19 bodies, 15 spots, + maybe Francis -- Only Daryl can think this through

If Francis signs look for Head to be gone + JL3

that's 2 so you have 18 sports

Sura will then have to be traded or the one million dollar buy out so that is 17

my guess would Reed and Harris are gone to make 15

now if you trade Sura+Alston+Head for one player and dump JL3 for a future draft pick that is 20-4+1 so still 17 and Reed and Harris are gone unless we don't resign Deke and I think that is a possibility and you have 16 in either senario so that means Harris and Reed fight it out

 

Lucas is gone, Sura is gone. It's happening this offsesaon. I'm not even sure that we can wait until the middle of the season to get rid of Sura. Novak is not progressing so he's probably gone too. The Rockets wanted Reed, but we haven't seen anything of him in the summer league or heard much about him. I think he's just going to be a trading piece to be packaged along with Sura's contract or Lucas.

So then we have:
Yao/Mutumbo/Butler
Scola/Hayes/Landry
Battier/Wells/Harris
T-Mac/Head/Snyder
Alston/James/Brooks

If we pick up Francis, Head or Snyder will probably be gotten rid of, and James/Francis would share some SG minutes behind T-Mac.

 

If Steve F is signed, I'd cut my cable tv.

 

reed/JL3/sura/ will not be on the team, imo

harris/novak/landry/snyder are all on the fence. Novak less so. Im curious to see how harris does in camp.

 

I think if we get Steve then Rafer is definitely out. I personally think Rafers days are numbered with the Rockets anyway but with Steve in the mix I just don't see Rafer on the team.

Adelman's offense values a scoring point guard over a distributing point guard. I could see Steve being very effective cutting to the basket and recieving a pin point pass from Yao in the high post for a easy dunk.

 

You forgot Jake??

 

guy we know are staying:

yao-deke-butler
scola-hayes
shane
tmac-bonzi
james-rafer-brooks

that's 11. 4 spots left. here are the contestants:

landry
harris
novak
reed
head
snyder
lucas
sura

the most likely to be on the roster is reed. why? because morey specifically asked for him to be added into the howard/james deal. les wouldn't allow morey to add a contract to the books just to cut him from the roster. reed is staying.

if luther isn't traded he stays, either way that's one less roster spot. if traded other players may be included in a package, but the player brought in still uses this roster spot.

novak will be given another year to prove himself under an offensive minded coach.

last spot goes to either landry or harris. morey specifically traded for landry so if he was already signed to a rookie deal he's on the team. otherwise, they loose his rights. if he wasn't signed then send him overseas and keep harris.

lucas, snyder, sura, can all be baught out of the last year of thier contracts.

if steve is signed then i give up. we will need to ask the league for 20 roster spots.

 

As an organization they have some important decisions to make.

Is it time to move on and not resign Deke? Perhaps it is time to trade Head away. If we don't find a taker for JLIII, just cut him. Mike Harris was pretty impressive, is it worth it to keep him in the team?

For the first time in some years I am confused about which players we should really keep.

I mean for sure:

-Yao Ming
-Tracy McGrady
-Shane Battier
-Luis Scola
-Bonzi Wells
-Mike James
-Aaron Brooks
-Chuck Hayes (re-signed)

But the rest, we need to make some decisions to trade them or cut them. There is plenty of teams looking for a back up point guard, and although Rafer is not starting material he is back up material who is very capable of playing 20-25 minutes a game effectively, therefore a team like Miami or even Milwaukee could use him.

We need to buy out Sura. I think we need to stop hoping for a trade. In my opinion our roster is pretty much set and I have confidence in who have, even though Morey has expressed that we are always looking to improve, but I think we should wait until mid-season for that unless, we have some incredible deal on the table. Lucas, trade him for cash considerations or cut him.

The rest are just players who are second or third stringers. I love Luther Head, and would love to keep him, but if he isn't going to get many minutes it is best to trade him to avoid future problems involving minutes. I know he is a character guy, but he has proven himself in this league and deserves 20-25 minutes a night, but it might not be with the Rockets anymore.

Anyways, that's just my opinion, and I am confident in the roster for now. I think if we sign Steve Francis, we will have the necessary depth to go nine deep, and having Jackie Butler as a back up option is not so bad.

 

LOL well at least it's a good position to be in. I can't remember another year when we had so many talented athletes.

