WAIT! CAN THIS BE ATTEMPTED? (I'm not the best with the cap stuff and there is absolutely no way this happens but technically is it possible?) Paul George and Lebron James both tell their respective teams that they either opt-in and get traded to Houston or they will sign with LA and leave the team with nothing. The Cleveland and OKC front offices won't like it but will hear Morey out. Morey offers Eric Gordon and Nene for PG13 We sign and trade Ariza for the highest first round pick possible (It won't be that high but still first round). We trade PJ Tucker for the highest 1st rd pick possible (Again, won't be that high but still first round) We offer Ryan Anderson + 2 first round picks from the Ariza/Tucker trades as well as any picks we can offer for Lebron. We max out Chris Paul to show PG13 and LBJ that we would max them out next year. We match any Capela offer sheet. Again, not that I believe anyone would consider this but is it all workable? If so, does OKC let a team like us have Paul George just so they can get an Eric Gordon rather than nothing. Can we sign and trade Ariza for Utah or Philly's first round pick? Can we do the same for Tucker? I would think those teams would welcome having either veteran. Ariza wouldn't be easy because he dictates what contract he signs. And then do Cleveland help Lebron out and eat Ryno's contract for 3 low first round picks? Lastly, does Tillman pay the biggest luxury tax ever for the next 6 years for the greatest starting line up ever? Someone please confirm the math works.
Aaaaah did not see that roadblock. You're saying its not possible because we have to wait until July 1st and the players would have to opt in and get traded before that. Correct?
Right. Not only do we have to wait to sign any free agents before July 1st, but we can't even talk to them about it...much less involve another team in such discussions. Not to mention involving CLE/Lebron in such illegal discussions of a SnT of Ariza for picks, in order to get Lebron to agree to Opt-in.
But wait. I'm confused. Can't we do everything I stated except the Trevor Ariza part. Didn't Chris Paul do that before July 1st last year?
That has to be one of the least attractive families I have seen. They are like the uglier bipolar version of the Kardashians.
Your scenario was to use picks from the Ariza SnT part to offer CLE in order to get Lebron to Opt-in and accept a trade. Right?
Yeah but I realize now that can't happen so forget the Ariza part I'm just asking if that whole scenario would work math wise Basically: EG and Nene for PG13 PJ Tucker for Philly's first (or another team with cap space and pick) Ryno + Philly pick + our future first rounders + Zhou Qi + Isaiah Hatenstein + Alesandro Gentile (I'm reaching farther than I thought possible) for Lebron
If you meant trading Tucker on draft day, then later using that pick in a Lebron trade...then No. Math-wise, for salary-matching, you are trading just Ryan Anderson's contract. Unsigned draft picks count $0. Signed Rookies can't be traded for 30-days (no SnTs) Non-guaranteed salary (Zhou) counts $0. Isaiah doesn't have an NBA contract, counts $0. I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think you can even sign a rookie until July 1st. But I do know, you can't sign and immediately trade a newly drafted rookie...there is a 30-day waiting period to trade a newly signed rookie. So, best we could do is trade his rights, which count as $0. Even if the rookie counted in salary-matching, that pick will be valued at < $2m, so you're still way off.
Oh, yeah. I misread your timing. Yes, in a 3-way, Tucker + Ryno add up pretty close to salary-matching requirements for Lebron. That said, you must be talking about trading Tucker into capspace of Philly, right? I don't know how close they are to freeing up caspace, but we couldn't take any salary back, if you intend to match Lebron with just PJ and Ryno.
Trying to get everyone's hopes up? This is a Rocket's fan board. Everybody's hopes are already up. We have plenty of options to improve with or without LeBron/PG. AND lbj is likely.
See, this is how fake news gets made. The real story is Ariza is coming back unless some team offers him $15 million a year or more. Some media person flips that to Ariza looking for $15 million per.
IMO the LeVar question is the effect he has on the sons as they enter the grown-up portion of their lives. For example, my adult son thinks he's great while I think he's writing checks too expensive for the 'boys' to cash.
staying pretty much pat while 'exchanging' an ineffective stretch 4 for (a modicum of) an effective one might be a pretty fair summer. Better than how SP's turned out from his exec of the century summer of '17, eh?!!
