Harden + another star is ok otherwise stay patient with the cap space and roll it over for a season. Wait for trade targets which tend to shake loose after playoffs and summers. If nothing by next summer, go all in on BPA before rookie extensions kick in. Harden alone though is a bad option. Harden and Wemby yes. Harden and Jaylen Brown yes. Harden, Naz Reid (vet C) and OG Anunoby (vet wing defender) yes. Really what I'm saying is the team can't be built around him. It has to be good enough for 41 wins without him so that he can take us near 50. THAT's worth it. Otherwise forget it.
I see Harden as a very low risk move this offseason. I don't mind that his age doesn't fit with our current core. The truth is that no free agent signing this summer is going to be compatible with our window because we are so extremely young. The other high profile free agents like Kyrie, Middleton, FVV, D'Angelo Russell are not going to be better long term fits. Anyone will sign will primarily be an experienced mentor rather than driving us to contention. Selfishly, I'm going to look at whoever we sign (if anyone) as a future trade asset. I know Harden will retain trade value, he can be flipped. Best case scenario, we sign Harden and Jaylen Brown has a falling out with the Celtics and forces a trade. Rather than asking the Celtics to completely abandon contention next year and accept only our young assets (young prospects and picks only), we can offer a combination of assets that still allows them to compete in the short term (Harden plus picks). We might be able to keep all of our current prospects and get Jaylen Brown.
FYI, not sure how he is coming up with those cap numbers, I have us higher at 64m with potential upside. This assumes #4 and #19 pick. Nix could be waived for an additional 2m, and there is still uncertainty on KPJs cap figure. Could go down another 2m based on number of games played. KJ Martin's contract is a wildcard as well, as you can make him a RFA or take another cheap year.
Why would you waive Nix? He's the foundation on which the Rockets shall build their church. Forget Saint Nick. The Rockets will have Saint Nix.
I ran the numbers before the Clippers trade when we thought the pick would be 25 or worse and your numbers are closer to correct. The only real issues being exactly where they pick - there's about a $4m difference between 1 and 4 with the #1 pick getting just over $11m and the 4 pick $7m. The difference on the later pick is a small amount in the grand scheme of things, not more than a half a million in the window we're looking at picking in, safe to call the pick $2.5m - IF they keep it. What they do with KM is another factor - I don't have any idea what he might agree to or what another team may offer if he is made RFA but there's the timing factor on that one too .... they could spend their cap space and then match if a team doesn't put them to the test early on. How they play this will tell us a lot about how they feel about him going forward - if they let him hit UFA after next season, they probably didn't see him as much of an asset. As for Nix, if they need the cap space, he's as good as gone being non-guaranteed. As bad as he's been, I wonder if he isn't gone anyway.
Pretty sure he’s assuming KPJ’s contract with the games played bonus as likely, KJ’s option being declined making him an RFA with a starter criteria cap hold, and Nix not being waived. That makes up the difference. Rockets can easily toggle all of those if they want the space.
Sign & Trade for Harden at max (KPJ/Tate) Trade Sengun, Christopher, #5 to Pacers for Turner + #8 Draft Cason Wallace #8 and Lively #20, sign Jordan Walsh undrafted or buy a 2nd for him Sign Cam Johnson with cap space(4/100), Eric Gordon with R-MLE, DeAndre Jordan and Ish Smith for vet min Green / Wallace / Smith Harden / Gordon / TyTy Johnson / Martin / Walsh Smith / Eason / Garuba Turner / Lively / Jordan Semi realistic roster with upside and immediate play in talent built son
Bringing in Harden is great but it’s not enough even if you land a top pick. You’ve got to cash in all of the BKN picks KPJ, Tate and young players for a disgruntled star to add. LaVine, Brown or KAT would be the goal.
That's the kind of assessment you'd write if the Rockets had twice as many wins as they actually had and had control of their own draft for the next 3 (it actually doesn't even mention that they don't?)
It's a 2023 offseason financial preview. Future draft selections, or lack thereof, are not relevant to this offseason's cap space and free agents. They don't mention the future picks Brooklyn owes us either.
KJ should be eligible to be extended up to around 4/$64 all the way up until June 29th, 2024. I would be pretty shocked if he were to get that in free agency, so I lean heavily to just letting him play out his 4th year option to preserve maximum flexibility. Even if he was eventually traded on December 15th to a new team, the receiving team would retain the right to sign him to an exclusive extension in June 2024 before free agency kicks off.
KAT and Harden as your stars...mmmn, even given that Harden plays the occasional defense, KAT alas does not, which is why Minnesota gave up so much to get a certain French center from Utah. Please talk about someone whose defense doesn't stink like unwashed ass. Which is what we've been watching these last couple of years.
Trade KJ & Tate We are drafting a top 5 pick and another 1st + have to add some veterans to our bench Not enough minutes
