I think you are thinking of early bird rights. Teams with Early Bird rights can match MLE so they typically use MLE elsewhere. Rockets don't have early bird so they have had to save MLE.
Yep, sufficiently confused. So, let's add this question - - might the Rockets and another team be discussing a trade that would include that team making an MLE?-sized offer to KJ with a promise of Rox NOT-matching, thus allowing the rest of the deal to be completed?
From Bima in the OP: "Because he has only been with the team for one year, the Rockets only have Non-Bird rights to him, which only allows them to offer McDaniels up to the qualifying offer amount . . . unless the Rockets instead use cap room or another salary cap exception (like the MLE) to re-sign him." I.e. they can and very likely have made an offer to KJ. He wants more, and IMO, likely the $2.8 million room exception that several teams have. Unfortunately for him, it's unlikely a team would offer that, since Houston would match on the spot and it wouldn't get his new team his full bird rights. He's in a tough spot. IMO, it's either the QO, Houston's hypothetical 2 year offer (slightly more than the QO but less than the room) or Houston's hypothetical 4 year offer. He won't get an offer from another team that Houston won't match, and it won't be for anything close to the full MLE.
I'm thinking in 9 million over three years or 12 over 4, but hard to judge with increasing cap after this year. I also think Rockets want to bring over Todorovic and/or sign Harrell to 4 year deal under MLE.
Portland has had a day since the OKC Kanter match and no offer for McDaniels yet. It's starting to look like he won't get a big offer sheet.
lol thank you. I must have read the Larry Coon paragraph on this 30 times in a week and still getting confused.
it's taken this long so i gather the rockets won't offer more than the qo until they're in the position where they have to match such an offer
Seems like he is too good to rock the d league but will he get minutes with us? He probably really does not want to rot on the bench next to Dorsey
The $2.5 million non-bird is there for him. If KJ signs for $2 million and we need $1 million to sign Montezl, then the Rockets only $2.5 of the MLE left, and it makes no sense to use that when you've got an equal non-bird offer.
would you offer the full mle for jr. smith? 2 years deal? He's still unsigned and he wants 8 per x 3 years but noone wants to give it to him. Not even the Kings.
FWIW, Calvin Watkins of ESPN told me tonight that the talks between the Rockets and McDaniels' camp have turned "a little more serious" in the last few days. He expects K.J. to return. Not a huge scoop, but sounds like things are moving in the right direction. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-cards="hidden" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/calvinwatkins">@CalvinWatkins</a> says <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rockets?src=hash">#Rockets</a> negotiations with McDaniels have turned a "little more serious". Thinks K.J. returns: <a href="https://t.co/vVoMJUzGtT">https://t.co/vVoMJUzGtT</a></p>— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) <a href="https://twitter.com/BenDuBose/status/620780000849989633">July 14, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Historically, with limited exceptions, the Rockets let the market determine the prices on their RFAs. Sounds like they may be trying to reach a deal with K.J., as they did with Beverley, on their own terms. Or perhaps it's K.J.'s camp that's come back to the table.
