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Rumors: an EGo trade, it might be brewing

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by DeBeards, Aug 4, 2021.

  1. xiki

    xiki Contributing Member

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    oops, contract preceded injury.
     
  2. J.R.

    J.R. Member

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    [Iko] Midlevel maybes: Is Kelly Oubre the answer in Houston?
    https://theathletic.com/2752852/2021/08/05/midlevel-maybes-is-kelly-oubre-the-answer-in-houston/

    The Rockets have a need at wing.

    OK, maybe need is a slight exaggeration. The roster is currently at 14 and is in a current rebuild. Because of where Houston is organizationally, I don’t think the Rockets need another wing. A team coming off 17 wins and a draft in which four rookies were taken has more pressing issues on its docket. Development, for starters. Could they use an extra body on the wing, though? No doubt.

    Taking a quick look at Houston’s roster — one that might look slightly different compared to other teams because of how head coach Stephen Silas operates — a few things pop out.

    Roster breakdown (not a depth chart)

    Point guards: John Wall, D.J. Augustin

    Guard tweener: Kevin Porter Jr.

    Shooting guard: Eric Gordon, Khyri Thomas

    Wings: Jalen Green (R), K.J. Martin, David Nwaba

    Forward tweener: Jae’Sean Tate, Danuel House

    Big men tweener: Daniel Theis, Usman Garuba

    Centers: Christian Wood, Alperen Sengun

    Right now, the Rockets’ point guard situation isn’t solidified. Wall is on the roster now but he’s clearly not in the team’s realistic future plans. You could say the same about Augustin. Porter Jr. is being groomed for the position long-term so there’s a succession plan in place and future stability. Shooting guard isn’t locked down either, with Gordon’s future unclear at the moment and Thomas essentially a fringe rotational player.

    Green was brought in to be a franchise cornerstone for years to come and his natural position is shooting guard — the Porter-Green combination should be what the Rockets envision down the line. I’d say their big man depth is exactly where Silas wants it to be. Having Wood, Theis and Sengun/Garuba is more than enough for how Houston wants to play right now.

    If there’s even a five percent chance that Wall gets moved this season, the franchise needs to think about the immediate future. Tate and Martin had positive rookie seasons and should return for the 2021-22 season improved. House and Nwaba should return healthy and ready to contribute. But this roster still feels like it’s missing something.

    Could Kelly Oubre be the answer?

    Let’s look at the logistics. The Rockets added Theis via some front office wheeling and dealing that finally took advantage of the Victor Oladipo trade exception sitting there for months. They still have their full non-taxpayer midlevel exception to play with, a value of around $9.5 million, which is enough money to throw at a player whose market might have gotten squeezed by the first three days of free agency activity but not too much where it’s considered an overpay.

    Oubre is definitely one of those players. Last season, all the talk out of Golden State was that Oubre sought a larger role and more money. He had a great opportunity to set himself up for success, being signed to the Warriors with a sizable rotational hole to fill in wake of sharpshooter Klay Thompson’s injury. However, his 2020-21 production wasn’t quite up to par and Warriors head coach Steve Kerr spoke publicly about the prospects of Oubre coming off the bench next season once Thompson returns to the fold. Judging from Oubre’s comments on Chris Haynes’ Posted Up podcast, he didn’t seem enthusiastic about that idea.

    “I don’t even want to speak and elaborate much on that situation,” Oubre said. “But all I’ll tell you is that it put fire in my heart. It added more fuel to the fire.”

    Oubre averaged 15.4 points and 6.0 rebounds a game, decent numbers for a third/fourth-option wing. The shooting was iffy — just 31.6 percent from three and 69.5 percent from the free-throw line — but it seemed like a weird year for the 25-year old overall. He didn’t look to have the easiest of transitions from Phoenix, where he played in an up-tempo system to a real X’s and O’s nitty-gritty team like the Warriors. Let’s check in with Bay Area-based NBA writer Marcus Thompson, expert on all things Warriors.

    “Oubre struggled mightily to start the season, especially with his shot. He missed 28 of his first 30 attempts from 3-point range,” Thompson noted. “Knowing he was playing for his next contract, the ice-cold start created a spiral and Oubre was in his head, which worked against him as he was trying to learn the Warriors offense. Golden State’s offense is centered on steady movement, screens and reading and reacting — all designed to take advantage of Curry’s gravity. Oubre’s lack of passing and desire to get out of his rut was antithetical to the Warriors’ approach.

