It's, DMonstrosity!! Knowing Morey he won't trade just to trade, but he's looking for that missing link, and I'm sure Tjones is still valued. Not only because of his contract but potential. He is still young. May not be an all star. Or maybe he will. All up to him.
You're missing the big picture. If we trade DMO, pay big money to Aldridge, and keep Josh Smith, what kind of flexibility will we have to upgrade the PG position? That's a much greater need than upgrading the PF position.
DMo ain't going nowhere. He's legit and we're gonna have to pay him. He's got elite post game. TJones does have another year under him, still young, and getting physically stronger which allowed him last year to improve defensively... at least during the regular season. I really liked Smoove and his passing and defense especially. I cringed every time he shot, but he surprisingly made more than I'd expected, still he's very streaky and inconsistent. It seems like one of the other has to go. We can draft a good long defensive minded PF at 18. Looney or Harrell both have 7'3 wingspan, Portis and Lyles are both 6'10. Assuming one of those 4 are still available, you gotta think they could easily replace and might be better than Jones is NOW. Especially Lyles. Jones is younger and Smith seems to have more familiarity with Dwight and a better defender and passer so JONES is gone IMO. Jones KPap (Non-guaranteed) Prigs (Partially guarteend) N.Johnson (Filler) 32nd pick I'm not sure any of these gets you a legit PG (Lawson, Rubio, etc...). I don' think I'd want to include CC in any trade unless it's for a legit MAX player.
Finally. Thank you. He was averaging a double double since being reinserted into the starting lineup before his rib/lung injury. He doesn't suck. He was playing hurt.
Before he was hurt he still had games were he was involved and then others were he wasn't. This was a pre-draft knock on his game.
But we really need another guard. C'mon, it's a GLARING need. Are you comfortable with Jones, Grant, or Wright? I'm not sure any PGs outside of the top 3 (Russell, Mundiay, Payne) are gonna amount to anything. I hope I'm wrong. I think the ONLY way to improve that PG spot is through a trade or FA. I'd personally wouldn't mind Jones gone if we really could upgrade the PG position.
How many guys do you think we can afford to have shooting under 50% FT in the playoffs? How many guys can we carry that are vulnerable to the hack? I love Smith and I love how he plays with Howard but if neither of them can make their free throws that doesn't matter very much. The other coach can stop our flow in its tracks anytime either of them is on the floor. It's bad enough to have the second most hacked player in the league. To have another core big that shoots even worse from the line? I don't know. It should be clear to anyone that watched the games before his first freak injury, when he returned, and after his second freak injury that he came back too fast. And even if you want to ignore how well he played for those rare games that he was healthy, what is the benefit in trading him when his stock is at an all-time low?
Very well said and astute post Batman. Agree 100%. The hate campaign in here against this kid by certain posters is to the point of ridiculous. I've played this sport before and coming back from injury is not easy and your confidence isn't the same when you lack your explosion. A nerve injury to your leg where you can't exercise at all or feel anything at times is not something you come back from overnight (and I'm not even talking about the kids collapsed lung). Like McHale said after the season that TJ has basically only played one and a quarter seasons.
See here's the thing. Folks are focused on trade stock, because D-Mo showed more promise/better fit at times, and that there is the impending free agency that the Rockets should be scared of apparently (which is un-informed ridiculousness). The real facts are this though: The Rockets are a contending team that have paid significant amounts for even short term contract roll playing/bench players that could help now. Jones, his contributions on the bench/starting/whatever, and his contract should be viewed no differently .... when you are viewing team needs TO CONTEND. Yes, I am totally comfortable trading him if it makes the team better, and more able to contend. But trading him for the aforementioned reasons (free agency, apparent log jam), just doesn't make sense because this isn't 2012 anymore where Daryl Asset Morey would NEVER pay 2 second round draft picks for a Pablo Prigioni rental. This team is trying to contend, and the question really is.... Can Terrence Jones' depth, insurance, or whatever on his contract is help this team next year.... With the D-Mo injury, and the Smith contract, the answer has to be Hell Yes.
Because its not at an all time low. His value can get lower if he has exactly the same perfomance as in the pos but in february he will be traded to get paid. And the rockets cant even pay both and lure a max fa without in serious risk of getting one or both stolen. Why would any team give a first for the right to pay jones 6 months later? Its not like they wont have millions of cap space.
Just for reference, the Heat paid 2 future first rounders essentially for the right to be first in line to pay Goran Dragic 6 months later. Terrence Jones sure as hell isn't Dragic by any stretch. I would expect that a team trading for Jones this season is trading for his services on the basketball court first and foremost. Here's an interesting question to answer, and forget that we are talking about Terrence Jones here. -How much would an AVERAGE team with MODERATE need at the big spot pay in trade for a 1 year contract multi-tool rotation big man on a rookie level contract? -How much would a CONTENDING team that with HIGH NEED (due to injuries or whatever) at the big rotation spot pay for a 1 year contract multi-tool rotation big man on a rookie level contract? I think people are still thinking about Morey asset collection moves pre 2013, and forget that the Rockets come October/November could very well be team #2 in this scenario. I've never said I'm against trading Terrence Jones, but what I have been adamant about is that the NEEDS of the team around what he brings, and the value that the Rockets have with those needs right now are higher than what one would think. I'd be careful before trading him ASAP as many here want to do now. Jones' trade value.... not really a concern for us right now whether it goes high or low. We need to focus on getting or retaining what the team needs. We are VERY close to bringing home a title. You have to make your moves with a surgical knife sometimes, and not a butchers blade hacking off chunks of meat.
Dobro..if u have seen my post history u must know i am not a jones " hater" or have a weirdo agenda. But ur example is unfortunately not applicable. Dragic is a lower tier star who was in high demand. He will be paid MAX money and there were multiple teams fighting to pay him just that. Plus hus own team wanted to retain him and it was only his press comments that made them trade him. Jones is not in high demand. He will be rfa in the worst summer possible for teams with rfa. A better example would have been the kanter jackson and knight trades. However two of them are flirting with a rookie max and the third was traded to a team that was oeft with no pg and they at that time were considering maxing Monroe. Next summer all teams will have capsace and many of them for more than one max player.
No it was never supposed to be applicable. That's was the point. Jones isn't that type of player that you spend assets to acquire knowing that you are investing long term in order to pay him later. I don't know that Jones has shown enough to make a GM say "This is a young player that can take a huge step forward on our team as a future core piece". If you have that going for you around the league I think GM's will value you on what you could be vs. what you are worth. My point was that Jones is the type of player that is going to cost what he's bringing you on court. Look at the 2 questions I posed. If you view Jones in the same way that a team like the Rockets viewed Brewer or Prigioni last year during the season you can see that sometimes value is determined by need, and not just prospect long term roster building value. Jones is probably going to be viewed more in line with immediate need rather than prospect long term roster building, but if you look at it that way he's still got value as a needed big man, and might have more to a team like the Rockets than most other teams out there. I would also say Kanter, Jackson, Knight were probably players that were long-term roster building investments. I think a team trading for Jones is probably thinking... sure we could retain him next year maybe, but in order to make that trade, they are looking at Jones as a need he helps them with immediately. What type of value is that.... well to that team its about how much they are willing to pay for it. There is no way to guage his value right now. Just depends on how bad they need that help with their frontcourt depth. I wasn't really disagreeing with you at all. What I hoping is to step back from just focusing on trade stock when looking at Jones, or D-Mo or whomever. The Rockets aren't in asset collection mode anymore so their situation makes the thought process and the player valuation process much more unique. Hope that makes sense.
