Bridges for Oladipo/Landale/Bullock and the BKN picks is something I'd float to them. We're not really giving up much player wise, the salaries match so there isn't much movement there. They can tank and we can push for the playoffs. FVV-Bridges-Brooks-Smith-Sengun is a sweet defensive lineup. Alpe should be able to go off, Bridges is enough of a scorer to pull the defense off of him and the extra defense he brings would be sweet. Bench is Amen-Jalen-Cam-Tari-Jeff. That's at least an athletic group with some punching power. Open competition for the lead guard spot until next year when Fred gets traded.
Bridges isn't worth more than their 24 pick. Personally, I wouldn't even do that. Let them trade him somewhere else for a bunch of late firsts.
I'd be open to this. Bridges is a great asset and we can only take on so many young players. I see guys I can get excited about with the Brooklyn pick next year, but the reality is none of them are likely to be as good as Bridges. My biggest hesitation is not having their picks in 2025 and 2026 when guys like Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey, Cam Boozer and AJ Dybantsa are going to be up for grabs.
Yeah, I would give them back one pick for Bridges just because it's a good value, but he doesn't fit our timeline and realistically he's no better than the #3 option on a contender. Any more than that just doesn't make sense for us--he is not the piece that takes us over the edge to win a title. On the other hand, if he could be diverted to another team to get, I don't know, Tyler Herro, Jalen Williams, Franz Wagner--some really good young guy who does fit our timeline--that might be worth 2 Brooklyn picks.
You keep stating this idea that "XYZ" doesn't fit the timeline .... But what if that player accelerates the timeline? Replacing Jalen with Bridges probably gets this team into a playoff spot this season and with a little internal growth from these young guys they are a top 4 seed in 24/25. Maybe not the favorites to win a title but they'd have a punchers chance. No, I don't want to be on the hook to pay Bridges a max deal in 2 years either .... but that's not the conversation here. We really don't know how good this team can be while Jalen is a net negative holding them back.
A simple look back at NBA history will tell you that you pretty much need a top 10 player to win a championship, and that player is almost always over age 25. Spending assets to get a guy like Bridges does nothing to get us closer to fulfilling those basic requirements, and by the time, say, Alpi (or really any of our other young players) have a chance to work his/their way into the top 10 and are in their prime years, Bridges will be into his 30s. People need to stop asking to trade serious assets for fringey "stars" who are 27 and up. It doesn't make sense. If you can get them for a good value, sure, fine. But giving up multiple top 10 picks for a guy like Bridges or Dejounte Murray in our situation is just bad management.
It’s actually must have a top 5 player instead of must need a top 10. One of Alpi, Green, Jabari or Amen need to become that guy. Or someway somehow you make another Harden type trade.
Mmm, I'm intentionally being a little loose with the definition, because guys have a way of retroactively becoming surefire top 5 players once they've won a ring. Steph Curry was not a consensus top 5 player until 2015, for instance. I agree you're probably not going to win it all with the 10th best player in the NBA, but it gets a little fuzzy the closer you get to the top.
Why are we talking about Sarr? The BK pick at BEST will end up being 6th with a 9% chance of being #1. I mean, there's a chance but not worth talking about as a legitimate possibility. Unless you believe Sarr won't be #1 which is a possibility I guess. You draft Sarr, you start Sengun at PF(which is his natural position) so you might as well trade Jabari. Either way, I've been on the trade the pick for Bridges boat for a while now. It's a weak draft, Bridges is still young and he's exactly what I need. Not like we have a clean sheet when it comes to having a top pick anyways.
Bridges raises this teams floor but not really its ceiling. Rockets need to wait until the lottery to make a move. They aren't contenders this year and the Play-In is whatever IMO. They are in that 7-10 tier. With a potential Top 4 pick in the fold the picks are worth a ton. Even in a weak draft. If the Suns flame out does Booker force his way out? What if Cam flashes rest of the year? Bridges will still be there in all likelihood come July. It doesn't benefit the Rockets to trade the pick now. Jalen is a sunken cost. He isn't worth much anymore and will be thrown into the pick package for a real player so another team can kick the tires on him.
The biggest takeaway from this for me is that IF BRK looks like they are going to unload Bridges regardless, then you know those BRK picks become ultra valuable, probably top 5. If the above happens, wouldn't we rather have 4 picks (2 unprotected 1st rounders + 2 swaps) in the top 5 than Bridges?
That's the thing on Brooklyn's side is that they're kinda ****ed. Rockets have so much young developing talent that we can just stand pat and simply sign someone in the offseason and keep stockpiling young players. Then when the right player becomes available we can trade for whoever that is. Bridges isn't worth whatever the Nets are wanting for him. We're not going to win a championship with this version of Jabari/Sengun anyway let alone Amen/Cam. It's just whether or not Ime gets an itchy trigger finger.
I don’t mind starting three bigs when Jabari is already good enough to guard opponent 3 in final shot. Ime is great defensive coach but subpar offensive coach so might as well go big Sarr Segun Jabari Brooks FVV
I would listen on a trade for the Nets pick, but honestly I think I would keep it and tell Eli W. to draft the best player…. There is ZERO wrong with adding another high end lottery talent to this Rockets team. While this talent lacks a Wemby/Scoot/Miller type where it’s clear goes high, there is a lot of talent.
It makes a lot of sense. I think the compensation is fair for Bridges who is kind of like an ultimate role player but not a star. Plus you'll get return from FVV, Bridges, Brooks when it's time to move off them. Until then you have a pretty crazy 3&D lineup around Alpe. 4 1st round nephews and Uncle Jeff off the bench. That's a damn good team. Idea over the years would be replacing the vets with young players. Then backfill the bench with your picks, whoever you get from trading the vets. Of course, there's merit to saying you want to keep this Brooklyn picks too but I feel like this idea definitely boosts us now and keeps our future squarely aimed upward. Keeping the BKN picks seems more kick-the-can than I'd like.
