Sign: Fred VanVleet, $40M 1 year deal + $40M player option Brook Lopez, $48M over two years Draft: Amen Thompson Trade: KJ Martin + Usman Garuba + #20 to Minnesota for Jaden McDaniels Adds two good playmakers (FVV and Amen) and three good, proven defensive players who can knock down open three pointers (FVV, McDaniels, and Brook). Guards Fred VanVleet Amen Thompson Jalen Green Kevin Porter Jr Forwards Jaden McDaniels Jabari Smith Jr Tari Eason Centers Brook Lopez Alperen Sengun
Sign FVV and Dillon Brooks. Brooks is a controversial player but he’ll learn to tone down and could really thrive in Ime’s system. Great but low candidate IMO. Draft Cam Whitmore out of Nova…Nova has been a factory for great nba players…I like him much more than Amen and you will too if you watch his tape. Kid is 19 and will be solid. In any event, we could have a really interesting team/core, and FVV’s championship experience together with Ime is what we need to right the ship. FVV Green/Brooks Whitmore/KPJ Jabari/Tari Sengun/Garuba I would low key love to draft Jalen Hood Shifino if he falls to 20 and would love to move up to nab him too, but that core could be reeeeally interesting under Ime. May even pique my interest after so many years of utter garbage.
Give me FVV (big 2 year contract or good value 4 year contract) and Brook Lopez (big 2 year contract). Realistically speaking, that should take up all our cap space. Those are two elite roleplaying championship players who will organize the floor perfectly on offense and defense. They will be respected and they play the right way: both sides of the ball plus 3pt shooting. I'm 100% certain that if we sign these two and no one else, we will make the play-ins at minimum. More importantly, our young core will be rapidly improving and learning how to win the right way. I don't know why I'd even trade anyone. Even KJ: is it really that big a deal if he walks? We'd be fine and it's worth having his bird rights in a year. We do need a backup PF and he's not bad at all at that spot. The biggest ticket issues we have is lack of rim protector and lack of floor general. Everything else is a luxury imo. Getting a wing would be great, but I'm extremely comfortable with Tari/Tate/Jabari/KJ competing for those minutes - it's not ideal but they could get a B-. Rim protection and playmaking are way worse situations for us: Sengun/Garuba/Jabari protecting the rim is a guaranteed F and KPJ/Tyty being the primary playmaker could very well get between a D and an F. Much more urgent issues structurally if you're building a championship team.
FVV and Lopez don't move the needle for me, unless Ime can coach these boys up quick. I think we'd win 30 games max if that's all we do.
I don't agree that adding a mandate to win, Ime Udoka, FVV, Lopez, #4 and the internal growth of 8 players under 22 is only going to result in 8 more wins. Anyone can win 30 if they're trying to win and spending money. That's never been a difficult barrier to cross in the NBA. Like you said, it depends on how much you know about the youngsters and what you see in their future. I don't understand the idea that we draft scorers and then make them into role players - not up for that at all, it always always fails.
I’d love Lopez if he would be content coming off the bench. I doubt he will leave the Bucks though. Don’t see the need for FVV. KPJ can bring up the ball just fine and Sengun is going to be our main facilitator in the half-court. @ApacheWarrior our main FA priority should be Jerami Grant and a backup PG like Conley or Caruso for when Sengun is out of the lineup. Use the 4th pick on Cam or Jarace and try to move up for Lively for backup Center. He is a helluva shot blocker and has high upside for a 10-15 pick. Rotation KPJ, Jalen, Caruso or Conley, Jaygup at guards Grant, Tari, Sengun, Cam or Jarace at forwards Sengun, Jarbari, Lively at Center If they can get some vet depth at wing with KJM, Tate and future picks great. Reeves should also be a target for depth at Guard. If not, just role with this lineup. We will still have flexibility to sign a max FA or make trades for all-stars if they become available this year or next.
