[ClutchFans] Houston Rockets Salary Cap Update: Lockout Edition

Bima, if the league loses the entire season due to the lockout then that does mean players lose that year of their contract as well correct?

So we would basically just start in 2012 with only Martin, Scola, and Lowry, committed to about 28 million and a TON of options on everyone else except Morris and Moti who's contracts would begin in 2012?

I am afraid if we do have a season the Rockets will use their capspace on someone like Tayshaun Prince when it should be hoarded for Howard, CP3, or Dwill in 2012.

 

The rules will be what the rules are 'negotiated' whenever the rules are negotiated. We know nada about what the rules negotiated will be.

 

Lockout is gonna be long and painful as long as the players think the pay scale will be close to the same as it was.

 

Bima, sometimes I wish you'd do a little research before posting.

 

Yes and No. We'll see how much of an influence Adelman had on our past years' records, if his HOF caliber coaching played any role in our inflating our win total.

 

Great write up as usual and its pretty much what I've been thinking for a couple of years. The team needs to be in position to get 2 max type talents. Howard and williams/paul. They don't have to tank, but trading scola and his salary and not resigning hayes would be enough to get it done. I've mentioned kaman a few times because he would keep the team competitive and in the playoff hunt while giving the team salary felxibility they need for the summer. When a team has money flexibility and roster flexibility, they're a dangerous team now.

 

I get that Houston was going to lose Battier to free agency after the season ended, but from what you are saying, DM not only handcuffed the team by taking on Thabeet's contract, but in the process, opened the door for Memphis to be able to re-sign Gasol. Is it me, or can Houston just not make an equitable trade involving Battier and the Griz?! I really liked the idea of Houston signing Gasol since he's a solid Center with a long, bright future who I think, along with KLow, would be perfect to build around. Oh well, I guess we'll just have to wait for the next free agent du jour to come around and get all excited about, only to have our hopes come crashing down once again, and again, and again...

Thanks for the write-up, though, Bima. Your ability to break down the salary cap is outstanding and always appreciated.

 

Daryl Morey IMO is one of the best GMs at cap menuvering. Our cap situation today probably doesn't mean a lot if Morey really wants one particular player and require another few million bucks of capspace to sign.

That said, I really doubt he has high expectations for this FA market in the first place. Denver looks like they're resigning Nene. Jordan and Gasol are both restricted. Chandler is too old and too injury-prone to be worth big bucks for us. And Dalembert, despite this board's fasincation with him, simply sucks.

One could see the 2012 capspace clearance from even a year ago. And nothing he's done has since changed that. If Morey used this year's capspace at all, it's likely an unknown role player who fits a niche and is undervalued.

 

Wouldn't it be possible to sign a center this summer and still have cap space to sign a max contract the next summer? Trading Scola, I think so.

 

Obviously depends on the cap and how much money you are going to spend on that center, but yeah, in theory it's possible.

Also agree with everything meh said. With the players and contracts we have, there's always going to be a way to create more cap space if needed.

 

You are too kind. Dalembert will get a big, multi-year contract this off season. He will then simultaneously suck on the court and the cap space.

Dalembert is not a money ball player, so there is little worry that DM will sign him.

 

Well, I was kind of thinking that no free agent this year is worth "gaining significant cap room" for. If such a player exist, I'm sure Morey would've traded Battier for someone who won't take up $6 mil in capspace next year. My implication is that Morey can make some other Brad Miller for Johnny Flynn deal where the Rockets get another $1-2 mil in room. The Rockets can throw in a little extra cash to make things work both sides.

The only players I'm personally willing to give major bucks to are Gasol and Nene. And quite frankly I'm not willing to go beyond $10-11 mil in starting salary for either one. This would give them about max of 5yrs/$60 mil(guesstimating here so number's probably a bit off). This sort of salary doesn't require trading away Lowry/Martin Scola. More like Hill/Lee types.

 

You don't want to be wasting your cap space on players like Nene or Gasol. You want to waste it on players like Howard, Williams, Paul.

 

Man, just looking at the salaries, it is absurd how well we are set up for the summer of Dwight/CP3/Dwill.

http://hoopshype.com/salaries/houston.htm

Team options on every player on the roster except for our three best, with cap space for two max deals to a superstar PG and C. We could literally pick and choose the best cast of supporting characters for whomever we might land.

Potential core:

CP3 / Lowry
Martin / ?
? / ?
Scola / ?
Howard / ?

I might look to sign and trade Scola for Nene if we could, which would give us 4 of the most effecient players in the NBA starting along side one another with damn near perfect synergy.

Theres always those times when you look at the big picture and realize just how amazing Morey isas a GM. This is one of those times for me.

 

If there's a back-room deal to be made for CP3/DWill+Howard, I'm basically certain Scola will be gone in a salary dump. I say Scola rather than Martin because of Patterson and to a lesser extent Hill/Monte. Whereas trading Martin means you have to keep Lee and his sort of significant cap hold.

Otherwise the money doesn't really add up. You got to keep in mind there are a lot of "hidden" money that adds to capspace, like a potential Courtney Lee's QA would count 150% against the cap, as well as capholds and 1st rounder salaries. We already dealt away with a minor problem(Brad Miller would've counted $1 mil against the cap next year) but trading Scola would likely take care of the rest.

 

Marc is in Menorca, Spain, working on his body and apparently he has slimmed down.



Marc gained some weight last season (even before, because the following symptoms were already noticeable in the past summer with the national team) and it resulted in a reduction of lateral mobility, stamina and rebounding. So good news. We'll see the results very soon.