Assuming the team will waive KPJ immediately, the choice is to pay the player(s) on the roster or an empty slot. Why would they want to dump the player(s) by trading for KPJ's contract rather than simply waiving them? Because the contract(s) they have are worse than KPJ's. That's my point. The reasoning for trading KPJ is to keep the salary slot for future trades. But if whatever we get from trading KPJ can be used as a trade piece, why wouldn't the team just trade that instead of taking on KPJ's contract? Remember, KPJ's contract is expiring only if the team keep him on their roster. If they waive him immediately, they can't trade him. Whoever gets KPJ will be in the same situation as the Rockets now. On the Rockets' side, the choices are (1) taking on a worse contract + future draft assets for a potential trade piece before this year's deadline or (2) waiving KPJ and use that slot to sign someone next year. I don't see why the first choice is better than the second.
The situation with the NBPA is slimy for sure. The comment the guy said there to just cut him and see what they do about it leading to Sam saying that they would absolutely get involved and use KPj as a martyr type is ****ing gross.
that team gained draft asset(s), by swapping player(s) they don't need with KPJ's soon-to-be-cut expiring/non-gtd. contract. it's the Rockets who wants to keep a salary for future trades, not the trade partner team. the other team don't need KPJ's contract for future trade, they just trading expiring contracts for expiring contract, and get draft compensation. 1. they stated clearly, they want player(s) who can also help this season, that's why they willing to give draft picks. 2. we're currently capped out, waiving KPJ's contract won't give you enough cap space to sign any Stars, it has to be combind salaries to above $30mil. for a Star-level salary. personally i'll suggest not to think too complicated, KPJ is done, he's just an expiring contract that can be used in a trade as matching salary. the Rockets are just trying to trade some pick(s) for player who can help this season and/or to be included in future trade for a Star, and again, KPJ just a matching salary.
I don't disagree with what you say. I'm just pointing out that KPJ's expiring contract isn't that attractive. You either give out good draft assets for other teams to want it or you take back a very bad contract. Neither is worth the trouble just for a very slim chance of trading for a star. Getting back a playable player should not be our priority. We have a bunch of young players who need development minutes and we are not contending now. Our hope for the future should be hanging on these kids, not some remote possibility of trading for a star, or winning a few more games by playing some mediocre veteran over them.
KPJ's contract don't need to be attractive. it's just a matching salary that'll be cut by the other team. Teams trade for the pick(s) Rockets giving out, not for KPJ's contract. forget "KPJ" for a moment, the Rockets trying to trade their draft assets for a player who can help this season and it could be useful in a future trade too, and they just happened have a $15.86mil. non-gtd. expiring contract as matching salary handy. they give out good draft asset they'll get good player/contract. they give out so so draft asset they'll get so so player/contract. but they won't take back "very bad contract" because they don't need to, worst scenario is to cut KPJ outright. i agreed to a point, but that's another story. just a reminder, the Rockets has 1 FRP + 3 SRP in 2024; 1 FRP + 2 SRP in 2025; 1 FRP + 3 SRP in 2026; 1 FRP + 2 SRP in 2027; 1 FRP + 2 SRP in 2028. if they don't consolidate all these draft assets they'll soon have a whole lot more "bunch of young players who need development minutes". Although they're not contending yet, i'll LOVE to see these young kids get to feel the playoffs asap. if one or two "mediocre veteran" can help to win a few games and push them into play-in or playoffs that's definitely worth a few second picks (rather than wasted in TyTy/Garuba situation)
Adding a shooter to this roster helps everyone, especially our young core. We desperately need the spacing.
Part of me thinks Stone and Frittata are trying to wait this out and are delusional enough to think they can bring the criminal back, eventually.
if the NBA void’s KPJ’s contract, do we still get to keep his salary slot? I don’t think it’s realistic that we get a good shooter on a decent contract for KPJ and 2nd rounders. I think that’s magical thinking and it doesnt look great for the rockets.
can’t wait to hear about all the absurd offers benefiting the Rockets we’ve been receiving just for it turn out to be a bunch of BS peddled by the FO as per usual
Yep. I’m fully expecting yet another tweet where Woj says the Rockets are saying they have multiple teams offering X value for KPJ and 2nd rounders (so get your best and final offers in now - used car dealer commercial voice) and then one week later we see a tweet announcing the Rockets are trading KPJ and the Nets pick for Robert Covington.
Whoever takes KPJ is expected to waive him immediately. So it is really not an expiring contract in the normal sense. It's just 15.8M dead money. You can't trade it and you can't use the cap room it occupies until next year. So the Rockets have to either take back a much worse contract or give up very attractive assets for any team to be enticed to do that. Even if you ignore the PR/moral consideration and only think pragmatically, I still think waiving him is a better choice.
You sure about that? Spoiler Spoiler Spoiler Spoiler 2024 Nets Unprotected 1st 2025 Nets Swap 2026 Nets Unprotected 1st 2027 Nets Swap 2026 Clippers 2nd 2027 Memphis 2nd
Yup positive, when you tank for 3 years and luck out to get a #2,#3, and #4 overall AND trade away a contending team including 2 max super stars and you still to this day do not have one single guaranteed max level player. Not one person on the roster would we say is getting a super max today. You would be speculating. Sengun is good, but his current market value is pretty much what we paid for him which is a couple mid first round picks. Again, as I have mentioned in previous posts, we are having to justify things just like people justified for KPJ and that finally came to a conclusion. Maybe something pans out, but as of today we are hoping that guys that have not played a single NBA minute work out. Look at what Utah got for Gobert, so far for a prime James Harden we have acquired a backup SF on the worst team in the NBA, he looks ok, but lets keep thing in prospective here as Brooklyn has the money to spend and looks to be a team that will be mediocre for the time being. As I have mentioned we don't look too bad because we had so much opportunity to turnover the roster, its more about maximizing assets, and in 3 years we can not point to a single trade we have definitively won yet. There is not one guy that we can all agree on that is goin to be a sure fire star, that is why we have a dozen "X is the franchise player" threads, because we have nothing definitive after 3 years.
Do you really NEED to type that much?? Yeah, it's a bunch of young talent not in their prime. With more picks and swaps coming. It's not that complicated and you don't need to repeat yourself 3 times.
Of all the assets Tilman literally set on fire since 2018... the one he actually should just flush is still on the roster. What gives? If someone wants him we'll take that bag of chips. If no one does, cut. What are we waiting on?
