[ClutchFans] Podcast: Talking Rockets with CSN Houston's Adam Wexler

- While Morey no doubt keep an eye on the upcoming years' salary flexibility, I think there is probably too much attention paid to these future things as oppose to this season.

The team has Dwight Howard under contract for 3 years and Dwight Howard already has 10 seasons worth of wear and tear on his body (including a back surgery). When Morey and others talk about being in "win now" mode, I think "now" means "THIS YEAR." Anything that reduces the Rockets' probability to make a serious run in playoffs 2014 for flexibility in summer 2014 (or later) is a serious cost to the team-- it's 1 out of 3 chances that Houston is guaranteed to have Dwight Howard under contract, and 1 in who knows how many years that Dwight still has left in his relative prime.

The priority has to be getting the Rockets ready to match up with (or as close to it as possible) all of its upcoming post-season opponents THIS YEAR as oppose to pinning its hope on what cap flexibility might bring in the summer of 2014 (which, by the way, was what the Lakers (and Dallas) tried to sell Dwight on-- wait a year and we can add a big free agent for the 2014-15 season).

- With this in mind, two names in the news that come to my mind are Kyle Lowry and Taj Gibson.

The two guys' contract don't really match up with creating cap flexibility at "the right time" but they are the type of guys that take the team to the next level-- which is what you are saving the cap flexibility and assets for anyway.

Morey talks about a "third star" (or more precisely, third best player on a championship level team). Guess what, Kyle Lowry is that guy. Taj Gibson may even be that guy in terms of defensive impact-- Gibson is basically a smaller version of Omer Asik, with better jump shooting. You put these guys in the starting line up and this is a contender.

It's been reported that these guys are available-- and ESPN's Amin Elhassan specifically mentioned that Houston is interested in Lowry-- and the Rockets might have just the right pieces to get them. Get Boston involved. Send Asik to Boston, have Boston send a package of draft pick(s) and filler contract(s) to Toronto, have Lowry sent to Houston and then ship DMo and maybe (Chicago native) Beverley to Chicago for Gibson. You can get some filler contracts and maybe draft picks from Houston in to fill the gaps to make things work, and maybe work in a Dunleavy or Patterson acquistion for depth, too.

 

If you take a look to the Raptors payroll, you figure they perfectly can re-sign Lowry for 8-10 per year and still have room for a max contract. They have tons of expirings.

So I highly doubt they trade Kyle Lowry this deadline, considering he's the curent team leader and a fan favourite, and that they are in a push for a playoff run.

 

They may keep him. But Lowry can just decide to leave Toronto this summer for his own reason-- a bigger $ offer from another team, a more competitive team, or just maybe he just prefer a warmer weather city. He is an unrestricted free agent so there is a significant risk of losing him come summer that Toronto and every other team must account for.

 

The Raptors will check the pulse on Lowry. If he is dealt, it means that he expressed he wouldn't re-sign (IMO). Toronto always has that factor with some of these guys.

I like the idea of both Lowry and Gibson. Get Dunleavy along with it.

 

my tweet to wex

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23WexAlmighty&amp;src=hash">#WexAlmighty</a> RT <a href="https://twitter.com/dewah07">@dewah07</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/awexler">@awexler</a> ever since u did the podcast with <a href="https://twitter.com/clutchfans">@clutchfans</a> the rockets are unbeaten <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23wexeffect&amp;src=hash">#wexeffect</a></p>&mdash; AdamWexlerCSN (@awexler) <a href="https://twitter.com/awexler/statuses/430171213185286144">February 3, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

This was a fantastic podcast. Clutch, I really hope you can make this a semi-regular feature podcast. Wexler's takes really impressed me.

 

The Rockets would be a far better team with Lowry, Gibson and Dunleavy. The bench would go from a weakness to a real strength. I don't think that you would need to include Beverley to Chicago, as the Bulls would be happy to get out of his contract.

C - Howard/Camby
PF- Jones/Gibson
SF- Parsons/Dunleavy
SG- Harden/Lin/Dunleavy
PG- Lowry/Lin

The Rockets could run so many different sets with Jones and Gibson capable of playing the 4 and 5, Parsons the 3 and 4, Dunleavy the 2 and 3 and Lin and Lowry both capable of playing the 1 and 2.

 

Does Lowry want to resign with Toronto? Does he think he can get more on the open market?

 

The thing is, people forget that Lowry was not doing so well being used in a reduced role in Toronto, either. Remember how much hate he was getting from Raptor fans before this latest outburst of performance with the Raptors team dynamics remade? If Lowry were here, his role would be even further reduced than when he was mediocre in his reduced role in Toronto.

 

The thing is, I don't think money is even Lowry's primary concern. He wants to be a great basketball player first and foremost. I think if he feels like he can keep the kind of freedom to operate he is currently given in Toronto, he may just re-sign to a "fair" deal, some extra cash be damned.

 

Lowery will not be coming back if Mchale is still the coach Carl. Do you think we will fire Mchale?

 

I don't see why not. McHale and Sampson both need to go.

 

i miss lowery. wished the astros would have kept!

 

Lowry will be 28 in free agency. This is likely his last major contract. It doesn't look good for most guards & wings past 30.

 

rockets are still undefeated since the podcast 4-0. WEXEFFECT