If the Rockets end up trading Jalen for KD, I think they should make a play for Scoot Henderson using Reed Sheppard or Jabari Smith Jr. as the outgoing pieces. Let's start with a Jabari and Scoot swap assuming the initial trade is Jalen, Jock, Holiday and Williams with picks. FVV/ Scoot Amen / Reed Brooks / Cam KD / Tari Sengun/Adams or you go the other way and do a Reed for Scoot swap while keeping Jabari FVV/Scoot Amen/Cam Brooks/Tari KD/Jabari Sengun/Adams. Heck I think i'd still do either trade even without getting KD. I think Scoot could be had and his value being in the gutter makes it a worthwhile gamble.
Is Scoot available? I don’t see why Portland, a rebuilding team, would make a recent high draft pick available. And, I’d scoot already better than Reeds potential? Honestly, I’d prefer to keep Reed due to fit and for the fact he is going to be on his rookie scale contract for longer than Scoot. Side note, I’m totally against trading for KD.
I would rather that the third year on Jaylen’s contract be a team option, but it’s not. I’m very eager to see what happens when he is our second perimeter option and third or so on offense. we may end up overpaying a little bit, but the deal in itself is not super long and with the increases in the cap I just don’t see it as a massive overpay. if he marginally improves on this year in the regular season, it may actually be worth it. I am absolutely nervous about next postseason, but I don’t want to go into it with him having so much responsibility on his shoulders. That being said there are scenarios where he can be a positive in the post season just a different role.
I believe Jalen will be much better as a Robin than a Batman. If not, trade him next year or slide him to the bench.
If they do, it will be in the top five of worst moves the Rockets have ever made. Playing 30m to a guy whose market is less than 20 and wouldn’t start for 25 of 32 teams is beyond annoying.
FVV is better than Green. By a lot, and even at 3/90 (which I think the third year will be a team option or non-guaranteed...at worse declining) is less than what Green is making. Green is making his money based on hope that his upside blossoms and even if he falters, his salary is still likely tradeable with some draft capital for a star. FVV will get paid because that is how good declining players of his skill are paid. Similar to Green, even if he falters, his salary can be used with draft capital for a star.
Supposedly neutral AI contract 3. Fred VanVleet, PG, Rockets, $36,986,737 (TO) VanVleet’s $44.9 million option presents some very interesting options for the Rockets. One presumes Houston wants him back, and based on this BORD$ number, a fair three-year deal for VanVleet would land in the neighborhood of $105 million to $110 million. The Rockets have some leverage here given the lack of alternate landing spots for VanVleet in free agency, so let’s say they can shave it to $100 million or so. But there are many paths to get there. One of them is to have VanVleet opt in to the $44 million but agree to a multi-year extension at a lower number; he would not be able to sign the extension until July, but the team and player could agree on terms before picking up the option. Tacking on two (or even three) years in the $28 million range could help the Rockets navigate a stretch where they are likely to become much more expensive; notably for the Giannis Antetokounmpo watchers out there, VanVleet’s contract would be immediately tradable in this example. However, Houston may prefer to lower its immediate burden to navigate the tax aprons for the coming season. Based on VanVleet’s present salary, Houston would go over the first apron if it uses its full nontaxpayer MLE this season; more importantly, perhaps, landing in the tax would start the clock on the repeater penalty as the young, talented Rockets look down the road at a far more expensive future. Because of that, “decline and re-sign” is also likely on the table, where VanVleet re-ups and cuts his salary to about $31 million for the coming season, giving the Rockets more than enough room to spend up to the tax line. Or perhaps they choose a middle ground of this strategy, where VanVleet’s new contract is frontloaded with 8 percent declines and starts at $36 million before landing at $31 million in 2027-28, and Houston accepts a bit less flexibility with the back end of the roster this season as a consequence.
If we successfully move on from one G League Ignite mistake I wouldn't want to jump into another one.
You are relying on a history that didn’t have the onerous cap implications that this new era portends. Paying someone above what other teams will come up with is a path to futility. Let him go to FA and see how much he garners. Yes you are paying Jalen Green for potential because he still has that. FVV only has the potential to stay the same or regress. The Suns supposedly don’t want either one. If the reports are true, they don’t want Jalen because they want Booker to be their shooting guard and not their pg. Why wouldn’t they want an expiring PG for one year, which helps them with their salary cap issues down the road? I think all the reports are bullshit, but someone will get close enough to claim victory, haha. Unfortunately for the Rockets, I believe Ime will get his way and FVV will be overpaid and extended. If Stone had any balls, he would have forced Ime to play Reed more.
that would be a great outcome if we are not going to trade him. If we are going to trade him now, just pick up his team option.
Jalen Green just belongs in Washington. I'd trade him straight up for the 6th pick. Then take Kon and Collin and keep on truckin'.
that may actually make his contract somewhat valuable. FVV's agent would probably say no, but ya never know. He's making $15M+ what he would on the FA market for 1 year at least.
Then his agent would have to explain to him why he gave up 15m for him to go to another team. Outside of trade Fred won’t get more than the MLE.
Picking up that option instantly makes you a 1A team - even if you dump Landale & Holiday - then you have 4 empty roster spots. (The 1A is higher than the tax, so you are in both). Being in the 1A means no full MLE. Starting the luxury tax clock now makes it even worse later when other extensions kick in (Amen, Jabari, Tari?).
thanks for the info. I didn’t realize that. So if the Rockets pick up his team option and immediately trade for Durant we are in the 1A? Would it be different if we trade multiple players for the 54m for Durant?
Just spit ballin... if Minny or SA end up with KD 1) ATL - BRK - HOU ATL: S&T FVV (HOU) (3 years, $78.55M) [1st 2 years GTD w/ TO on Year 3] + Cam W (HOU) + #19 + 2027 PHX (via HOU) [top 5 protected] + 2028 HOU FRP (top 5 protected) FVV fits into ATL TPE. FVV backs up Trae. FVV is gtd $50M 2 picks in 2025 to replenish depth Future FRP from HOU. Dyson = 1 vet (FVV) + 1 upcoming talent (Cam W) + 3 FRPs [less than Bane b/c new contract incoming] BRK: #10 + Brooks (HOU) + 2027 BRK (via HOU) Cost of doing biz is absorbing Dillon's contract into TPE + future PHI FRP + Cam J + #19 HOU: Dyson Daniels (ATL) + Cam J (BRK) + 2027 PHI FRP 2) BOS - HOU BOS: 3 SRPs (2026, 2027, 2030) HOU: Hauser (BOS) into TPE Daniels - Reed - Holiday Thrilla - Hauser - Nate Amen - Tari - #60 Cam J (or Bari) - Bari (or Cam J) - Uncle Jeff Alpe - Aquaman - Landale Have contracts of Holiday + Nate + Landale to hunt for another bargain. Lockdown D (TWSS in 2020): Daniels - Amen - Tari - Cam J - Bari 94 Rox: Reed - Hauser - Cam J - Bari - Alpe Run & Fun: Daniels / Reed - Amen - Tari - Bari - Steve Going to have to pay biggly next year tho.
