Cyberx, paging cyberx ....

Understandable, you said "Smith" when you meant to say "poor man's Josh Smith"

 

Ok so in order to take back 150% you to be both a non-tax paying team, and the outgoing salaries have to be 9.8 mil or less (These salaries combined equal 9.074 mil assuming this is completed after the moratorium).

So the max the Rockets could take back in a trade involving these guys would be $13.71 million.

 

Can't Brewer be included in a S/T too?
I want him to come back, but if he is needed in order to get Lowry back, I wouldn't be opposed to it, especially if there was a way to get Llull with the entire MLE.

 

Well both Lawson and Lowry would be in that range.

 

Can somebody who understands the cap better than I do tell me if a trade for Lawson/Lowry/anybody in that salary range impede us from resigning guys like Brewer and Smith, or would a trade make them leaving a forgone conclusion?

 

I guess he could be included, if he wanted to go to the team in question. Which is a big if.

 

I know. However I think there is a reason why the Rockets haven't traded for a large salary PG (that isn't a superstar of course) yet knowing well that its a position of weakness.

If the Rockets can't get Llull then I think its highly much more likely they punt the year again with makeshift parts (and maybe that includes Beverley back on the cheap) to keep 2016 flexibility.

I think Llull is the primary target because of this. I think they are betting on the bargain they have the potential to get with him in that spot vs. someone expensive that cuts majorly in the 2016 cap space.

I could be wrong, and they could trade for one of these guys, but my question from before still rings worth noting.... Why haven't they made a trade like that yet?

 

How long after a trade is consummated do you have to wait to trade that player again in an aggregated trade?

I wonder if the Rockets might make some moves at draft night to increase their salary standing in order to deal for a bigger player...

 

Well Llull doesn't give you a starting PG though, so I don't think it's Llull OR a trade for a starting PG, they could very well do both.

As to why it hasn't happened yet, up until now there were more pressing issues. As we stand now, PG is pretty much the only serious weakness in the starting lineup. After that, all we need is depth.

 

Not necessarily. The Rockets have early bird rights for Brewer and can go over the cap to bring him back (as long as the salary is under 8 mil in year 1).

The Rockets could also resign Smith using a portion or all of the MLE. They might even be able to resign both Smith and KJ McDaniels with the MLE if they got lucky under this theoretical scenario.

The question really needs to be, what can the Rockets do while operating over the cap to bring back Brewer, Smith, etc. Lawson/Lowry trade or no Lawson/Lowry trade. The point is the same.

 

I see. That's how I understood it but wasn't quite sure. Appreciate the info, dobro!

 

Is there any real reason to think the Raptors want to dump Lowry for bench players from the Rockets?

I see his name tossed around here a lot but I don't know why.

 

Kpap/Prig/Jones for Vasquez/Ross

Both Vaquez and Ross are going into the last year of their respective contracts next season which gives Morey the flexibility to make moves for Top Tier FAs next summer. They are also talent that the Rockets can use to solidify the depth on the team. Sure Vasquez isn't an elite point guard but he's not below average either.

 

If they accept the fact that they aren't very good and that they won't be winning anything with Lowry who is already 29, they could want to move away from him, and they could do worse than expiring contracts and solid draft picks. Hell, one of the contracts they can cut immediately and save like 6 mil against the cap.

 

Give us more Cyber!!!:grin:
Who is Houston targeting? Giving up DMo it has to be for a guy of LMA or Lowry's caliber right?

 

You sort of enforced Haymitch's point to him even asking the question to begin with?

Why the hell is the other team making the trade to begin with in these theoretical trade scenarios?

As you mentioned, those two Raptors players are going into their final year. Lowry is the Raptors best player, or 2nd best player on a playoff team. Yeah I understand Ujiri wanting to make some trades, but trades that actually help their team get better would seem more likely. Making either trade doesn't dramatically help them get better or worse. It doesn't really even matter financially as a team under the cap next year. Its more of the same.

They are already under the cap next year. Are you suggesting they should move Lowry because they aren't going anywhere and need to tank ALA Philly 2013? I don't see it. Its going to take a hell of alot of roster stripping to make that team NOT make the playoffs in the East regardless if you move Lowry or not.

 

Yes, you're absolutely right. I mentioned the same point, in an old post of mine.
I just got excited at the hypothetical thought of getting Lowry and to a lesser extent Lawson.

 

I agree. Jones will make for the rest of his hopefully long career far more money per year than most of us will earn in a lifetime. And he will have earned it. There is absolutely no reason he cannot be a quality rotation player on any team and a starter on many NBA teams. And he is still young and will continue developing mentally and physically for years. And every Rockets fan should root for him to get better for as long as he is in Houston. Jones, like every player has his flaws, but we all know exactly how much PT McHale gives to players who cannot contribute to winning. And McHale's estimation of Jones as an NBA player is good enough for me.

 

And I certainly hope that whatever team we trade him to thinks exactly that.

 

You're onto something.