[Bergen Record] Rockets interested in Marcin Gortat?

You don't think Gortat has shown more than Diop? He's a similar rebounder and defensive player but he is a much better offensive player. Considering the market for big men, I don't think a mid-level is outlandish. You have to pay to get a decent big man.

 

I like him but not for the entire MLE.

 

I think that Gortat has shown flashes of becoming a solid player in this league. However, he is able to be so aggressive largely because he knows that he will be playing no more than 10 mpg. If Gortat was being counted on to play 30 mpg, he would be in foul trouble for much of the game and would have to scale back his aggressiveness.

Yes, if NBA history has taught us anything, it is that big men get paid well above their skill level relative to smaller players. But the league is littered with full MLE contracts that are now rotting away at the ends of benches. I think Morey himself said that full MLE deals have historically been the worst as far as return on investment. Turkoglu is the rare exception. But for every Hedo there are five Beno Udrihs.

Just because promising young centers are hard to come by, I would be willing to "overpay" Gortat up to $3M per season if I were Morey. Anything above $3M per year, however, and the Rockets should run for the hills.

 

Gortat is a restricted FA -- I don't think the Rockets can get that one done. I'd love to bring DeAndre Jordan back to Texas, as leebigez suggested. However, there is another -- Kyrylo Fesenko of Utah. They are cash strapped with the Boozer / Okur cloud hanging over them. They may not exercise his option. If they don't, I hope Morey pounces quickly. Fesenko is currently making less than $1M.

Fesenko has game. He's agile, 7-0, a decent, improving defender and has nice touch around the basket. For that matter, Morris Almond of Rice is a Utah free agent as well. Pounce. Pounce. Pounce.

 

Fesenko seems good offensively..dunno bout his defense?

 

Agreed on both counts. Fesenko is still raw, but he's definitely got potential, which is why I think Utah will likely exercise his option. The risk/reward is just too skewed to the positive for the Jazz not to exercise.

As for Almond, assuming that Morey is satisfied with his attitude (which was apparently a small problem while he was with the Jazz), I would definitely look at him as a replacement for Von Wafer if Von decides to bolt for more money elsewhere. Almond is a better shooter (although he might not be as good a slasher/scorer) and would give the Rockets yet another perimeter threat off the bench.

 

he's a great rebounder/shotblocker and can run the floor. if we get him, rick will gladly play yao just 28-30 mins a game.

 

He guarded Yao pretty well in the first two h-h games.

 

If we purchased a #31 to #35, Utah might be willing to swap Fesenko for that pick. Fenenko would be better than anyone we could draft at that position, and Utah could go for a more Sloan-y kind of player, either by exercising the pick or by using the pick as a sweetener in a trade. They don't want to go into luxury tax, and they have some negotiating to do with Boozer and Okur.

 

Too bad,they have an option on Fesenko.

 

As I pointed out in Post #63, they may not exercise his option. They have until Monday to do so.

 

Interesting.

 

Although I think they'd be crazy not to exercise the option, there is some doubt. Otherwise, they would have taken the option already. Let's hope they decide Kofus, Okur, Boozer and Kirilenko are the Sloan rotation.. Then let's hope that Morey approves Fesenko. That really helps solve a lot of our youth, height, athleticism problem at C.

 

Milsap will also cost them money and can push them over the LT,but Fesenko is relatively cheap and talented.If he gets lost in a number's game like you said, they might let him go.I have heard that the Jazz aren't pleased with Koufos,if that's true they might try to move him and retain Fesenko. It was written somewhere else on the board that Fesenko's season ending interview didn't go well,but I still expect him to be retained.

 

The option is for only $870k. I think you actually nailed it in your other post (#68) that the Jazz would likely exercise the option and then trade Fesenko to another team in exchange for another asset. With Fesenko's size and potential, the lack of quality young big men in the league and the minimal salary obligation, the Jazz would have no problem swapping Fesenko to any number of teams in exchange for AT LEAST a second rounder. Even if it is just for cash, the Jazz would be silly NOT to exercise their option.

Daryl Morey did this last summer with Steve Novak. Even though he wasn't sure there was a spot for him on the Rockets' roster, Morey realized that there was at least a small market for Novak's services. So, despite the Rockets being close to the luxury tax, Morey exercised the third-year team option on Novak. Once the Artest trade happened and it became clear that Novak would not likely make the Rockets' active roster, Morey found a taker for Novak in the Clippers and ended up getting an "asset" (such asset being the right to swap 2011 second round picks with the Clippers, an ability that would potentially allow the Rockets to move up in the draft by 15-20 spots).

 

I completely forgot about Millsap. He's going to cost them a bundle, which makes their squeeze into tighter. High note to Morey -- offer the Jazz some cash for him. Git-r-done!

 

QFT...