, and future draft picks. If they give up Beverley to upgrade elsewhere they will have a hole once again at PG & few ways to make a key upgrade there again. ...... However if we get to July, and the Rockets have yet to make a move for another key piece, I wouldn't be shocked at all, if Morey let Beverley walk in free agency IF the offer wasn't a huge steal for the Rockets. Good news is, I don't think we will have to worry about a ridiculous Cuban-spite offer happening again because of the PG market, and I don't think Morey is going to swing and miss 3 deadline's in a row (Feb 2015 trade deadline, Draft day trade-deadline, July 7th signings & Trade frenzy). Morey should have the time and opportunity to make a key acquisition AND keep Beverley. With ample time, opportunity, and the fact that the PG market is over saturated at the moment leads me to NOT be very over concerned with Patrick Beverley's contract situation enough to think about moving him right now for next to nothing.
Lowry signed quickly because he WANTED to return to Toronto.... just because someone was available, doesn't mean "we could have easily signed him..." I believe DM and McHale even met with Lowry the first day of free agency... and Lowry agreed to return to Toronto even before contracts could officially be signed... so quit with the revisionist history... Lowry even took below market value to return to Toronto...
It's nice of you to point this out, but there are a lot of people who literally create their own narratives about the Rockets and b**** and moan when their wish doesn't come true. The need to create scapegoats is just as delusional as over optimistic fans.
Obviously talks are at a standstill, considering that asshat Fegan is the one doing the negotiating. Probably wants assurances that Ricky's third cousin Zicky gets a training camp invite, plus 5 million in unmarked bills in a garbage bag, down by the docks at 3am during the next full moon.
