Which of these players is most expendable in trade?

Mr. Holic, this is an incomplete question because it really depends on who the Rockets can get in return that would shape my opinion on it.

 

Where's the option for brewer?

 

In a vacuum, I think the answer is easily Dekker. It complicates things when factoring in salaries and what we'd get in return, but from a strict production point of view, I think the answer is clear.

 

Dekker's the obvious pick. I love his game and his potential, but right now he's the least integral guy on that rotation of the player's you listed. But I disagree that trading one of those five guys is necessarily the only way this team can improve. Morey has other assets at his disposal. And if his goal is ultimately to add another star player in the long-term, trading isn't the only way to make that happen. He could wait until the offseason and move some cap around to acquire another All-Star caliber player.

 

<SARCASM> THERE MUST BE A PLAYER OPTION IN ALL OF THIS. YULE C </SARCASM>

 

It really depends on who we are getting back in the trade. If we are looking to bolster our front court then Dekker. If we are getting a defensive wing that is better than Ariza... then we do that trade. No one is untouchable except for James Harden and possibly Gordon. I love Ariza, Beverly and the Chemistry the guys have but the goal is to be the best not second, third, fourth.. or Dwight Howard's " I'm already a Chump erre Champ status"

 

What would be your opinion if the return was a pass first PG such as Ricky Rubio?

 

So, basicallly the Rockets would get Rubio and the Wolves would get BBholic?

Seems like an even trade, dude is not sure how either team benefits from it though.

 

I wonder what the younger rotation guys on the team-- Capela, Dekker, Harrell -- are actually worth in the trade market.

 

None of these guys are expendable.

 

Gordon should be untouchable unless you are bringing back a superstar and that isn't happening. Gordon is the best teammate Harden has had in Houston and is a legit second star on offense.

Bev is nearly untouchable only because he does exactly what you need in the third guard in this rotation and I can't imagine him having enough value to get someone better, but the dropoff from him to someone like Ennis would be too large.

Ariza isn't untouchable as long as what you are aquiring is a wing that can hit the 3 at a high clip and defend multiple positions. Another situation similar to Pat though where I doubt you are getting that. Indiana and Utah aren't trading us George or Hayward.

That leaves Ryan Anderson and Dekker. Either can be replaced depending on what is coming back, but from a reputation perspective I think it would be harmful to deal out Ryan Anderson in the middle of the year after he was your big free agent signing. He also is a huge piece of the chemistry apparently.

So I guess I settle on Dekker even though I like him a TO and I don't consider him "expendable." I'd use the phrase "least integral."

Truth be told I don't imagine we will trade anyone on this list as I doubt we will go for a big upgrade. Morey rarely makes a big trade in season anyway. I expect scrap type trades, someone wanting to dump a player, gambling on someone, etc.

 

There arent many Gordon and Beverley types no matter how limited Bev seems, cant "just" put in an Ennis or KJ or Payton lll.

There might NOT be a better stretch 4 match than Ryan, just if you're okay with the money. You COULD give up a little Ryan's shooting for more D there if its about "value" per dollar. Stretch 4 is kind of a variable position that you're chosing the best match of skills/flaws to your system.

Ariza is the most veteran with downside ahead of him, but he's top 3 most valuable to THIS team.

Dekker shows promise but isnt proven, he is both the most immediately expendable while also a longest term option.

Since you might have an in-house replacement, oddly Ariza might be most expendable on paper. Since this is win NOW, itd have to be Dekker. You dont win titles with rookie/2nd year starters (besides Horry) unless you put in a cheap vet.

 

As today the one we'll miss the least is obviously Dekker, but i also think this might change quickly at this point, to me he's the most untradable for us, rookie with very good upside, plays in key spot/s in today's nba, super cheap contract for three/four years...there's no way i would trade him unless we're talking about a package for a superstar (like George).

 

That's kind of the point. If a player is actually expendable, he's probably not worth that much to the other teams, either. If you hope to get something worthwhile back, you gotta give up something of value also.

Otherwise, we can just have the Jordan Hamilton trades.

 

Well obviously Harden needs to be off ball. Not a great play maker, D'Antoni doesn't want him at point guard. The reasons are obvious.

Because of this, I would trade Gordon for Rubio.

 

Good players can be expendable if they play on bad or mediocre teams. But, when you have a team that is performing well and is 3rd seed in the west and 2-2 against the top two teams in the west while winning two of those games on the road, you don't rush to make changes. You have to wait it out and kind of like see what you have and stuff, man. The Rockets really should have won that last game against SA, so they should be 3-1 right now against GS and Spurs.

By that same token, some of the players like Dekker and Harrell are playing well here in this system but they may not fare as well if traded to other teams. They're a product of what's going on here so the true value must be taken with a grain of salt. It's the Damn Tony effect. Other teams know this too, so those guys aren't as valuable to other teams as one may think.

Anderson isn't going anywhere, his contract is horrible and he's not performing anywhere close to it so to package him in a deal would likely mean giving up more valuable assets just to get him off our hands. He's another guy who benefits from playing here but probably wouldn't benefit if say he was sent to Detroit or Dmo's favorite team the Nets.

Damn Tony has changed things in Rockets land, there's no going back now. We should be thankful for it because dude thinks we will win a championship this year.

 

Jordan Hamilton: the 3&D guy who can't hit 3s and sucks on defense.

 

So, is your entire point of being on this site to propose trading players? Are you really even a fan? This team is 21-8 and exceeding expectations, and you think "hey, let's trade a key piece of that." This site is called ClutchFANS, try enjoying the team for once instead of spreading negativity. Nobody cares about your "insider" newsletter or your armchair GMing.