[ESPN] Sources: Aldridge to start free agency with Lakers, Rockets

If LMA didn't like our roster if we had gutted the team to fit his max in, then this deal kind of benefit in two ways. One is that the Rockets probably would've re-signed Brewer anyway if they don't gut salary for LMA. So there's no opportunity cost. And they help present the S&T scenario which, despite being a long shot, isn't any longer than their normal pitch anyway.

Since Portland know they aren't getting LMA back, they should be very amicable to such a trade as opposed to losing him for nothing.

Still, long shot is long shot. I'm done closely following FA now. The Rockets next moves likely will depend on other factors, like KJ's offer sheet and Josh Smith's options elsewhere.

 

I haven't posted on here on a while, but i had to say this.

I'm not sure what LA is looking for right now, it seems we have the best situation to when now and also in the future. We have a center who plays defense and superstar wing, and they both are in there prime at the moment.

If he decides SA you have everyone aging at the moment except for Kawhi. SA has traded some key pieces to make room for LA, so that can't be good at all.

Don't see the interest in the suns, so i don't feel like wasting the time on that topic.

Bottom line a team of Harden, Howard, and LA would go a long way.

 

I know that all of this (for us) is contingent on LMA wanting to come here, but:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">...HOU S&amp;T's Terry to [PHI?] along with pick(s)/assets. K-Pap's NG'teed deal + assets to POR. Aldridge to HOU. Keep Ariza, Brewer AND Bev.</p>&mdash; David Weiner (@BimaThug) <a href="https://twitter.com/BimaThug/status/617116840402141184">July 3, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

That would just be ridiculous. I'm not sure what other "assets" we would have to include to Portland (Capela? Johnson? D-Mo and Jones?) but we would at least have

Beverley
Harden
Ariza
LMA
Howard

With Brewer as our 6th man. And whatever other players we were able to keep, hopefully D-Mo and Capela.

Tell me again how SAS is a better situation for LMA?

 

Our best inside right now are the ones that have been right before anyone else. John Conzano of twitter posted about the Pop meeting way before anyone else, so his sources are legit. Right now, his sources say LMA to Spurs.

 

LMA wants to be a 1st option. He'd be 2nd option on Houston and potentially clash with Dwight if Dwight doesn't want to be a 3rd option. He can be the 1st option in SA because we all know Duncan won't complain. Parker is older so he won't complain. Leonard is not the type of guy to complain.

 

Of the guys you mentioned as other assets, if we just kept Capela, we would have

Beverley/ Prigioni
Harden/ McDaniels (match if reasonable)
Ariza/ Brewer
LMA/ Smith
Howard/ Capela

Project 'find me a PG' wouldn't be impossible would it? (Stucky at min?)
Or perhaps we could send one of Jones + DMo (whichever one portland doesn't want) to Sacto with Prigs and bring back Collison....

One can dream

 

See the full description of this scenario by Bima here:

Prigioni will be gone, along with one of D-Mo or Jones. We could conceivably still have a small part of the MLE to bring on another guard.

We'd be very thin at the guard spots, but our front line would straight up destroy people, especially if D-Mo stays...

Also you forgot Dekker and Montrezl, who may be able to contribute a little towards the end of the year.

 

I hope we don't loose dmo. He helped carry us all year last year. His chemistry with Harden is legit. Not ready to gut this team.

 

Would want Dmo over Smith because he can guard the 5's keeping LA at the 4. You need that security to limit Capela's minutes until he gets stronger.

 

So our front line would be:

Ariza/Brewer/(Dekker?)
Aldridge/D-Mo/(Harrell?)
Howard/Capela


That just looks unfair. Seriously. Ridiculous!

Our guards would be

Beverley
Harden/Johnson

And then some small part of the MLE to try to find someone else? And whatever other minimum signing guys we could get (I don't know, Aaron Brooks- again? )


All of this contingent on getting LMA to commit to Houston. And then finding teams that would take those pieces in a S&T. It's a lot of moving parts and still a longshot. I shouldn't be getting my hopes up too much. But wow, that would be amazing.

 

I got my Murray in MSG pic on standby personally

 

I'm still waiting for Morey to ask LaMarcus Aldridge for a second meeting.

 

Would rather Capela play the 10mpg at C than DMo. He struggled badly when guarding Cs last season.

But much easier to keep Smith than either of DMo or Jones, we would need to trade their almost 5mill.

 

Capela will get muscled around in games when Howard is in foul trouble, injured or just against bigger centers. You need Dmo in those situations.

There is a post about how we can get Aldridge and keep Dmo in another thread. Dmo may struggle against other 5's, but Smith has no chance, and Aldridge doesn't want to be put in that situation.

 

Where Slim Thug at? he supposed to help us recruit.

 

If the rockets somehow get LMA and both LMA and Howard are healthy how will DMO get any minutes?

 

I think Morey, having been through this before, understands LMA just needs time to make a decision. No second meeting is going to improve Houston's odds of grabbing LMA.

 

If we somehow got LMA without giving up Motie, we'd trade soon after anyway, maybe for a point guard. At this point he's going to want to be a starter and will leave at his first opportunity so we'd need to trade him before he's a problem.

Anyway I'm glad we're not letting a crapshoot on LMA mess up keeping our roster. I'd hate to lose key pieces only to have LMA go elsewhere.

 

I don't see Dmo being the type of guy to leave just because he would come off of the bench.

48 minutes available at each position, 96 minutes between 3 big men. We would like to keep Howards minutes down early on in the season to the 30-32 mark.

Dmo can get 20-24 minutes a game as the first big off of the bench. The 4 next to Dwight, the 5 next to LA, play Capela throughout the season.

Improve his 3 a little bit more, improve on defense and we have a good versatile big man who can fit with both LA and Dwight. Gets a bit more consistent with his 3 and we have an inside/outside threat.

 

Howards minutes need to be kept down anyways.