 

we have his "bird rights" that is all, he is a free agent

 

Yao Ming/Dikembe Mutombo/Jackie Butler
Luis Scola/Chuck Hayes/Carl Landry/(trade)
Shane Battier/Bonzi Wells/Mike Harris
Tracy McGrady/Luther Head/(trade)
Steve Francis/Mike James/Aaron Brooks

Cut: Johns Lucas III, Justin Reed
Trade: Rafer Alston+Kirk Snyder for a project guard or power forwardplayer and/or draft pick
D-Leage: Novak (or just cut him)

 

I think we should just do a couple of 2 for 1 deals for scoring/athletic swingmen.

It seems like we are shaping up to be a pretty stacked squad.

 

i know. it is nice to be able to decide which talent you can do without.

meanwhile, just a thought about singing steve...

we could then package rafer and luther to indy, who's only guards on the roster are daniels and tinsley, for a guy like foster. though they love foster, he's the odd man out with young frontcourt players like harrison, diogu, and granger. then you have to play the expensive guys like oniel, murphy, and dunleavy. so where does he get minutes?

this trade would not only clear 1 roster space (2-for-1 trade), but 2 spaces. the rockets would not have to re-sign deke if they had foster, who is a better fit since he can play a little 4 as well. infact they could start foster if scola isn't panning out.

what a rotation:

yao-foster
scola-hayes

a lot of active guys around yao.

shane, tmac, james can start... steve subs for the 1 and 2, bonzi for the 2 and 3. great team. IMO.

 

Keep Deke since we don't know how Butler will play fulltime, and he will come in at a low cost. If Yao gets injured we may need him.

I am for keeping Reed, Harris and Head at this point, and trading Rafer + Snyder for picks even then sign Francis if he will come.

 

Reed will be cut or traded. If he was seriously in our plans, Morey would have mentioned him when talking about our PF position.

 

Without seeing one preseason game or open practice, and without any new trade coming down the pipe, and given that I am not an insider but only an avid fan with a good understanding of the game and what the players on our roster are capable of doing, here's my depth chart:

Five: Yao, Mutombo, Butler (this is probably a lock; bodies needed at 5 spot)
Four: Hayes, Scola, Landry (this is probably a lock)
Three: Battier, Bonzi, Novak (Harris has a shot, but hard with Landry around)
Two: McGrady, Head, Snyder (Head has trade value but can shoot)
One: James, Alston, Brooks (James is gonna start under Adelman)

Trades: Shooting will be a premium, so I have a hard time envisioning Head going anywhere. Alston is less of a fit under Adelman than Head, but Alston will be harder to trade, which is why I expect both Alston and Head to be on our opening day roster. Don't ask me how we might move my "odd men out" (see below).

I don't know how we'll move them, but my list of odd men out include: (1) Lucas (Morey already said so IMHO); (2) Sura (not sure if he'll retire, get bought out or get traded, but he's gonna be off our roster if not off our payroll); (3) Reed (we have Landry, so Reed's in the same position as Harris); and (4) Harris. I want Harris to stay if Mutombo isn't resigned (I think he's a FA right now).

I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, buy my best is that Adelman will run an offense much like he did the Kings. Yao in high post scoring and passing ala Divac. Midrange shooting and hustle at PF ala Williamson. Perimeter shooting will be a priority at the wing hence more PT for Novak and a reason not to trade him. The two guards will be called upon to play perimeter defense (Battier = Doug Christi) and to penetrate (I hope T-Mac does more of this). Our point guards will be "Shoot 1st, pass 2nd" because there will be less need for playmaking in the backcourt (remember that Mike Bibby's assist numbers dropped big time after trade from Vancouver). Defense is going to dip down under Adelman. But if I recall correctly, lack of defense is what kept the Kings out of the Finals. But this will be a more fun season to watch than what we saw under Van Gundy, who I still admire for what he did for our team.

 

What I think will happen:

Ming/Butler
Scola/Hayes/Landry/Reed
Battier/Wells
McGrady/Snider/Head
Alston/James/Brooks

IR: Sura (we hold onto his contract until the trade deadline to see if maybe we can get someone useful even though it may put us over the LT. Otherwise we use the $1 mill buyout)

Cut: Lucas, Novak (though Novak may make it in place of Landry).

I'd like to see Harris on there in place of Reed but I don't think Reed will be cut.

 

I'm thinking Rafer and Luther to Indiana for Ike Diougu (sp ck).

Don't resign Hayes or Deke.

Sign Steve on the cheap for next 3 years. 2 for 4 done deal. down to 17.

Cut Novak and JLIII. Novak cannot adapt to todays NBA game and really struggles at 6'10" to guard 3's (too slow) or 4's (too light). Down to 15

 

Deal RA, Head, Lucas, Sura (or buyout)
Cut Reed and Jake. T