    “But he could play defense. His ball pressure filled a role left by the injury to Klay Thompson, who defended point guards. Oubre also rebounded well. Eventually, he found his shot, exploding for a few games — including 40 at Dallas — but was never as efficient from outside as the Warriors hoped. His battling back from his early struggles earned the respect of his teammates.

    “Oubre eventually came off the bench as the Warriors found a groove. He was good with the second unit, where he had more freedom. But he never seemed to buy in fully to the role, perhaps viewing it as a detriment to his pending free agency. Then a wrist injury ended his season.”

    It sounds like Oubre had an inconsistent year and was focused on his next payday instead of doing whatever was asked of him for the betterment of the team. So why would Houston want to get in on the Oubre sweepstakes? One word: defense.

    Like Thompson noted, Oubre was an impressive defender last season. Obviously, athleticism works in his favor and being 6-foot-7 with a 7-3 wingspan has its perks, but Oubre was no slouch on that end of the floor. Synergy grades him as being in the 77th percentile of league defenders, allowing just .888 points per possession. A Rockets team coming off a putrid defensive year is in no position to turn its nose at talent like that. In theory, Oubre would slot in nicely with players like Green and Porter, giving Houston an incredibly athletic triumvirate. He’s 25, like Tate, who’s considered part of their young core so the timelines aren’t too far apart where a move for him is out of the question.

    The biggest if is what Oubre ultimately wants to do. He’s an unrestricted free agent and holds all the cards to his future. Oubre’s camp has been pretty tight-lipped about free agency but glancing at the league’s available spending power, only a handful of teams still make sense. Oubre just finished a two-year, $30 million contract but unless he’s involved in a sign-and-trade to a team with cap space, such as the Charlotte Hornets or Oklahoma City Thunder, or can fit into the Pelicans’ large trade exception, his only options are teams that still have the full non-taxpayer MLE at their disposal. That’s Cleveland, Houston, Sacramento and Toronto.

    The Rockets might need to play the hometown angle. Oubre is from the area and played his ball at George Bush High before departing for Findlay Prep his senior season. He’s beloved in Houston and still has a lot of family living there. Maybe Rockets general manager Rafael Stone could sell him on more minutes and a larger, more relaxed role than with the Warriors, where he clearly struggled to keep up. Oubre might enjoy a free-flowing, green-light offense under a coach in Silas who stresses playing to players’ strengths. If money is the pressing concern, Oubre could opt to take a one-year deal or a two-year deal with a player option with Houston and dip back into free agency in 2022, when the market could get ridiculous.

    Houston has the luxury of time on its side and when you have that, you can afford to take swings. Oubre is definitely worth a swing at the right price.

    Other names to watch…

    Jarred Vanderbilt, RFA (Timberwolves) — Houston native. Vanderbilt might be the best option for Houston age-wise, being only 22. This offseason, Vanderbilt has been working on improving his ball-handling and shot creation. He’s already a good rebounder and an athletic finisher. At 6-foot-9, Vanderbilt could be played in different lineups under Silas. Wouldn’t be surprised to see him tried as a small-ball center. Restricted free agency can get dicey though, so it might be a long shot.

    Justise Winslow, UFA (Grizzlies) — Another Houston native, played his trade at St. John’s High. The Athletic understands that Winslow has whittled his list down to a few teams in free agency. Winslow is still a poor shooter but he has the size and defensive versatility to be a nice piece under the right system. He was deployed as a playmaker at times last season and showed glimpses of success there.

    Josh Hart, UFA (Pelicans) — At 26, Hart isn’t out of the realm of Houston’s timeline and is a hard-nosed 3-and-D player. Last season, Hart shot just 32.6 percent from downtown but he makes up for it with his constant energy, transition play and excellent rebounding for his size.

    Hamidou Diallo, RFA (Pistons) — Another tricky play here being restricted, but Houston should throw an offer sheet and see if Detroit bites. There’s a lot to like in Diallo, from his age (23), his ability to play downhill and his improved jumper. Diallo shot a ghastly 16.9 percent his rookie season but finished the recent year in Detroit shooting 39.0 percent from distance, on 2.1 attempts per.
     
    IvanLCPM, Deckard, sirjesse and 5 others like this.
  3. HTown_TMac

    HTown_TMac Member

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    Doesn’t Wiggins contract end the same year as Wall? Can we give them some relief for some assets?

    That is what I’d think would be the better bet.
     
