As some people have noticed, Morey (with an assist from Cleveland) has been doing a lot of deals with only partial guarantees in the final year. In fact, we're set up with partially guaranteed ending contracts in each of the next four years: David Andersen 2011 Cap Value: 2.685 million Guaranteed value: 185K Brad Miller 2012 Cap Value: 5 million Guaranteed value: 1 million Kyle Lowry 2013 Cap Value: 6.25 million Guaranteed value: 1 million Luis Scola 2014 Cap Value: 11 million Guaranteed value: TBD based on games played and rockets wins As this offseason has played out, it's clear that partial guarantees, trade exceptions and cap space has been totally trumping expiring contracts in value (though expiring contracts will probably still have value before the trade deadline when most of the cap space is used up and the partial guarantees have been waived). Now Morey is loading up with his own partial guaranteed deals which will give him more assets to use in the trade market. I don't expect all these guys to be moved, but it does give Morey options down the line.
Large contracts with very small guarantees seem like the big loophole in the current CBA. The non-guaranteed portion is effectively cash to the team you are trading the contract to. Maybe that's been apparent before, but it but Morey is setting these contracts up to have big potential value in a trade in the non-guaranteed year. That looks like a great move- I hope the new CBA doesn't negate this, at least form my selfish Rockets viewpoint. As a whole I think it hurts the league because it can b sued to allow rich teams to buy poor teams best players and the salary cap is set up to keep a check on this.
m_cable, great point. Morey is trying to load up on potential "assets". Those deals are more movable down the road. Dallas moved Dampier's non-guaranteed for Chandler. Morey is just giving himself "outs" for these deals down the road if things don't go well. It is about keeping "assets in play" so he is not "locked into" deals if they don't work out. He is keeping his risks low here. In a couple of years I think we'll appreciate that flexibility.
Morey is 10 miles ahead of anybody else, as were posting he is at an elementary school scouting 9 year olds for the future of this franchise...
Credit to Kevin Martin -- not only an elite level talent on the court, but an outstanding recruiter. (Credit to the owner, coach, and GM, too; you know, for the check writing, dinner reservations, and Twitter updates.)
m_cable, thanks for beating me to the punch! While I'm not exactly thrilled with the salaries for these guys, Morey appears to be paying what the market has dictated. The partial guarantees are part of the way for the Rockets "recoup" some of that "value". And, most importantly, it gives the team more salary cap flexibility. Flexibility is the key. I think I've heard that somewhere before.
Some people would agree... <a href="http://photobucket.com/images/karma%20sutra" target="_blank"><img src="http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m128/thetrooper247247/karmasutra.jpg" border="0" alt="Karma Sutra Pictures, Images and Photos"/></a>
Except cuban is the guy who came up with it. Morey is a great GM, but he gets way too much praise for not winning anything yet. The lebron of GMs.
You've got to be kidding. Look at our roster from when he got here and look a at it now. He is playing the hands he's is dealt pretty masterfully so far- constant roster upgrades.
Last result in the lottery? You have to admit the Clutchfans realm of reality is a bit over the top. Posters claiming he's better than all these other GMs who have proven it with chamspionship teams.
yeah but in fairness all these other gm's pretty much had a superstar in place when they came in, tmac and yao are not a tim duncan and kobe
Can we agree KM is an elite level talent? BM is paid / overpaid for one, maybe two.5 years. At least it's not Charles Oakley. (Sorry, Jeff.)
This is not Rocket science. If this year has taught GM's one thing it should be cap space is valuable. Much more than future expirings. Look at all the freebies that teams like Dallas, Washington, Phoenix were able to jump on just because they had leverage of cap space trade exceptions are a non guaranteed big contract. Any GM who is not looking at adding an additional year on a player with a small guarantee is not doing his job. The problem is Morey is late in the game. Part of the benefit of having that cap space is the ability to be able to take players for almost nothing to help other teams trying to get under the cap. The NBA will never witness a year like this offseason again anytime soon. Every team that could jump under the cap did even if that meant guting their team and throwing away assets like Beasley and Hinrich, 2 first round draft picks and Hill. All just for the slim hope of landing the King. Not a smart strategy in my book. Especially when the one guy everyone coveted was already collaborating with his amigos on creating the triple heist bank job. Only one team came out a winner and almost everyone else lost bigtime. It was a poor strategy for rebuilding in my opinion and I expect no one to try it again anytime soon. Still the Partial contracts will make those players much more tradeable in the offseason than they would have without the partials. Especially if Les is willing to throw in a little cash to sweeten the deal. In the 2012 offseason we can trade Brad Miller plus a draft pick or whatever for another player and make a deal happen that otherwise wouldn'thave worked. Smart move by Morey making Brad Miller an asse even when he really is declining in talent.
Man, people on here love to exaggerate things. When I read that comment about being 10 years ahead of everyone else, I thought, come on, he's a great GM, but let's stop talking about him as if he walks on water. They haven't won a championship yet under him, or even played in one. Then I saw this "last result in the lottery" comment, which is almost as ridiculous in the other direction. You know darn well that isn't an accurate reflection of the team he has built. They played without their star, one of the biggest game-changers in basketball, last year, and the roster is loaded with talent that is on the cusp of maturing. Their record figures to be much better than it was last year, and their season much more successful.
Too many are overlooking or don't realise this is why teams have been giving away players in the last several seasons.
