[Spanish Radio] Sergio Llull close to deciding to join the Rockets?

i for one thought this would happen exactly like this when the rockets drafted lull in the 2nd round 27 years ago.

 

Sergio You'll can drink all of the Red Bull he wants, just in a cup.

 

Lull & Prigioni, please translate!

https://www.facebook.com/rocketsenc...5894025486115/862196867189164/?type=1&theater

 

I look forward to the $hit posts demanding Llull to drink another Red Bull when his shot is not falling or he makes a costly turnover.

/s

 

How many other moves do the Rockets have lined up to make an 8 million per year offer possible?

 

Lulz and Pepperoni had dinner together.

 

Last week Llull had dinner with Prigioni. According to sources, Llull wanted to know everything about the Rockets and is seriously considering playing for them next season.

According to sources, Llull wanted to know about the city, the locker room atmosphere and showed special interest in coach Kevin McHale, who is intriguing as he has been loved by past players he has coached.

 

Kevin Mchale strikes again.

 

I sense much pre-draft misinformation is floating about, but let's assume these reports are correct (unlikely).....at the very least, they could indicate the Rockets are planning to use cap space rather than stay over and use the MLE.

Why would they do this? Because it's likely the only way to sign Llull AND keep KJ McDaniels.

 

Mainly, let Josh Smith and Brewer walk, plus release Prigioni and Papanikolaou.

 

They can't just release Papanikolau. They took up his $5 mil option already. It would have to be a trade.

 

You could probably find a team (sixers) to give up some second rounders and swallow his contract. Sixers have #35 and #37. I think that could be sufficient. And we could use the picks in later trades too.

 

Feigen says otherwise:

 

Not if they are actually using the MLE. You can only give 4.5% raises with that exception.

I can see $21-23.5M over 4 years by way of the MLE, but that is the most. No way they renounce Brewer, McDaniels, and Smith to make a $7M+ dollar a year offer to Llull.

 

http://rockets.clutchfans.net/8859/houston-rockets-salary-cap-update-2015-offseason/

Well, I think the main difference against operating over the cap it would mean the sure leaving of Corey Brewer.

- Terry would be offered a vet min contract ala Garcia.

- Josh Smith was equally almost gone, unless he was willing to accept a $2.49 million per year contract.

- I'd say Beverley's cap hold could fit if the team renounces to Brewer's cap hold of $6.11 million.

- Papas and Priggs would be gone, if not signed for min contracts.

- Team could use the under the cap exception starting by $2,814,000 in another player. KJ McDaniels?

In the end I think these new digits would mean the sure leaving of Corey Brewer. Rockets could still keep Terry and even Beverley, maybe even McDaniels by using that under the cap exception.

This new offer to Llull it would mean that the player is really hesitant about leaving Madrid and could mean that there have already been some discussions with Brewer's agent and an agreement looks very unlikely... But I'm just doing uncertain assumptions and likely missing some details and technicalities...

 

So basically we would lose Brew and Smith just to sign Sergio? As bad as I want him that would really hurt the team. Our bench\depth will get destroyed

 

According to Feigen, they have not made a decision on Papa, and even if they have, that doesn't mean anything......his salary is non-guaranteed next year.

Here is a hypothetical alternative:

- Waive rights to Brewer and Smith
- Trade Prigioni, Dorsey and TJones for no return salary
- Make Papa a free agent, and resign him at a much lower figure
- Sign Llull and KJ McDaniels
- Sign Beverley using bird rights
- Sign 1st round pick
- Sign 2nd round pick

Llull / Beverley
Harden / Johnson
Ariza / McDaniels
DMo / Papa
Howard / Capela

 

Absent some organic improvement from the middle three, that's a brutal bench and will necessitate another "rebuild it in midseason" project

 

Who is better Brewer or Ariza?

 

Exactly.....there are many routes this offseason can take. We've all been assuming that Brewer and Josh Smith would resign, and the Rockets would use Prigioni and Papanikolaou's non-guaranteed contracts to make a bigger deal........but what if the Rockets prefer signing Llull (even at a higher price) and keeping KJ?