Would you trade Donatas Motiejunas for Goran Dragic?

A very fine post.

 

We are close to the cap now and would have to jettison a bunch of guys (brewer, ariza, kpap) to sign a max guy in the offseason.

If we trade for Dragic, we have his Bird rights, so we could keep everyone and then go over the cap to sign him.

Bima would probably know more about the flexibility in extending Dragic vs going for a max guy in the summer.

 

We would be better with Dragic. We wouldn't have Harden if Lowry were still here, so we wouldn't be better. We would still have no wing defender if Parsons were here, so we wouldn't be better. Most of that flipping led us to Harden and capspace to sign Howard, which made us clearly better (as opposed to the last lotto pick days).

 

If those players were still on the team, especially Parsons, the Rockets likely would not have been in a position to grab Brewer, Smith, etc., nor have a chance to upgrade the team further. There are many variables to consider.

 

That's all that needs to be said about that. Some people act like Morey didn't land us any all-stars.

I'm all for getting Dragic. I trust that management can find a way to keep most of the team together to really take advantage of the talent currently on board. When you have the MVP on your team, you need to go all in. This exactly what we've all been waiting for and there is no sense in waiting to improve the team.

 

Although I agree that at some point you stop flipping, keep in mind that there was no core before. While we'll always see flipping, I agree id like to stick with some of these guys. Particularly dmo as 7.ft tall players who can play two positions, plays good defense and excellent post offense and still developing on a cheap contract are gold. Mozgov got 2 firsts! Dmo worth more.

However, keep in mind that if we still had Lowry we wouldn't have harden because we needed that pick to get harden (but count me in the camp that wanted us to offer him 12m at the start of free agency instead of going after Carmelo). Dragic may have been a les command, and it's pretty clear from our own clutch that parsons was a gimme for vegan in return for Howard. Once Dallas made that offer, matching didn't make sense - exhibit a is we have ariza, brewer and smith and might still have a shot at Dragic. The flexibility helps. Parsons wasn't worth 15m per year.

 

LOL, Patterson and Brooks? C'mon man, that's hilarious.

 

Treading water?

First, they don't get James Harden without trading Lowry? Would you rather have Lowry or Harden? Second, all you did was rip Lowry when he was here and talk about how he wasn't that good how you preferred Brooks and missed V Span.

Whiteside? You do know half the NBA worked him out and passed correct? So you point to a guy that has done well for two months and not the dozens and dozens of other guys we passed on and didn't work out well in the NBA?

Covington is someone the Rockets worked on for a long time. He also wouldn't be doing much of anything on a contender.

If you had your way we wouldn't have Harden, Howard, the Pelicans pick, Josh Smith or anyone of substance.

Treading water? Maybe you should actually look at the moves made and the players you wanted... Because your track record would make Layden or Zeke Thomas blush.

 

Treading water is what our 2011-12 teams were, I couldn't even stomach that 2012 team because of how mediocre it was, there was nothing good, or bad really, and a 3rd year of wanton mediocrity was enough.

 

A drastic simplification of what has happened with the roster. Circumstances of the departures have to be given for adequate context.

 

Skilled 7 footers with a post up game are a rare find. Dragic can be found in Fonde with a couple of years of development.

 

Moot Point?

 

Wouldn't this be a lateral move? We upgrade our PG position, but downgrade the PF spot.

 

HAHAHAAHA, They are not trading him I don't know what these fools are tlaking about, lol. If we get Dragic it will be by other means.

 

Basically it comes down to whether or not Terrence Jones can get back to where he was pre-injury. It's a gamble for sure, he looks a long way off still.

 

Wasn't Lowry the key piece that enabled the Rox to get Harden? What's Patterson doing there, is he better than DMO or Smith? Asik wanted out, and his cap money was spent on quality guys like Brewer and Ariza. Parsons is signed to a max contract, no way do I want that dude on the squad for that price.

The reality is you're oversimplifying things, even though I agree with you DMO shouldn't be traded, I don't really understand why you act like DM wasn't the guys who got these players on your list. You hold DM accountable for letting go of Asik, Dragic, Lowry etc. but are you forgetting these are all guys DM got because he was constantly flipping?

Lowry was obtained by flipping Rafer Alston. Dragic was obtained by flipping Aaron Brooks. Harden was obtained by flipping Lowry for a pick, DMo was obtained by flipping Brad Miller and Nikola Mirotic and you want DM to stop flipping? 'Kay LOL.

 

This will leave us with an inside game and interior defense based on Joey Dorsey alone.

 

Dude, he's a 3rd team All-NBA at a stacked position. Objectively speaking, from an outsider's point of view, Dmo is a 7ft PF thrown into the starting lineup after injury, who has a finesse post game, skilled player, little athleticism, suspect jumper, and lack of a rebounding presence. Most wouldn't even consider him the best PF on the team. Is he skilled? Yea. Has he done well? Yes. If you ask Suns fans, or just any non-Rocket fans, they will laugh so hard if you consider them even equal value. It seems you value Dmo even more than Dragic.

And technically, Akeem was "found in Fonde with a couple years of development." If you are, which seems to be, too young:

http://www.stackwellsociety.com/hakeem-olajuwon-dream/

 

I don't know about that. Most of the Suns fans on reddit want Dmo if they are trading Gogi.

 

Well thats certainly a good indicator of a players value...