Yeah but they began their rebuild years before us. They began a partial rebuild when they traded Paul George for SGA and picks. They completed the process of going full tank mode when they traded Russell Westbrook for CP3. They just didnt realize CP3 was so good he'd keep them competitive. If they hadn't traded for SGA they wouldn't be in a better position than us though. Chet + Giddey + Jalen Williams is nice (assuming Chet gets healthy and is what he is expected to be) but is it better than what we have? I don't think so. And they were only able to get SGA because they got lucky and landed in the position of the Clippers being desperate to trade for Paul George so that they could also sign Kawhi. Unfortunately, we didn't have that kind of leverage or luck. Then there is the next step of what they did. They basically cleared the books and began taking salary on in exchange for additional picks. First taking CP3 and picks for Westbrook, then they did it for Derrick Favors, etc etc. Then they began grabbing their current talent a year before us when they picked up Poku. We didn't have that option because we had untradeable assets in Westbrook and then Wall. We were lucky to turn Westbrook into a single first rounder with Wall. Then we did well to turn Covington into a worth while pick and pick up Christian Wood who became more picks, but yeah, it definitely isn't the same as all of the picks they were able to accumulate. They haven't hit on everything though. I suspect they regret trading Brandon Clarke for Daruis Bazley and a second rounder, and they also likely regret trading the pick that took Sengun for a couple future firsts. On the off chance that we land Wenbanyama, we may be higher on our core than theirs as soon as next year. And if we're able to add Scoot or Brandon Miller or use our picks and a few young guys to pry Mikal Bridges away from the Nets, we may also be a lot more excited at that point. But yeah, it's hard not to be jealous of both the Thunder and the Magic right now. They both began their rebuilds sooner than us, but their young talent looks so much better than ours right now. And when I think about how the Magic are likely to have another two lottery picks this season - ugghhh.
It is alright, I had that hunch last year. It'd be better we discuss it after the lottery and the draft. I am pragmatic in this.
Draft: Jarace Walker at #5 (realistically, our highest odds are the #5 pick, sadly) Draft #2: Cason Wallace in the #10-15 range (trade the Clippers pick to move up and get him by offering some combination of KPJ, KJ, Tate, Garuba, or future draft picks) Sign: James Harden, Harrison Barnes, Andre Drummond (MLE). Veteran leadership, outside shooting, and rim protection, check. Harden/Wallace Green/KPJ Barnes/Tari Jabari/Walker Sengun/Drummond
Hire Atkinson or Vogel Draft Wemby Trade for Tyus Jones (for Tate, Nix and Clippers pick) Sign Barnes Extend KMJ @ $8-12m Wemby, Jabari, Barnes, Green, Jones Sengun, Eason, KMJ, KPJ, Ty Garuba, JC Avoids long-term commitment to a team that is not ready to win. Allows our young talent to grow in a competitive squad that could push for the play-in. Gives flexibility to make a play for the next disgruntled star (eg KAT, Trey, Brown, Siakam, Luka) via trade using the KPJ / KMJ salaries, the Nets picks (and possibly one of Jabari, Sengun).
I would replace Drummond with Dwight Powell for switching purposes. Love Wallace and Walker as two defensive stud young role players. If we get and keep the 5th pick this is a good plan. We would need to surround Harden, Jalen and Sengun with defenders.
Hopefully get Wemby or Brandon Miller for our first pick and for the Clippers pick I would choose Taylor Hendricks from UCF Sign Van Vleet from Toronto and Andre Drummond Cut KPJ and Tate Van Vleet Green Wemby or Miller Jabari Sengun
I can see Powell. Some rim protector type on the MLE, anyway. The first team I would target for trading the Clippers pick up into the lottery is the Pelicans pick via the Lakers, by the way. The Lakers are stuck in win now mode as long as LeBron sticks around, so if they think any of our marginal guys could help them off the bench more than a rookie at the fringes of the top 10, they might be willing.
Again, why does everyone want to replace KPJ with FVV? FVV is older, more expensive, and less efficient than KPJ. At least sign someone good, like Harden, if you’re going to spend the money.
