How many players do we have on roster at this moment?

You listed 16:

Yao --C
Jackie Bulter --C
Luis Scola --PF
Chuck Hayes --PF
Justin Reed --F
Shane Battier --SF
Kirk Synder --SF
Steve Novak --SF
Bonzi Wells --SF/SG
T-Mac --SF/SG
Mike James --G
Luther Head --G
SF3 --G
Arron Brooks --PG
Refer Alston --PG
JL3 --PG

We also have:
Mike Harris--SF/SG
Bob Sura--G

That give us 18 players under contract.

If we sign Deke as back up center (giving us 19 players under contract), we need to cut or trade 4 players. That still leaves Carl Landry, what will they do with him? It will be interesting how this all works out.

 

Here you go:

Rafer Alston G 6-2 175 07/24/1976 Fresno State 8
31 Shane Battier F 6-8 220 09/09/1978 Duke 6
Aaron Brooks G 6-0 160 01/14/1985 Oregon R
Jackie Butler C 6-10 260 03/10/1985 Coastal Christian Academy (VA) 3
3 Steve Francis G 6-3 210 02/21/1977 Maryland 8
Mike Harris F 6-6 240 06/15/1983 Rice R
44 Chuck Hayes F 6-6 238 06/11/1983 Kentucky 2
2 Luther Head G 6-3 185 11/26/1982 Illinois 2
7 Mike James G 6-2 195 06/23/1975 Duquesne 6
Carl Landry ** F 6-7 245 09/19/1983 Purdue R
15 John Lucas III G 5-11 165 11/21/1982 Oklahoma State 2
1 Tracy McGrady F-G 6-8 223 05/24/1979 Mount Zion Christian Acad. HS (NC) 10
55 Dikembe Mutombo (FA) C 7-2 260 06/25/1966 Georgetown 16
Brad Newley ** G 6-6 195 02/18/1985 Australia R
20 Steve Novak F 6-10 220 06/13/1984 Marquette 1
9 Justin Reed F 6-9 238 01/16/1982 Mississippi 3
13 Kirk Snyder G 6-6 225 06/05/1983 Nevada-Reno 3
3 Bob Sura G 6-5 200 03/25/1973 Florida State 10
25 Jake Tsakalidis (FA) C 7-2 290 06/10/1979 Greece 7
6 Bonzi Wells G-F 6-5 210 09/20/1976 Ball State 9
11 Yao Ming C 7-6 310 09/12/1980 China

That's the roster on Rockets.com. We know Sura, Deke, Tsakalidis, Newley, Mike Harris are almost a lock not to make the roster. Harris looks like a nice player but he'll be cut because other guys are taking up a roster spot.

Next round of guys on the bubble and probably trade bait: landry, Novak, Reed, Lucas, and maybe even Snyder. Plus, Head and Alston are up in the air as trade bait. Once you look at the likely cuts we are down to 9 solid rotation players from above.

 

I think that Alston, Reed or Butler, and either Novak, Snyder, or Head will be packaged together in a trade for somebody once Reed or Butler is eligible. Harris and Sura will be cut and Lucas will be traded for a box of donuts. So, counting Landry, Mutumbo, and a trade acquisition, that puts us at 15.

 

Newley is reportly going to be playing overseas, with the Rockets holding his rights.

Tsakalidis is a free agent and I have not heard anything about him coming back to the Rockets.

Landry is not signed as of yet and it does not look like there will be room for him unless there are some trades and/or cuts.

I also agree it appears Harris will have a hard time making the team due to sheer numbers, that is unless there are trades and/or cuts.

Maybe something will happen soon, when the Justin Reed trade restrictions are up.

It will be interesting to see how our final team shapes up.

 

Reed's restrictions are up today.

----------------------------

james francis brooks
tmac bonzi head snyder
battier reed harris
scola hayes novak
yao butler*
15

alston lucas sura
18

unsigned: deke, landry
20

*butler can't be traded until the 12th sept.

I think the Rockets will need to cut down to 16 players before training camp starts. Once it does they'll most likely have to cut players as opposed to trading players to get the numbers down, meaning they're stuck with the salary of cut players.

Cut Sura. Try to move Alston and Lucas for nothing in return. Then package Reed+Butler for Doleac's expiring contract.

Give Landry an non-guaranteed contract if he hasn't been used as trade bait and let him battle it out with Harris for the final roster spot. That way only 50k will count towards team salary when either one is cut.

 

How about a trade where we dont trade rafer for garbage. If we cant trade him, we should keep him. We can stash landry in Europe, which will be probally better for his development than being stuck at the end of the bench for us. At this point Novak is better than Marshall but they are both relatively useless on good teams. We dont need 3 point shooting considering we still have our top 4 3 point shooters from last season on this team and added mike james. Brooks looks like he could be a good pg but if we seriously want to contend, he should be riding the pine for most of the season. Trade lucas reed and novak away for whatever you can get. buyout sura. keep harris pls. mike harris might be better than snyder.

 

Lost-ball, your trade is very reasonable. We could add JL3 too since Cleve has room on their roster for filler, Alston+Reed+JL3 for Marshall.

Marshall isn't a terrible player, he would give us nice depth and a veteran big who can space the floor.

 

He didn't have a very good season last year, and even worse in the playoffs. I know we need to get some personnel off the roster, but I think we can do better than today's Marshall.

 

Actually that's 16. We are going to keep the best players. We are going to dump redundant players so I still think Alston is going to go. JL3, Reed are sure to be gone. If you cut 3 players you have 13 and need two people to fill it out. Dikembe I really hope resigns at the Center position. If he does, we have only one roster spot left. One spot for Harris and Landry to slug it out. If Deke retires, then we have two spots and I'd take both Harris and Landry for the future. Either way, the idea of putting Landry or Harris in Europe is a good one. Let them develop their skills, get some international experience and be ready to join the team at a later date.

If we don't dump Alston, and we cut JL3 and Reed then that leaves only one roster spot and I'd give that to Dikembe and move both Harris and Landry to Europe. Again, if Dikembe chooses to retire then let Harris and Landry slug it out for the final roster spot.

 

BTW I still think Alston and Butler in a package together could net us a really good player.

 

I doubt it. San Antonio gave us Scola just so that they could get rid of Butler.

 

Ya but some other NBA team is sure to be lacking a big and needs a pg. Like...ummm the Clippers!

 

Unfortunately, the Clippers don't need another center. Chris Kaman is a serviceable starter. They drafted Paul Davis early in the second round last year and are high on him as a young developing center. Plus, they have a decent veteran PF/C in Aaron Williams.

The Clips need a true power forward. The only Rockets big who the Clippers would actually want would be Luis Scola, and the Rockets aren't giving him up.

 

doubt that really because the ONLY positive of the brand injury is that their PF rookie they drafted at 14/15? al thorton will be getting a lot of playing time, sort of like a trial by fire...great opportunity for him to learn and develop. Why get another PF who wouldnt really help the team stay in contention and force thorton to the bench?

oh and I am for keeping butler i think he'll will do alright in adelman's system as a backup

 

u left out mutombo, i think he signed already right?

 

wrong

 

They did it to get rid of butler, but really to get under the L-tax, Butler's contract expires next year, and he is not a bad player in his own right.