I don't recall any discussions of what we should do with Thomas' potential extension. Even so, it's worth discussing again if for no other reason because it has nothing to do with Yao Ming. I know the Rockets are focused first on signing Francis longterm, but they'll have to make a decision on Thomas as well. Obviously, there is the potential that we trade Thomas, since we have Taylor and Griffin (hopefully) long-term. With that in mind, do we want to sign him to an extension so the receiving team knows he's locked up or do we not extend him so the receiving team has the flexibility of negotiating themselves? This might mean we are best off trading him now instead of later. If we wait until the season starts, his receiving team will not get an option of extending and will have to sign him when he becomes an FA. If we wait for next offseason, we also run the risk of his departure via free agency instead of trade. I think this is where it will get very difficult for him. Because of these trade considerations as well as luxury cap concerns (with Francis' contract and all), the Rockets have a high interest in lowballing Thomas. If his contract is too high, they will have a hard time trading him to another team that is payroll conscious. Matching salaries may also be more difficult and worse yet he might become a base-year compensation player, meaning we'd need a 3rd team under the cap to complete most trades. We might also need to pay some luxury tax. Thomas might be best served by refusing to sign an extension. His own career would improve if he didn't share the PF spot with 2 capable starters. He could possibly make better money with another team that wasn't in quite the luxury tax bind.
Good points. However, the dynamics of the league is changing with teams getting increasing leverage because of the influx of additional talent outside of the US. I think more and more teams are going to give the max less and less. The Cav have started and more will follow. When you consider the amount of talent left undrafted it means there is increasingly more talent for available spots. Yes Francis will get the max but teams will continue to have the upperhand, made even more drastic by the luxury tax. Agents are already complaining. The team should wait to get a better look at both KT and MoT and then decide next year who to keep. As far as I am concerned the team has the luxury of waiting.
Is it a player option or a team option? If it is a team option, do it for insurance and trade him later. If it is a player option, try to do it and trade if necessary. I know KT wants to stay here but his best shot at starting may be with another team.
The best thing for KT is if the Rocks do not extend and do a sign-and-trade after this season. The best thing for the Rocks may be to let KT walk after next season, so they don't get stuck more players with guaranteed contracts.
i like KT but we are loaded at his position. The best thing the Rockets can do for KT is trade him to a team that needs a starter. Maybe we can get a draft choice for him.
Actually, I think the best thing for the Rockets would be to let Taylor prove he can still play at the beginning of this season, and then trade him at the All-Star break for someone with an expiring contract. Then sign Kenny to a decent long term deal. I think I like Kenny more than MoT, and I definitely think KT would be more happy and more effective coming off the bench than Taylor. But this all depends on how Eddie's development goes. The moment he proves that he's at least as good as Kenny and Taylor, I think he should be given the starting job. But isn't taylor BYC? That means it would be hard to make a trade until next offseason.
It is in KT's interest to sign a deal now. His value may not increase. With 3 PFs on the Rockets, he shouldn't get as much time this coming year as he did last year. It is in the Rockets' interest to just wait on trying to sign him.
I agreed completely but ... Trading MoT may discourage future FA signings (which may not be that bad of a thing since the Rocks will not be under the cap in the near future and thus will not be looking for anything more than a MCE FA).
haha.. This team needs to be build around players that have the desire to win, players that have the strength and size. Kenny works his ass off, he got into pretty nice shape but his size still worrys me. He can be a good player somewhere else but he doesnt have any room here. Taylor has the big shoulders and body that can bang inside with the new era of forwards. When you are in the west, you gotta be big. Griffin will get stronger, u might be saying.. oh hes still skinny but building strength is not all done by volumizing your size. Garnett is strong, but doesnt look like it. Cato is a good backup, but his salary sucks. Langhi, Collier both should be gone. Torres is probably 12th man. Rockets need to add maybe 1 or 2 defensive veterans... We need a strong bench. With the rookies and 2nd year players we have coming off the bench, its gonna be hard to have the starters take control. Dont say stupid stuff before hearing someone out.
