Les is not Cuban or Dolan or Allen. As much as we want to believe the Rockets have no internal salary ceiling, there obviously is one in place. Not complaining, since this applies to most NBA teams. And also Les is above average in terms of willingness to spend. But let's not kid ourselves that salaries don't matter.
Okay. But the Rockets should have SOME cap room this summer for the first time since Morey became the GM. Not a huge amount, but enough to make a little noise in free agency this summer, depending on what they decide to do with Yao and Chuck Hayes. I'll have more about that later this week.
Similar question for Bima. Morey recently said we would be one of the top teams in terms of flexibility going into the new CBA. Do you agree with that claim?
Yep. Oh, yeah, and by my estimations, the Rockets are still ~$1.45M over the luxury tax threshold, and I'm pretty sure that Jared Jeffries isn't going to forfeit that much money to get his release. So, you know what that means . . . Les is paying the luxury tax this year. And boom goes the dynamite.
I'm looking forward to reading it. I've been scratching my head about the cap implications. I know we saved some money, but not how much.
Interesting that Les/Morey didn't find someone to take $1.45 mil off their hands. It would seem that a team would be willing to receive less than 1/2 season worth of salary on a $1.45 mil-ish player in order if the Rockets were to, say, pay them $3 mil in the process.
Given that Ish needed to be included in the Thabeet trade or otherwise waived, the salary relief would likely have needed to be Jared Jeffries. Yeah, why the Rockets didn't just trade Jeffries and $3M cash to Sacramento is beyond me. Hell, it would have even generated a $6.88M TPE for Houston that could have come in handy on draft night or even had a hand in determining what the Rockets do with Yao and Hayes this summer. Uh . . . I think I've derailed this thread. Sorry.
I personally believe, especially given Morey's statements about high picks, that the Rockets are going to tank...err... rebuild next year. And hoard all their money to make a run for the 2012 FA. Sure, it's a long shot at best. But it's not like the Rockets are going to sellout the Toyota Center regardless. No one's going to games now, so why not just go ahead and start over?
Yes but cap room hasn't really mattered in the past, until this past summer, and even then it was only a certain case. Not sure what it will be like going forward though. Most teams were adding players by trading and drafting or MLE signings.
Flynns garbage. Get over that side story. Dragic isnt good either though so talk about that maybe. Its just that Flynn is worse garbage.
The fact that most big free agents went via sign-and-trade last summer didn't change the fact that the teams to which those big names went all had . . . say it with me . . . CAP ROOM!!! Miami - max cap room - got Lebron (S&T) and Bosh (S&T) New York - max cap room - got Amare (S&T) and Felton Chicago - max cap room - got Boozer (S&T), Korver and Watson Golden State - some cap room - got David Lee (S&T) Utah - massive TPE - got Al Jefferson (trade into TPE, like cap space) You get the picture.
Don't joke with us. Sura was inspirational to watch. Soooo awesome!!!!! If Dragic is the same, I will be happy......
Its that it goes against the stated "our advantage is the willingness to absorb salary" mantra. They mean it toward a QUALITY player I'm sure, but the last thing people wanted to talk about was lux tax thresholds.
Not luxury tax. SALARY CAP. February 24, 2011 marks the date when the Rockets focus shifts from "willing to absorb salary and eat luxury tax" to "maintain salary cap flexibility and potentially open up cap room". I've been saying this for over a year, if the Rockets were unable to cash in their assets for a star. It's not Morey's fault. It's simply a necessity. (That said, it's still possible that the Rockets can be a "buyer" on draft night using the Ariza TPE. But I'm not holding my breath.)
Dragic, I like. He's solid and will probably take the start over Lowery before the end of the season.
Yes, the Rockets are willing to absorb salary in the right scenario, but they are selective: Jeffries, for Hill + pick + swap, fine. Thabeet, OK. Baron Davis, go **** yourself, unless you are talking about an really high price to be paid. I think it goes with most other teams, too. Like Oklahoma City-- they'll eat salary for the right price, but generally that's resulted in eating about the MLE money for a year in exchange for a draft pick or mid-level young guy. These salary eating deals generally don't get you a real star player or a super high pick and generally don't involve eating a truly horrible contract.
