Wait, do you just start that with "reality is?" **** if that's reality and we still pay Freddy 40m a year then we're doomed regardless of anything that happens with the team.
That is the Rockets’ reality. Both Ime and Stone feel FVV is the main cog in the machine and the machine doesn’t work without him. The Rockets WILL retain FVV at any cost as they have ZERO alternatives. Nilch. Reed is a disaster defensively and can’t even imagine him in playoff pressure (think Ryan Anderson scared to shoot). He scored zero in his lone NCAA tournament game in 28 minutes against Oakland University. Freddy stepped up in playoffs or we get swept. He ain’t taking a paycut (currently 44.5mm) and many on this site will want to throw up when the deal is signed soon. Stone and Ime are the brain trust and value FVV as a must retain. Udoka would play him 48 minutes a game if he could and almost did in the playoffs as he has no trust in Reed or anyone else to run point. Expect about 45 million per year long term contract and be pleasantly surprised if they get a player friendly deal (which I’m predicting) at 40mm per year with a fourth year team option totalling 160 mm. End of Gia or any other superstar as Stone/Ime will ride FVV. This is the Rockets way….
That's not how it works. The team has all the leverage because the outcomes are as follows: 1.Rockets pick up his option (Fred gets paid WAY more than anybody else will offer) 2.Rockets don't pick up his option and negotiate a new deal (this is for less than above, otherwise why would we not just take up the option?) 3.Rockets don't pick up his option and don't offer him a new deal (this is for less than above again, because no other team values him as much as we do.) Fred has no choice but to renegotiate, he knows it, and the team knows it. There's absolutely no reason to overpay him because he won't get the same elsewhere.
See my post above, he has no choice but to take a pay cut. His options are whether he takes a smaller pay cut with us, or a larger paycut with other people. This is really basic **** tbh.
This is FVV’s last big contract as he is 30+. His agent knows it and also knows we are hosed if FVV walks. They have all the leverage. He was Ime’s favorite player who played the most minutes on the second best team in the West. He was our star in the playoffs and played 42+ minutes per game for Ime. He was Ime’s first free agent (over Harden). This is his last big contract and he will want Harden type of money. He won’t get 50mm, but I know that the discussions are currently in the 40-45 mm range. Please remember these numbers when the deal is completed in the very near future and give me the credit I deserve. It will happen and it will be in the range I specified.
I think the best realistic case is they sign FVV to a $25M/yr deal, i think that's the most any team with cap space will offer. I don't think the Nets are going to blow their cap on FVV. But I wouldn't be surprised if it's more like a $32M/yr deal because they value him as a leader. My personal preference is that they overpay in the short term by picking up the option and work out a long term extension at a below market rate. As the rest of the young guys start to get to their 2nd contracts we won't be able to afford paying a premium for role players. I would like one of the young guys to beat him out for his spot. But, I think they should clearly outperform in short minutes the way Amen did. You shouldn't have to force it.
The Rockets are very likely better if FVV walks, sure Ime will throw a tantrum and be sad, but it would be addition by subtraction. Is he a sold defensive player? Of course. Is he a good veteran presence? Of course. Is he the best ball handler Ime allows to play? Probably. That said, is he the least efficient scoring guard on the team? Very likely. FVV would be great as a backup, but we don't have a coach that can be trusted to keep him in that role.... so it's either 40 minutes a game till he breaks, or we move on. With those as the options, moving on is the best possible scenario.
Adding talent isn’t helpful if it doesn’t fit with the rest of your talent. He doesn’t plug a hole. We would still struggle to score the ball and we’d still struggle to shoot.
Getting a major upgrade in the backcourt should be priority one. Having a competant perimeter scorer and creater could unlock this offense more price effectively than trading for any star regardless of fit and need. Unfortunatley, looks like the FO will roll out with Jalen and Freddy again. Super underwhelming.
Rockets should give Fred his flowers, say thank you once, and wish him good luck with his new/next team. LOL No they aren’t. Fred is unfortunately coming back but not at $40M. I’d say $18M on the low end, $33M on the high end. So probably somewhere in between.
He can’t get more than about 15m in FA. If the Rockets offer anything more than 18m they are crazy. He shouldn’t even be on this team, but Ime is in love with the guy.
The whole thing that started this FVV is indispensable crap was when he got hurt. We were 5-5 while he was hurt with a lineup that basically had not started together all year. FVV was one of the worst PG’S in the league last year. His TS% was totally in the crapper. He can’t create offense. He’s ok as a spot up shooter, but unfortunately Ime doesn’t stick with the FVV off the ball. At the first instance where TO’s become elevated he reverts back to slow down offense. It also makes our defense look better to have super low TO’s. FVV’s asst/to ratio is one of the best in the league, but his assists are close to the bottom among pg’s. FVV averaged 5.6 assists, Amen averaged 3.4 assists from the dunker spot and off the bench for most of the season. FVV/Ime are the reason we have a poor offense. FVV’s defense is no where near worth his abysmal offensive production. If the Rockets run it back, when it fails not if, Stone and Ime should be fired.
Giannis is the person you'd build around, nobody we have is of that calibre. Now, I don't particularly want us to take that route at all, but it's idiocy to act like adding and MVP tier player to the roster wouldn't make us better. Take any player on our 8 man roster and replace them with Giannis and we're a top tier team legitimately, regardless of "fit."
I think that either Fred or Jalen need to go. Amen will be the SF (at least next year). And while amen certainly has gravity he doesn’t have the Offensive impact to make Jalen and Fred tertiary and efficient. I’d rather they just settle In to more turnovers and allow Thompson and Shepherd into the point guard role the first 40 games And then trade for a veteran point Guard if absolutely needed. All of that being said getting Fred back at 25 million a year for three years could end up being a value as long as there is a better back court player next to him brought in via trade.