I agree with much of what you are suggesting. Brook Lopez gives Udoka much of that Al Horford role. I want you to envision 1) Udoka 2) that Boston team. You might be traumatized and stuck on that non ball movement version of that Silas scheme. Brook Lopez worked just fine next to a version of Siakim in Giannis. I posted a you tube video where it stated Udoka used Al Horford in many ways as a defender near the rim and away. Noted that Horford scored well in isolations allowed this. Unfortunately Sengun is far from being voted 2nd in defensive player of the year like Lopez did this season. Again, Udoka could use Lopez in that Al Horford role. I've had Sengun as only Center; but Brook Lopez allows Sengun to operate as PF or the 4 since Lopez can shoot 3's and spread the floor. I'm good with: Caruso Jerami Grant Jarace Walker Cam Whitmore Dereck Lively Wouldn't be surprised if Jett Howard is drafted at #20 Conley will not be a baby sitter here in Houston. VanVleet won't come to Houston for less than $29 million per year......Rockets brass would just say we have the same thing in KPj. Why pay $11m to $14m more for the same thing or version of KPj (neither had 3-pt shooters and had relatively the same stats) I'm ok with Austin Reaves....but a bidding war means it's going to take $20+ million per season. I feel he selects a team with greater odds of succeeding. KPj..... ? / TyTy [ I can see Caruso, Beverley, Fultz, Monte Morris, Jevon Carter, Seth Curry, Jordan Goodwin...one being added to the mix ] Green...... ? / J Christopher [ Seth Curry or Austin Reaves ] Jabari....... ? / Tari [ Cam Johnson ] Sengun...... Jabari / Tari [ trade for Patrick Williams with Caruso, Cam Johnson, Siakim, Jerami Grant ] Brook Lopez.....Sengun / Garuba ______________________ But everyone knows I would trade any of Sengun, Tate, Kenyon, TyTy, Josh Christopher, Garuba and future picks to make room for: .....Jevon Carter, Jordan Goodwin, Monte Morris, Beverley, Seth Curry, Caruso, Fultz, Reaves, Cam Johnson, Jerami Grant, Siakim, Patrick Williams, Naz Reid, Brook Lopez, OG Anunoby Udoka is from the Popovich school of sharing the ball. No one player is going to have sticky fingers and hold the ball. Ime stresses sharing the it.
Just saw this ish. https://basketball.realgm.com/wiret...e-Kyrie-Irving-If-They-Dont-Sign-James-Harden If Stone and the FO are so delusional to do this then all hope is lost for this organization until they're gone. Maybe they're "flat earthers"...
They aren't delusional - this is what TILLMAN WANTS....I don't know how it is so hard for people to understand.....STONE has been told to win, NOW.....so every ****ING MOVE HE MAKES is going to be towards that goal. Get on board or GTFO of the way, because that is what is happening. Whining or b****ing or complaining about draft or any other such thing without considering what STONE has been tasked with is a monumental waste of time. DD
Look Chum's if you aren't bright enough to see that bringing in Kyrie is a mistake then you're not only funny ish for all of us to read, your stupid. Name the last time he was a plus and not an overall negative to a team due to his complete tendency to put himself before the team.
You're seeing every major free agent linked to Houston for two reasons: 1. Houston has the most cap space, and is the only real believable free agent destination among cap space teams. Every agent needs to say "my guy might sign in Houston" to get their guy the best offer wherever he's going. It would be malpractice if any agent wasn't leaking out that their player might go to Houston. 2. Our front office has been putting out the PR message "The Rockets want to win now, we're getting serious and we want guys who are good right now so we can be a real competitive team that competes for the playoffs. Why? It is the only way we can sign any free agents. No free agent will ever want to sign for a tanking team. No good veteran wants to play for a team where he'll be benched for a worse young player. Leaking out that "Tilman wants to win now" is step 1 of signing anybody this offseason. Remember that Tilman press conference with the prepared notes about how phase 1 is over, and now we're moving into phase 2? They're trying to let everyone know we have ended the era of trying to lose games. NBA players want to play on real basketball teams that are trying to win. The fastest and cheapest way to convince everyone that we are one of those is exactly the concerted PR campaign you're seeing.
KMJ+Garuba+Tate+#20 for Davion Mitchell. #4-Cam Whitmore 3 years 28 million per to Cam Johnson. 2 years 29 milllion per with team option on 2nd year to Lopez. Christopher+2024 Nets pick top 18 protected for Daniel Gafford. Sengun/Lopez Smith/Gafford Johnson/Eason/Whitmore Green/Whitmore Mitchell/Porter
Intriguing possibility since he was with the Spurs when Udoka was assistant coach there. He kinda got pushed into playing SG due to Trae Young. His last year with San Antonio he averaged over 9 assists. Thing is he is on an expiring so there are limits to how much we can afford to give up, even if he does give us an under the table promise to come back. The other issue is, what does that look like if Amen Thompson is the pick? You don't draft for need, so maybe you trade back? Or maybe Miller drops?
I’m guessing Murray would cost us our #4 pick if we’re not giving up Green or Smith. He’d be a great fit. Add a 3-and-wing to a Murray/Green/Smith/Sengun core — that’s an interesting team. Or maybe try KPJ at 3 since he’s great at catch-and-shoot 3s.
He's not good enough to be worth #4. Not on an expiring contract with no guarantee he'll return. That's not the level of return San Antonio got when they traded him, either, with multiple years left on his deal, and he's regressed a bit with Atlanta. So I think you'd pass if that's the ask. I'd imagine it being a package along the lines of Tari + KPJ + Clippers pick + 1-2 future first round picks.
Pass on DeJounte, 6 years in the league, has yet to post a league-average efficiency season, and is looking to get paid
