JJ will not be a Rox, at least not in this summer. 1) Morey brought in Martin to play with Yao. So far they haven't had any chance to do the experiment. Moving Martin is like Morey saying he was wrong shipping Landry out. 2) JJ needs the ball to be effective, exactly the type of player Adelman doesn't like. Don't you think JJ is a less talented Tmac with a bit more heart? 3) How would landing JJ increase our chance getting Bosh? Because Morey thinks so? There is no facts supporting this theory unless Bosh had some secret communication with Morey and explicitly asked.
In what universe do the Rockets end up with Martin, Johnson, Bosh and Yao? Also, another consequence of maxing out both Bosh and Johnson would be that it would be increasingly less likely that (a) both Scola and Lowry are re-signed, (b) Brooks is re-upped next summer, and (c) that some of the other young talent can be retained when their deals come up anytime in the next five years. Sure, it's Les's money. But at some point the pain will be too great for him. And the new CBA may very well limit a team's payroll to an extent that the Rockets won't even be ALLOWED to keep many of their young players. Just saying.
So what is going to happen? Hill/Jeffries/2012 Knicks Pick/Battier for Bosh Martin/Budinger for Johnson Yao/? Bosh/Scola/Patterson Ariza Johnson Brooks/Lowry Soo many variables...
It has been reported that Morey basically told Martin not to unpack his bags he could possibly be used in a sign and trade this summer.
It's definitely possible that in this fictional world where Johnson & Bosh come packaged together that we could end up with Brooks, Martin, Johnson, Bosh, Yao, AND Scola. We'd have to sacrifice some depth and pretty much all of our young talent, but that would be the best six-man rotation in the league. Whether Les is willing to consistently be one of the highest payrolls in the league for a year-to-year contender is a whole separate matter and can't really be debated.
Might be a smokescreen for the Rockets going after Chris Paul, since he might be available. It would give Bosh and just about any other top free agent something to think about if the Rockets were somehow able to land Paul.
Moes has said something similar(fwtw) Though I believe the poster is talking about Bill Ingram, who has stated that.
I call BS. Morey has salivated over Martin for over two years. Martin is perhaps the most efficient offensive guard in the NBA (after only Steve Nash). He's on a somewhat reasonable contract. Unless it becomes an emergency where Martin MUST be traded at the eleventh hour, I just don't see Morey letting Martin go.
I agree on all points. But I'm really glad to see that we're apparently being active and aggressive whatever Morey's master plan is.
I agree that "it was reported" but I don't think the report is true. Why would you tell someone to not unpack your bags? Trades are never done until they're done and if the pending trade were to fall through - which they do all the time - and you can't find another trade partner, now you have a very unhappy employee. I just don't see Morey doing that at all.
By starting with the teams that can sign him without a sign-and-trade deal, Bosh could pressure the Raptors to make the best of losing him by coming to an agreement with the sort of sign-and-trade arrangement the Rockets will need. That doesn't make sense. He doesn't have to pressure his team to sign with the rockets. What he could do is threaten to go to NY, Miami, follow James, or whoever has cap space. This would pressure the Raptors to sign and trade with not as good of an offer as houston could give them.
It might be BS unless Morey's main goal was to obtain the best assets possible to go after Bosh. Martin is better trade bait than anything the Rockets had prior to the trade.
