Given the contract setup, the likihood of Rockets making a big trade next season is pretty low. It seems pretty clear that their goal is to make another crossroad pivot in the off season when Jalen / Alpy needs a new deal, and the only non-rookie still guranteed would be Dillon. As such, the actual most likely rotation player to get moved this year by the deadline is actually Dillon Brooks ( Jeff / Adams / Landale / Tate / Holidays are even more likely to be moved but I don't expect any of them to play more than 9th/10th man minutes on a regular basis barring disaster ) Moving Dillon by the deadline for expiring has the obvious benefits of clearing even more cap space in the summer (it would jump the Rockets to the highest cap space team, a full super max room while still keeping Jalen and Alpy) and it would also likely free up playing time for Tari / Amen / Cam. Dillon if he plays at similar level to this last season should be reasonably in demand, at least you're not attaching stuff to trade him surely.
They are in the catbird seat now. Eveyone knows they are sellers. They just have to sit back and sell to the highest bidder. With three years left on his deal, you will definitely have to attach stuff to move Brooks. Especially if you are getting an expiring contract back.
really? i don't view his contract as a negative. its priced just about right to the right team who wants him
It's not a crippling contract, but I don't see it as desirebale to other teams. Certainly not enough for them to give up a FRP for it. The length is the most offputting part. A contender that needs a defensive-minded SF is a pretty specific team. I could see them giving up a first at the deadline if it were an expiring contract. But if a team were making a championship push and traded for him and then didn't win it all, they are not going to want to be saddled with him for another two years. His contract is basically the template for a specific scenario. A rebuilding team signs a player to an outsized contract because they have a need to bring in veteran help. The team outgrows their need for that palyer. Another team enters a rebuild and has a ton of cap room. That team will take on bad contracts for the price of some draft picks. Once those bad contracts enter their final year, a contending team will trade for them to be the final piece in a championship run. That is Dillon Brooks' role in the NBA.
I’d trade him for 2nd round picks. If someone wants us to attach positive assets to move him then whoever is coming back needs to fit our needs. If none of that takes place he needs to be benched or at the very least have to compete with Cam for minutes. Both Amen and Tari have earned 30 mins a game, Brooks has not.
Brooks's contract decreases significantly after this season while the cap is going up. It will only be 11-12% of the cap in his last season on this contract versus nearly 17% his first. His contract was designed to be valuable it's last 2 seasons. Think it will be difficult to trade him this year, but next season he will be a more valuable trade chip.
is Cam really competing with Brooks? i think cam would still come off the bench unless he outplays jalen green. brooks does the boxing out, switching onto a big stuff we need.
You are correct. Dillon is not a negative asset. He was a good vet pickup for our team and his contract is fair. We may attach assets if a returning asset is more positive, but it is not a given. We will have to get a player or two in return, because most of the teams with cap space won’t be willing to take on the contract. I think the 76ers would have been a pretty good choice before they spent all their money. I think he gets moved at the deadline to a contender. I wish we could send him off before the season, but that does not seem likely.
Of course Cam is competing with Brooks. I don't think he will start, but Brooks isn't being gifted the starting spot. Personally, I think Amen and Tari are bigger threats to start. Jabari and Brooks are going to have to fight to maintain their spots.
i agree its a fight, jabari included. the best starting five should start, i just see cam as more of a scorer whose skillset differs from brooks.
Assets differ when you have to get rid of them, if none of the good or mediocre teams want him without Rockes having to attach extra picks etc then he is no positive asset on the domestic market no matter how local fans feel about him. Only a few teams can handle him or Draymond. Draymond can say he won several titles.
Correct. Though, I'd guess Brooks is near a neutral asset right now regardless if local fans like him or not. I expect he'll be a positive asset next season if he has a bounce back year (though not sure if FRP positive asset).
We already now that the Rockets wanted him at this price a year ago (i.e., probably about a neutral asset). With his salary decreasing relative to the cap, his early years in the contract are probably negative with the later years being positive provided he plays like he did before he was a Rocket. My only concern with him regarding trades is if the Rockets get them in a situation that they have to deal him in a short period of time (i.e., they can't wait for a market deal). Though, if they trade him at a negative, it likely means they are about to do something very positive. I just don't see the Rockets being unhappy with the salary, and are likely content with him for a while.
Last year, I'd say he was in the Norman Powell, Josh Hart, and Jaden McDaniels group. Though, last year was a down year for Brooks (well after mid December). Powell being more balanced while Hart and Jaden make their money with defense and/or rebounding.
Why was it a down year? I thought he exceeded expectations massively, posted by far his most efficient season since his rookie year. I would expect him to regress to normal but if he can replicate last season that would be incredible, no?
He wasn't making as much of a defensive impact after mid-December (his offense of value seemed normal). Not 100% sure why (though he may have been playing hurt), but it was a double whammy losing Tari and then the defense struggling with Brooks as well. Defense wasn't really stout in 2024 until Amen started shutting down forwards and then Landale drank from the Holy Grail. I think Brooks's value is somewhere on average between what he was in 2024 and early in the season.
