I think the team's defense would be almost as good this year either or both of these two guys, assuming that we also got Ariza. The Rockets' big improvement on defense came from 1) Harden's commitment to D after the painful 1st round loss, 2) the addition of Ariza, and 3) a team-wide defensive focus from with a new defensive scheme and everything. I imagine that Lin/Parsons would not have disrupted any of it. Lin is no worse defensively than Jason Terry, who has played Lin's role in being the guy subbing in for and starting for Beverley. Parsons isn't a bad defender, either, if he wasn't playing so many minutes and working as much to put up stats on offense (contract year). He and Ariza would have made given the Rocket more wing depth and allowed the team to not play super undersized lineups when they go small.
We could be just fine as these improvements are plausible. But we just haven't seen it yet due to injuries-- and who knows which player will be healthy at the end of the season. And until all the pieces come together and we actually see the offense clicking, I am hesitant to project improvement.
You missed the point. There are two potential trades out there: 1) Useless player for his contract. We either give nothing or get a decent asset with him 2) Valuable player. We have to trade something of value. All of the ones I listed above were of the 1st kind, which I clearly identified.
Fair enough. I won't come back in here to gloat if you're wrong. That's just immature. But I'll give you credit only IF we trade a 2nd rounder + TPE for a non-impact player on the court (i.e. Jason Richardson-type). Otherwise, a 2nd rounder may need to be included for an impact, rotational player. Haha, I love your condescension about as much as I dread my sarcasm. Yes, Jeremy Lin has the same 'contract' value as the corpse that is Jason Richardson but "we are trying to win games here" -- to quote McHale. Lin has proven to be an inconsistent, low-confidence, turnover prone net-negative. The league has thoroughly scouted him and his former strengths have largely been neutralized by simply pressuring him on and off the ball. Why stunt the development of younger players (Canaan, Nick Johnson) while passing on a TPE to be used later in bringing a better player at a position of need? You, yourself, said Canaan was this 'good last season but just needed minutes to prove it.' So let him prove it. Move Lin for the TPE and use it later to get more size to help inside. If something bigger materializes around the deadline, then use the salary (from the TPE transaction) and land a solid piece for your starting rotation. It's called a win-win. Remain competitive in the West in the early going (check), yet flexible enough to build the roster for championship contention (check). We're nitpicking because Wilson Chandler would have value at the 4? Isn't that the idea? Maintain flexibility in order to plug up holes created by injuries. Of course Lin would have value if our rotational point guards went down. That's not what we're discussing here. We're talking about opportunity cost and mitigating the loss of a depreciating asset, if at all possible. At issue is whether Lin + late 1st pick (guaranteed contract) has more value (BOTH on the court and in the market) than a developing young asset, Canaan (on a valuable contract) + TPE. With the understanding that we are trying to compete for a TOP SEED in the grueling Western Conference. Every win counts. Both on the court and at the trade deadline.
I think you missed my point. That is, even if the player is useless like Jason Richardson....Philly has no reason to trade him without getting something for him. They're way below the 90% salary threshhold. They gotta pay somebody. So they have no incentive to move JRich without getting a pick or something of value. Landry Fields.....same thing. Why would Uriji unload him for nothing right now? When he can fiddle around and judge the trade market and possibly move Fields at the deadline in a better trade? Uriji is sitting in first place in the East. Why is he just gonna give away something for nothing? He's not desperate. It'll cost at least a second rounder to get Fields and then that might not get it done right now before Dec. 19th.
You don't get it, no one wants to pay 7 million for a late first round pick. 8.4 million savings worth(especially if you are in the LT) is worth a lot more than a late first round pick and overpaying for a scrub.
Darling, Jim and Mitch paid $15 million for a late first round pick. I guarantee you Sam Hinkie (and others) will pay $7 million for a late first round pick.
Why are people talking about Lin as something of value? He is current riding the pine behind Ronnie Price. There is no doubt Isaiah Canaan is a more useful backup, and no doubt that Terry fits the role much better in a system where Harden can be the primary ballhandler. Papanikolaou offers more in the 'ball handling and creating for others' department than Lin, we aren't missing on court production from him in the slightest. Was it worth giving up a 1st round pick to ditch him? Possible Morey could have waited it out and got something else OR just had him sit in 15th spot on the roster until now and used the 1st rounder to bring back a player of slightly more value than the one we will end up getting. But in terms of chemistry, not having Lin around has been positive for the team (and the bbs!).
That is because they are the lakers, they had cap space, no one else was willing to sign and they thought Lin could be a draw. In other words, they had nothing better to do with their money. At this point, no one is capable and stupid enough to absorb that salary, especially our buddy Hinkie.
Hinkie is capable. He's got gobs of room under the cap. And he's not stupid enough. He's smart enough. He'd gladly take Lin at the deadline for a first round pick.....provided he couldn't get a better first round pick from someone else for taking on their expiring.
Philly saves millions of dollars by giving Jason Richardson away for nothing. Millions of dollars = "something of value." This also frees up a roster spot. Philly WILL NOT get a draft pick for a player who will likely never play another minute in the NBA. I agree with you here. Toronto is going to be able to get a nice player at the trade deadline with some of their big expiring contracts. I expect Houston to make one of the following three trades by Friday, 12/19 (next Friday!): 1) Tayshaun Prince for "draft considerations" (i.e., "nothing") 2 Jason Richardson for " draft considerations" 3 Wilson Chandler for a second round pick Memphis may view Wilson Chandler as a worthwhile upgrade over a current rotation player. So we may see: 1 Chandler to Memphis; Prince and a 2nd round pick to Denver Followed by: 2 Prince to Houston (from Denver, not Memphis) for "draft considerations." I think the rules allow this, although not for sure...
No they don't .... They have to pay a minimum percentage of the cap , which they are far below. They'll be paying that $$ one way or the other be it taking on a salary or spreading it out amongst the players currently on their roster. They'll pay that minimum ....
True. But Philly does create even more cap space, if you think of the trade exception created as a form of cap space. Note what they just used about $4 mil in cap space to acquire: a future Nets 2nd round pick one year and the right to swap pick with the Nets another year. The Nets are on the verge of being very bad, and they may be very bad for a while. They can use this $6.6 mil trade exception in a similar way.
Not sure why people would think Philly would want to trade Richardson for nothing. They are below the minimum salary threshold. They'd have to replace his salary with another one anyway just to make salaries work if they were to trade him to us. The Rockets may have to give up more for Richardson than for Prince. And Prince actually can play.
