We have enough rookies on this team. Morey strategy is to sign the best NBDL players. Smart IMO, let them prove they can play first and trade away your picks for better value. Outside of lottery picks, it's hit or miss with draft picks.
Our first round was patched to the package of bobby jackson and donte greene which was sent to sacramento last summer in exchange for Ron artest, but i still think morey will also make some brilliant drafts this summer as he did in the past summers. we have lost our first round pick but we still own two second rounders one of which is not quite different from our first round pick as it is from Memphis.
I say we grab Maryland's Greivis Vasquez with our late 2nd and send him to the D-League. The kid's a playmaker with a killer instinct, he'll be good when he gets his shot to fall with consistency. He's the type of guy who could benefit from another year in college, but he's leaving for the money.
This site is an excellent resource for trade and draft info: http://www.prosportstransactions.com/basketball/DraftTrades/2009.htm
The best the Rockets could do with a late second-round pick is draft another project and send him to the D-League or overseas and let him develop. But the Rockets already have some promising unsigned draft picks in Newley, Eliyahu, Luennen as well as James White, who hasn't yet played but shows potential. I think the better option is to just re-sign Artest and Wafer than to spend money on a draft pick who isn't likely going to get minutes. Look at Dorsey. The Rockets could always sign a backup free agent for a cheap price.
Vasquez intrigues me as well. At 6'6" and with his handle he realistically could play both backcourt positions in the pro's. It's understandable why he's only a projected second rounder (no outside shot/inconsistent nature/defense) but he's definitely worth a shot given his talent, versatility and knack for stepping up in big games.
agreed, but it's the timing that throws off the probability of such budgeting. the draft comes before any FA negotiations start. without knowing exactly what you've spent on your own guys, how do you know what's remaining in the budget? plus rookies are on scale. you can't just negotiate a lower salary to makeup for the extra money spent on resigning ron/von/white. the rockets can buy a pick. that doesn't mean they have to sign him right away. resign our guys and see if there is any money left to sign the rook. if not, send him overseas and retain his rights. but why would les, a guy that lost a billion dollars in net worth this year, want to spend any money on buying the rights to a player who will not make the team? he probably wouldn't.
When you look back at it, the Francis trade was a costly trade in having to sign Deke. The rockets would currently have the rights to the Grizzlies 34th pick in the draft if they could have found some other way of getting Francis off the their books. Man that pick would have been valuable with alot of teams jockeying to attempt to trade for that pick, I could easily have seen a team swapping a 1st rounder for a 2nd round pick in the mid to low 30s area.
This is not a very good draft year ... so not much loss by the time we might pick in the last half ... ... but, I'm sure Morey could buy a pick this year, if he feels someone is more worthy than in the NBDL.
Agreed there's obviously the timing issue with the draft coming before free agency. All i'm saying is get an idea of what you plan to spend on free agency and then budget for draft picks and/or other unforeseen circumstances accordingly. For instance, when GM's meet/BS like they always do at the pre-draft camps and work outs. Morey can approach a team like Minnesota, Memphis, OKC or Sacramento that have multiple first round picks and gauge how inclined they are to dish out guaranteed money to a late first rounder. He could probably get a feel for who is looking to deal those picks and what the asking price may be. Your point about Les losing money in his other endeavors is well taken. For what it's worth: at least the Rockets are profitable. Like the rest of you I hope for some sort of activity on draft day but it's totally understandable from a business standpoint if we don't do anything.
Baller, it wouldn't surprise me if those teams you listed above approached Morey before he approaches them. Weak draft, financial issues and cap relief equals off loading extra picks. And Portland may not be buying picks ie.(going young anymore) like they normally do with their team in a position of making the playoffs and looking for veteran help from here on out.