  4. DeBeards

    DeBeards Member

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  5. Franchise 101

    Franchise 101 Member

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    Oubre was better before he got around Curry and started thinking about his shot. That's not his game he isn't a spot up shooter, common sense. Very talented player, I say get him, he'll be great with the young talented culture and maybe he can shake the stinch of being improperly utilized by the worriers.
     
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  6. Ottomaton

    Ottomaton Contributing Member
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    When i look at guys like Winslow and Oubre, my first thought is that KMJ looks like he's going to eventually fit in that role, and I'd much rather watch him learn on the job than commit anything significant to someone who would eventually block his way.

    If they can get one of them on a cheap, short deal, fine. But dont commit big money long term for something that they might already have developing organically in house.
     
    #146 Ottomaton, Aug 5, 2021
    Last edited: Aug 5, 2021
  7. xiki

    xiki Contributing Member

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    Speaking of getting squeezed, if the choice were Oubre…or Markenin (sp?), who’s your poison? I’ll take the blond.

    Oops, they’re both blond. I may have to look for a different kind of blond or take Markenin.
     
  8. Haymitch

    Haymitch Custom Title
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    Same, I'd much rather give the minutes to KMJ. He has earned it. But even if he sucks and shows that he's not capable of being a SF, then we'll at least have learned that.

    Another reason to go with KMJ is that sometimes guys just need reps and playing time to get better. Covington really benefitted from playing minutes on those awful Sixers teams; who knows if he would have progressed like that if he had been playing irregular minutes behind a mid-career guy.
     
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  9. Roomba

    Roomba Member
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    Gordon's fans are not nearly as aggravating though :p
     
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  10. conquistador#11

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    That was not his first serious injury
     
  11. Williamson

    Williamson JOSH CHRISTOPHER ONLY FAN
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    What I like about these names is they are all young. And I hear some of you on KMJ, but why in the world would we put all of our eggs in one basket? What if he regresses? What if he never develops a shot? I really like the kid - but he is far from a sure thing. We have been excited by so many young guys in the past that inevitably let us down and never got there.

    Also, if KMJ does develop and you get one of these other guys on a reasonable contract, you can always move it for another asset on down the road.
     
  12. Mathloom

    Mathloom Contributing Member

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    Rather sign Winslow for minimum than to have a long commitment to an inconsistent player. What the heck happened to Winslow's 3pt shot though? How did his shooting regress so much?
     
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  13. TEXNIFICENT

    TEXNIFICENT Member

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    Vanderbilt is the one though. He won’t cost much and is just breaking out of his disastrous time at Kentucky. This kid was a point forward in high school and sacrificed his perimeter skills at Kentucky where Calipari convinced him (after he got injured) to play center where he’s been trapped ever since. He’s a skilled passer, rebounder& defender who can handle the ball. This kid is a jump shot away from really breaking out. He’s from here and of course John Lucas knows him from his high school years. He’s never been in trouble and loves the game. At 22 years old I’d take a shot with him before blowing big $$$ on these other cats.
     
  14. Mathloom

    Mathloom Contributing Member

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    Thanks for the background. Sounds like a good one to go after.
     
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  15. Deuce

    Deuce Context & Nuance

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    Note below about Oubre's defense and his 7-3 wingspan.

     
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  16. Ottomaton

    Ottomaton Contributing Member
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    The problem is that "restricted" status. Have to put enough chips on the table to make the TWolves fold.

    The flexability to defend multiple positions and possibly even fill in as a small ball center definately dustinguishes him from JMJ and the other names on that list, which would be nice.
     
  17. pmac

    pmac Contributing Member

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    Yep. I had the same thought. Gordon/Augustin/House for Wiggins fits but they would have to give up some draft capital for us to give them so much cap relief next year.
     
    HTown_TMac likes this.
  18. jakedasnake

    jakedasnake Member

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    He sounds intriguing but he is a RFA. Do you think Twolves would actually let him go? If so, what kind of contract would it take to get it done. There is no reason for Twolves to not match an offer sheet IMO but maybe a 2 year full MLE offer would mke them balk?
     
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  19. csc177

    csc177 Member

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    You lost me at Jalen as a wing. He's a shooting guard. at 6'4 he doesnt have the length or the defensive skills to be a wing. Natural 2 who can play some 1 also.

    ....I did keep reading, however, and agree that Oubre is worth the swing at the right price.
     
  20. xtruroyaltyx

    xtruroyaltyx Member

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    I think if the Rockets are bringing in another rotation player they should look to get rid of at least two of Gordon, Wall, House.

    Even if they don’t bring in anyone one or two should be moved.
     
    Easy and D-rock like this.

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