Can someone explain to me the Rockets' purported infatuation with Mikal B. like I'm 5?

Please stop posting that picture lol it’s hideous

 

He's a solid player but more importantly, not a rookie who will take 3 years before you know if he's worth a damn or not. Is that enough to be infatuated?

 

Please tell the Rockets to stop the infatuation.

OP is right.

 

He’s an upgrade over both Jalen and Dillon

 

If you are 5, you have more fun things to think about.......like going to Disney World.

 

PHX picks make more sense not Mikal Bridges.

 

It depends on the price, people were so disgusted by the reports of Jalen + all the the picks back to the point of some now acting like we wouldn’t take him for free.

For example Brooks + #3 isn’t bad at all for Bridges if we can get a nod on a reasonable extension for him. I’m sure they wouldn’t do a deal without getting at least the 2025 back as well just because of how bad it would look, and I’m sure the Rockets are open to fleecing the Suns picks if they can. Jalen is also a bit in limbo with his upcoming contract in all of this.

There’s been a lot of smoke over all these pieces between these two teams. Naturally fans are going to talk about it

 

The Brooklyn picks are of strategic value particularly to Brooklyn because that is preventing the entire organization from hitting reset on the disaster that was the Harden/Durant/Kyrie era. If they trade Bridges they WILL be worse, but their team performance for being worse will only benefit Houston right now so they are asking for A LOT to trade Bridges because right now that is the ONLY way they can improve their roster because they traded their draft capital away.

....so this is really just all about Stone getting a discount on a decent player like Bridges by trading Brooklyn back their picks because Brooklyns picks are worth more in a trade with Brooklyn than any other team AND those picks are more valuable to Brooklyn than any other team's picks because it allows them to control their own destiny. So if you are able to obtain a player at a discount that's a win in a league where it's all about adding value and nothing prevents Houston from trading Bridges again for a more reasonable trade value than what Brooklyn was asking(snd no one was interested in paying).

I imagine there is a Landale/Brooks/Tate for Bridges and freshly resigned Claxton plus 2-3 picks conversation that has been had at some point. That would give us an immediate upgrade over Brooks, and the ability to get a decent young center on hopefully a $20mil deal(probably about as good as we would have done with the #3 pick in this year's draft). Personally I think some of the posturing about people interested in trading up to #3 is a ploy to get Brooklyn to make it seem like the pick is more valuable around the league in a weak draft to make it seem like it opens up options for Brooklyn's front office ("if you really want player x, there is a deal with Memphis to be had to trade down and pick up some extra picks"). At least that's how I would approach the situation if I had been given a GM job after finding a way to creatively give Fertitta a chance to buy the franchise when he technically didn't have the money to do it at the time.

 

My guess is that the Rockets are not including all of the picks/swaps in return. I am guessing the Rockets would hold on to one or two picks or swaps. Trading #3 plus one other pick or swap for Bridges would not be a bad deal, I think taking Bridges away the Nets would likely have trouble adding enough to get them out of the lotto. I think the Rockets are trying to essentially consolidate draft assets and get a higher pick from Brooklyn in a year with better prospects, and may be betting on making the Nets an absolute bottom feeder to improve odds of whatever nets pick they hold on to.

Tari Eason + Bridges + a 2025 or '26, or '27 top pick could be a decent haul for Harden.

 

If i had to guess: obsession with TS% leftover from the Morey era (Kevin Martin, Harden). Remove the 7 footers, 4s, 5s from this list, then remove the guys who aren't + defenders and you get this:

15. Leonard
17. Shai
20. Bridges
28. Lebron
30. Luka
31. Jimmy B
33. Tatum

Edit: Lebron

https://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/ts_pct_active.html

 

An unproved non nba player? Yeah okay bud.

 

Yes, all nba players were unproven non nba players at one point.

You take the promising 19 year old over the brief rental of the 28 year old who doesn't significantly move the needle.

 

Because you are buying low. The only reason his stats sucked the last couple of weeks was because he was playing out of position. The Nets had an injury and played MB at point guard. He struggled mightily, but that wouldn’t be an issue here. He’d be coming off the bench behind Brooks.

 

Simple. Sean Marks is a wannabe George C. Parker.

 

The argument if any would be that Bridges is the contrast of JG.... Bridges was a defensive player whose Offense gradually got better.

Green is an offensive scorer who tries on Defense for 1 season......

Udoka is more inclined to be comfortable with a 27 year old instead of a 22 year old long term.

 

Paying a dude 20 plus million to come off the bench is buying low? Makes a whole lot of sense.