[ClutchFans] Houston Rockets Salary Cap Update: 2016 Offseason Pre-Draft Edition

I'd rather trade for Amir Johnson into cap space than sign Horford for 4 seasons.

 

Disappointing season in Greenville; and I always held him up as TJo's best-case scenario. Wrong for MDA IMO.

 

Beverley
Harden
Batum
D-Mo
Whiteside

I like ^that^.

And it can be done.

 

Agree with JD. Whiteside/Batum seems to me to be the best, realistic, chance to turn it around next season. Going a step farther I would trade Ariza to Boston for Pick 16 and draft either Wade Baldwin or Demetrius Jackson and then grab Brogdon and Zipser in the 2nd round. We'd roll out:

Beverly/Baldwin or Jackson/JET
Harden/Brogdon/KJ
Batum/KJ/Brewer/Zipser
DMo/Harrell/Beasley/Dekker
Whiteside/Capella

 

Bima,
How realistic is Houston getting value for Howard through a sign & trade? or will we most likely lose him for nothing? I assume the cap space is more valuable that anything we'd get for Howard, but just curious to get your take.

 

Can a team S&T for Dwight then offer him an extension?

 

Of all the options on the table, Dwight opting in and being traded for Rose has the highest chance of happening. I'm not saying it will. But it's up there on the list of possibilities, especially if Chicago trades Butler and gets Jamal Murray in the draft. This base trade could already evolve into something even bigger involving one to three of Ariza, Bev, and Brewer.

 

Ahh okay. So you're telling us there is a chance that either Dwight or Bev or Ariza or Brewer or any combination of the above are dealt. Would have never figured that out.

Great insider sauces info. Thanks.

 

Thanks a lot for the response Bima. I guess there could potentially be a scenario where a capped out team like Cleveland (assuming they lose the finals) wants to make some roster adjustments this off-season and Dwight feels strongly about joining to chase a ring, but i hear you.

 

Bigger like Taj, ROse and NOAH

 

The most likely thing to occur at this point is Dwight opting in. He is being advised to opt in. Whether he is traded or not is up for debate but a Rose/Dwight has been discussed if he opts in. And is one of precious few trade scenarios that has any traction at present.

 

If for lucks sake a Rose for Dwight trade happens I get to talk about how I'm an insider but if it doesn't happen you can't judge me because I listed the disclaimer "not saying it will". Nothing says trusted source like the typical get outta jail disclaimer.

Also you were the one who tried to write me as foolish for even conceiving the option of Dwight opting in and the Rockets trading him but now it's what your "sources" are telling you about?

Reg Butler I see very little reasons why Chicago would even think about trading him. He's a young star locked up for years. Rebuild or win now Butler helps them. If the Spurs were a borderline playoff team would they be trading Kawhi Leonard? Are the Rockets trading Harden? Is Indiana trading Paul George? Makes little sense.

 

The only team I could see a Howard sign and trade with is the Cavs.

 

Bima, do you have an estimate for the apron level for the 2016-17 season?

Based on a salary cap of $92 million, I estimate that the luxury tax would be ~$110 million and the apron would be ~$114 million (luxury tax + $4 million).

Cleveland is teetering on the edge, with over $100 million in commitments, needing to re-sign Lebron and make a decision on Delly and JR. It'd take some serious cap gymnastics to work out a S&T for Dwight straight-up.

 

This is one of the reasons why Dwight is most likely to opt in. Opens up his scope of teams in trade and he can always sign an extension after controlling his destination.

 

Why trade for a guy on a one year contract?

Cause he says he wants to re-sign? Yeah, I don't see that happening. Nobody is taking that risk.

 

Fast and athletic is the way to go, unbelievable how at the highest level the Cavs are not able to fit with Love. Unless the box score is wrong he finished with 5 and 7 pts. Lebron is playing the role of three positions. Lebron is making Love invisible and its not his fault. James is hogging up all the stats, turning Love into Matt Bullard.

 

Dwight only opts in if there is a trade lined up to let him go where he wants. There's plenty of money out there right now where he could get his current salary at 2-3 more seasons after this one. The only issue would be if the teams willing to offer that are all teams with no chance of contending for a title. Dwight wants to be the focal point and be on a contender. I have no idea which team out there fits that bill (maybe Boston if they can't land a big free agent).