I guess I can see that. I just don’t think he’ll consider the Rockets unless they offer a max, and I don’t think he’s worth a max.
Well, he's one of the better free agents available in this lackluster offseason, we have tons of cap space, and need veteran leadership and three point shooting. We don't own our own pick next season so that aspect doesn't really matter. I would only sign him for a maximum of three years though. If we wants more, fuhgeddaboudit. I also might be inclined not to sign him if these reports about Harden coming back turn out to be BS. In that case, I would probably aim toward the longer term and only look at RFAs.
Probably good veteran, always been a decent dude who is a third option or fourth. For the right price and not on top of the list.
Optimism is a good thing, mankind probably came up with it. Nature isn't necessarily optimistic or pessimistic, there is just the natural order which was unfortunately affected by mankind as well.
I would have been okay with FVV 4 years ago. But the guy's body is pretty shot even at 29. His knee issues continue to plague him, and it is one of the reasons why his efficiency and effectiveness on offense and defense has suffered greatly since returning. Giving him a long term contract imo is as risky as Harden. Knees don't grow back
https://theathletic.com/4399192/2023/04/11/rockets-offseason-future/ How should Houston maneuver free agency? Is there a realistic path to a restricted free agent like Cam Johnson? What about being aggressive and chasing a star like Jaylen Brown or even Myles Turner? Hollinger: Taking a step back, Houston has a ridiculous amount of cap space (likely at or above $60 million in room, depending on where the first-round pick lands), which gives the Rockets the opportunity to simultaneously shop at different levels of player strata. The ideal is to either sign or trade for one max-caliber player, one $20 million-ish player, and then fill in on vets with their room exception and whatever scraps of cap space are leftover. That room exception guy likely needs to be a rim-protecting big man. Now, to your question about big game hunting. Houston has enough future draft capital that it could pursue trades of players into cap space, but I don’t see any targets of opportunity right now. Boston isn’t giving away Jaylen Brown while it can win a championship; Indiana just extended Turner and likely will try to win next year. Perhaps that changes as the offseason goes on and playoff disappointments force difficult decisions, but that’s today’s landscape. That said, obviously, the James Harden rumors are the main focus. I’m not a big fan of chasing Harden given his age and how costly it likely would be. Additionally, the Rockets’ rep is that they run the league’s loosest ship, and I don’t think bringing Harden back and making this “his team,” so to speak, would help matters much in that area. Either way, they have to get a point guard, so another target of opportunity would be Fred VanVleet. Additionally, let’s keep in mind they can also trade into cap space — could they use room and picks to get Anfernee Simons from Portland? Dejounte Murray from Atlanta? I do think the Rockets could make the Nets flinch on an offer sheet to Johnson — Brooklyn has other options at the forward spot and a tax issue if it pays Johnson too much. He’s a great fit given Houston was last in 3-point shooting this year. Another restricted free agent in a similar vein would be Boston’s Grant Williams; again, the Celtics’ tax situation may preclude them matching a strong offer. The other guy in that $20 million-ish price point who might be interesting is Toronto’s Gary Trent, Jr. He’s an unrestricted free agent but is in the same age bracket as Houston’s other kids, and could help answer the shooting issue. He plays the same position as Green, however. Let’s role-play for a second. John Hollinger is back in an NBA front office. Give me two sneaky roster additions (non-stars) and why? JH: My first name isn’t going to help with the Rockets’ shooting problems, but he’s a backup point guard who can really upgrade their defense: Dennis Smith, Jr. He’s quietly had a good year in Charlotte and had a case for making the All-Defense team. As much as Houston needs a grown-up to run the offense, it also needs a reliable pair of hands to play with the second unit as well. Especially if Houston adds more shooting this summer, Smith is an interesting fit. Finding a shot blocker for the frontcourt is going to be a bit more of a challenge. However, one player who may fit the bill and could slip through the free agent cracks this summer is Philadelphia’s Paul Reed; I’ve long been a fan, as my Twitter followers know, and he’d fit better on an up-and-down team like Houston than he does with Philly. If it’s a more traditional backup five you seek, Portland’s Drew Eubanks quietly had a pretty good year and likely will come cheaply.
