DeMarcus Cousins might be worth Morey's effort. I can't see shopping for a PF when we already have TJ and Moti for McHale, one of the all-time great fundamentalists, to develop at that spot.
Lets get the season started first. And what ever comes, comes. I never thought Harden will drop to Morey's lab. We might never know what will happen next. Quality big man is scarce, lets just hope one of the rookies can improve. One name I would like to throw out there, is greg monroe.
The way we develop true back to the basket centers. It would be amazing to see Demarcus Cousins in a Rockets uniform.
While not yet a star, anybody think Utah might give up on Favors with Milsap and Jefferson looking to make more cheddar and Haywood looking for a payday? My though is they probably let Milsap walk (why he is mentioned early and often in this thread) and keep Favors. If there were a way though Favors is a guy I expect to break out this year and become a household name in the NBA.
I agree 100%, this is a great post. To become a true contender, we need a PF, or possibly a center that is one of the tops in the league. But we should only be looking at players aged 24 and under, to match and grow with the rest of our core. So the first option is to see if one of our young PFs turns into that player. The second option is a 30-33 win season and some ping pong ball magic at the end of this year. As it looks right now, 4 of the top 6 picks in the upcoming draft may be centers. The third option is to maintain cap flexibility to sign a max player in the summer of 2014. As it stands now, I'm all in favor of rolling with the team we have now for the entire season, and not even making a move in February.
Maybe, though I wonder how much that has changed in the last 12 months. He basically gutted this team, and traded one of those "solid players" for a roll of the dice. I think the language he used around Harden as a "foundational piece" is also really telling that he's no longer just looking for a bit above average starters. If you're trying to get a team of a bunch of 2nd tier stars, you keep your high upside lottery pick (Lamb), and your future lottery pick from Toronto in hopes of having 2 of them as opposed to 1. I think the hope is one of the high risk plays as draft picks work out, but in the mean time, keep on searching. I could see a Josh Smith type if he were a couple of years younger, but given that he's a guy that relies so much on his athleticism, I don't see Morey giving away our remaining flexibility at this point. The other thing is, think about how many good power forwards are out there right now? The NBA has gone through a bit of a shift, in that I think it's actually harder to find a stud shooting guard these days than a power forward. Just look at all the names thrown out here. A Smith or Millsap probably is on the borders of top 10 at the position, as opposed to Harden being a virtually undisputed top 5 guy. I don't think I would've said that 5-10 years ago.
I think the Rocket's weakest position is the 4 right now (even though it is the deepest position), but I also think a major PF could become available during the season. In particular, if Utah or Memphis are dissatisfied with their teams Jefferson and Randolph could become available. Also, especially Randolph, I think they will be pretty affordable -- basically moved for a young player or two with potential and the cap relief that unloading the players will provide.
Id keep an eye out for this February- #1. -Aldridge #2. -Bynum #3. -Josh Smith* *- would seem to be easiest to obtain & wouldn't have to give up much IF he informs Atlanta he will not be re-signing in the Summer. Would not sell the farm to get him however, but you shouldn't have to. [Aldridge is the #1 target IMO. Absolute perfect fit. Already locked into 3 additional years, young, but experienced, and instantly makes the Rockets a deep playoff team with quality surrounding pieces to Harden/Aldridge/Lin/Asik. Thats would be the best team the Rockets have put on the court since the 90's. Better well rounded than possibly even Yao/T-Mac/Artest] [Bynum could also be moved sooner than later if things get off to a shaky start and Bynum expresses a desire to sign elsewhere in the Summer. Would pay close attention to this situation as well.] Other potential targets wayyy in the future are K. Love, Cousins & Greg Monroe. However, its going to be a real challenge to pry them away the next two years. Something crazy has to happen with their teams for them to happen. However, they aren't hitting free agency anytime soon which is why I think their teams will hold onto them for another 2 years until they are forced to move them if they are looking to bolt in free agency. -Pie in the sky aquisitions are Howard and CP3. Something crazy has to happen in the next 3 or 4 weeks though, and Im not counting on a Kobe/Howard fued right now. Even then, they might even trade Kobe before they trade Howard. I dont think CP3 will force his way out in just a few weeks. I think he wants to see through this year. Meaning, you MIGHT be able to sign him as a free agent this Summer if he leaves guaranteed $ on the table(on his very last max level contract mind you) to lose his bird rights and sign with another team. Still its a possibility IF the Clippers are that dissapointing this year. I dont think they will be. Should be the 4th best team in the west.
Because they'll be a mediocre team unless they blow it up. Too good for a high lottery pick. Too bad for the playoffs. The same situation the Rockets were in the past 3 season...until we blew it up...Now look at us they sky's the limit!!
Nobody is going to trade for Kobe Bryant. His contract is horrendous, and the only teams that might want to take him on would have to be on the cusp, and I just don't see any of the current contenders being a good fit. He's stated himself that he plans to retire in 2014. Kobe will retire a Laker.
See my post on the prior page. If Portland decides to deal Aldridge, I don't think they'll care much about West vs. East. I think it'll be because a number of their higher-priced bets (Batum, Matthews) didn't work out, and they decide on a lengthy rebuild with players around Lillard's age. My guess is they would go for the best package of youth/picks/cap flexibility, wherever that may be. Because in that scenario, they wouldn't be contending during Aldridge's peak years anyway.
I think the Aldridge scenario seems most likely. Before we traded Martin for Harden, did anybody think Morey would be targetting a shooting guard? If Morey had the opportunity to trade some of the young power forwards for Aldridge, he'd do it in a heartbeat, and it would make sense for Portland.
It's impossible to rule out any signing, including Dwight. Houston had one of the top 3 offseasons in free agent acquisitions. The others being the heat, defending champs, and the lakers, with a non-existent/meaningless/irrelevant "cap."
If Millsap makes it to free agency and is available at a reasonable price, he's probably the best target. He's great in the post, a good rebounder and defender, and perhaps most important with the current makeup of the team, almost certainly a better roll man than most of the other options at the 4 being discussed here. With the pick-and-roll being such a large part of Lin and Harden's game, having someone who can roll to the basket or hit the mid-long 2 at a decent clip at the PF position is really important. The problem is that while fans may still overlook him, GMs likely won't.
Like I'm not willing to wait for Jones to develop. I would rather trade for J-smoove and become a big player in free agency, so we can actually have a realistic chance at getting CP3 and Bynum
We really need to see how this current lineup shakes out. Can Lin prove he is worth the money and can he prove to be a star on a team. Can Asik do the same. Really we all need to wait and see how the season pans out. If lin was in college and pulled 35 pts against Kentucky and UNC. Lin would easily be a top 5 pick. So draft order is really overrated. If Asik was in college, he could be a top 5 pick too. Player development is key. We just need to wait and see.