Lol! You could have said all that in your first post. It's not like someone cut you off while you were talking! No Worries, I wouldn't worry about the team's rep. They came through for Mo Taylor and gave him a big contract. That's all FAs want to see. Shandon Anderson also got his big contract: do you think the fact we got it for him in New York made free agents wary? They want to see that the team comes thru with the money they've promised and the Rockets have time and again. Those who want to trade Kenny: should we extend his contract and then trade or trade him without extending his contract?
Extend his contract and trade him if MoT (is recovered fully)and EG can hold down the position. We should know that by the all-star break.
DCKid, I agree with you completely, I would love to see Mo Taylor come out and play his ass off early in the year, and then see the Rockets trade him for someone's whose contract expires next year(Brad Miller anyone?). We could use the extra money to sign KT to a new contract and maybe pursue a good free agent in nexy year's great class.
I really really like KT, he has skills, fire, and determination. Great work ethic, but his position is crowded. He will probably will be traded, unfortunately. I personally would like to see him stay with the Rockets, he is a true CLUTCH performer. But, because of his size and his competition, he is likely gone by the All Star break.
The best thing for Thomas would be to try to sign an extension now or try to work a deal to another team where he can start and get consistant minutes. Why? For one, the Rockets have Griffin and Taylor coming back, and both will need minutes. Unless KT really develops this year, he would likely see a big downturn in his minutes. For another, next year's free agent class is very deep; where this year he'd be one of the better forwards on the market, next year he may just be an afterthought. His potential to get money next offseason will be less than it would this offseason, if only due to the players - Duncan, O'Neal, Brand - who could very well be on the free agent market. However, KT has the work ethic and the skills to continue to develop this year; it's only a matter of him getting the playing time to do it.
Depends on your trading time frame, and how you plan to use him. If the plan is MoT gets his job back, and EG gets his minutes because he's special, you could end up not being able to get much return because he'd have 6 years left on a deal, a la GSW getting a 2nd round pick 5 years from now for Marc Jackson. You also run another risk-if you don't trade him by the trade deadline, he becomes a BYC player, and basically becomes untradeable for another year, and leaving you with a lot of money invested in one position, some of it unneccessary, when it didn't have to be that way. I'd say extend him if you can get a deal for him that is cost effective in the event you move (are able to move) MoT, and/or will help/not hurt his trade value. Signing him to a monster 6 year deal would not help his trade value-you have to look at his market. The likely teams that would want him would be veteran playoff bound teams with a serious need at the 4 (due to injury?, possibly). Those teams tend to be close to luxury tax, so instant help with an expiring contract, and would be a restricted free agent in the event they'd want to resign is more attractive than multi-years left.
I think we should keep KT and sign him to a reasonable extension. Why Keep KT? I have made the argument over the last several months that KT can play the 3. Now that we have Nachbar, I believe that he and KT can provide a great 1,2 punch at SF. Nachbar is the perimeter oriented, long range shooter that we need at the 3. KT is our Corliss Williamson off the bench, too strong for true SFs and too quick for true 4s. A "Sixth Man of the Year" Candidate. Besides, what need would we be trying to fill by trading him now? What's a Reasonable Extension Corliss Williamson signed a contract starting at $4m Nazr Mohammed signed a contract starting at $4.5m Joe Smith signed a contract starting at $4.5 m Clarence Weatherspoon signed a contract starting at $4.5m therefore I believe that an extension for KT starting in the area of $4-4.5m would be reasonable. However, that is the absolute max I would be willing to pay to keep him. While extending Francis and KT would get us close to the Luxury Tax next year, the problem would be resolved the following year when Rice's contract expires.
Wow. That's big $ for a role-player. Hey, he'll never start here. If he does start, woe is us, and we'll be looking for a real PF anyway. Cut him loose and concentrate on the existing young talent. I feel that the future in this franchise is not so much that Francis/Cat will continue to be good; that EG will develop (he will), that Ming will be awesome (he will); it's if MoTaylor comes back healthy and lives up to his deep potential. If he can be The Man we all know he can be, he will be a huge anchor in our title runs. Ya gotta have a stud at the 4.
