Just sayin.... he harped about IQ improvement when he was with the Celtics. Then you have him commenting on improvement in IQ with the Rockets at different points in the season. I think Jalen was probably ejected because they wanted Durant and had to give up somebody not named Amen or Alperen. If what they're saying about Cam being shopped is true, I'm guessing it just has to do with stuff going behind the scenes and/or the stuff that was going out in the media combined with him just not "getting it" during the season. I don't want to trade the dude yet unless they can get a useful cog for a title run. Part of me hoping for something from Cam is still there hoping he'll be the steal I hoped he'd be.
I believe his salary can be combined with Nate Williams, which would get you in the range to pick up a player who makes around $10M or so. Lot of bench veterans out there in that range. The other possibility is to basically trade him for a draft pick, then sign a guy with the MLE.
Cam Whitmore can have all the potential in the world, but if he doesn’t want to do what his coach asks of him and play within a team concept, it doesn’t matter. If you don’t do what your supervisor asks of you at work on a regular basis, you won’t be part of their team for long, either. This is no different. Also, Udoka gave Whitmore plenty of minutes his rookie year. So, it’s not like he buried him on the bench for his entire first two years.
Bye Cam. Probably will get back a role player on bench or a future pick. I think Cam has what it takes to be a future star if he starts on a tanking team but to ask a young player like him who thinks he was supposed to be a top 5 pick, it's difficult for him to accept a backup bench role. There's no doubt his agent has been asking Stone to move him to another team in hopes of getting more playtime but the grass is not always greener on the other side, just look at KJ and where his career is heading (btw his dad still blames us for his son's failure in the league). We can have young dudes on this team, but guys that will accept their roles and do the things the coach asks of them. There are lotto picks who will run through a wall for their coach, then there are players who think they are the next Kobe and thinks the team is holding them back.
Don’t understand why we won’t give him another chance now that there’s more minutes for him to play. Yes he has flaws, but let’s see what KD can teach him. I hate being hasty and trading away young talent before we do our due diligence. He’s had a short leash since he’s been here. Give him a chance. Also having no picks this draft or next draft it’s essential to keep young talent on a cheap controlled contract.
Terrence Williams also had the physique and skill to be a great NBA player but something wasn't right between the ears. Now look at him. Don't judge a book by its cover guys. We've all had a chance to read the story of Cam Whitmore the last two years just like we had a chance to read the story of Jalen Green the first two years. It wasn't going in the right direction and after 4 years it was long past time to move on. Please don't try to write Cam's story for him. Just take in what you've seen and understand the reason he's in the position he's in is due to performance.
Cam is the kind of guy Morey would take a swing on and strike out on like he did on many others in the past. Could definitely see that trade happening.
We don't need FUTURE assets we are in WIN now mode.....if Cam leaves we need a very solid Wing that can shoot 40% on 3s. DD
We are in win now mode and build for the future mode. That's why we traded for KD and not some other guy--he didn't cost us any members of our young core except Jalen. Getting more draft picks is useful for future trades when Amen, Sengun, etc are in their prime years. Or just to add more cost-controlled talent down the line. Would I rather get a good player now, sure. Would I complain to get a future FRP? Nope, I think that trade would be fine too. We can always pick somebody up with the MLE.
Go ask ACTUAL NBA experts if Rafael Stone has a "low IQ". He's objectively been incredibly savvy and made several moves that long term have appeared to be HIGH IQ moves.
Eric Gordon spent his prime competing w prime James Harden, did you want them to just trade him while his value was high and break up a contending team? The Rockets got Cam Whitemore as part of the deal for Gordon after running him for 7 seasons, that is a pretty solid return given that EG has been on a new team every single year since being traded in his mid 30s. In fact, i think just about every player you listed has been sent to multiple teams after being traded. KJ on 3 different teams and nearly out of the league, same with TyTy. It would be a big deal if you sell low on something that then returns in value, but that has not been the case. You trade people once you realize they are not a fit, trading something of value while you are still getting use makes no sense. Even if you traded any of the younger guys when they were worth any more you are talking about marginal differences in value. Jalen's value was highest the day he was drafted, you have to be able to evaluate a player and determine if they are a fit for your own team first, before worrying about extracting value from them via trade. The price to evaluate the players we have evaluated has mostly been worth the potential upside and cost for us to do so. A lot of people are over valuing what Christian Wood would have been worth at his peak, they got a first for him. I think the mistakes Stone has made have actually been in the draft itself, like turning Christian Wood into TyTy was a mistake. Drafting Jalen now looks like it was a mistake since hes been moved already. If they don't get a late to mid first for Cam, then that was also a mistake. If you look at the players on OKC, Houston had opportunities to grab like 80% of their roster. I would agree w you if he was selling low and their values went up, but their values go down, so that means hes just not building with the right guys to begin with. Tari and Sengun are the only players where they out performed their draft position, everyone else has under performed their draft position, w Amen being fair value for his draft spot.
