Given the size & strength of Westbrook & Jackson you have to think they will try to play them alongside each other this year more to see if its a viable option long term. I wouldn't bank on him being available anytime soon, but def. someone to watch. However I will say that I am much more intrigued with Jackson & would seem to fit much more as a Morey type of trade target that nobody thinks of. Morey's law is whatever transaction you think will happen probably wont. Look back in time at pretty much every transaction that Morey made, the rumored targets, and who was actually acquired. Almost none of them were heavily talked about before, and all of them seemingly came out of left field... made no sense at the time, and later looked like Morey was thinking far more ahead than pretty much any of us. So why do people still think they can make accurate forecasts of the Rockets moves??? Is Morey really slipping? Becoming more predicable? Or do people just want to stroke their ego's by claiming they know something we all don't and are a fly in the wall in Morey's think lab???
Why? They didn't get robbed. They couldn't afford to pay Harden. What could they have expected? They got back a talented player in Lamb, as well as a perfect alternative to Harden in Martin. Having Harden would have been great, but they would have had to pay him, and you don't want to pay a guy that much to be your 6th man. It made MUCH more sense to take in young talent (Lamb) and a 6th man replacement (Martin). I doubt Presti feels like he was duped or anything. He just didn't have a pocketbook large enough to keep Harden.
I'm willing to bet that LMA is as close to the top of their wishlist as could be. LMA has gone back and forth in terms of being happy in Portland. Sure, he's happy now but it wasn't too long ago when he wanted out. I'd guess that we're hoping he could come to a realization that Portland is mid-seed in the west and could be a championship contender if he decided to go back to Texas.
There are no top-notch PFs available right now. Millsap is good. I love the guy. But he's a shade behind guys like Love, Aldridge, Blake, Pau, etc.
I'm not sure. He spend a good chunk of time in Atlanta, from what i can tell. He's been working out at P3 the last week or so. http://www.p3.md/locations/ You got any info from around the league, non-rockets related?
lol I agree there. He would be good enough if we can address and cure other areas though. Close to 20 PPG and a nice rebounder. Those don't just come along either.
If Bledsoe signs the QO he cannot be traded without his approval. And he can't be traded shortly after signing the QO either. Gotta wait 90 days.
So if Bledsoe does sign the QO, the only team that would really want to trade for him is one that will have max room in the offseason and the inclination to give EB the max? Just want to make sure I have that 100% right. I wonder if our 2 year max is looking like an attractive option to EB?
even if he does approve the trade it's got to be to the team he wants to go to and they've got to have cap space to re-sign him. PHX really doesn't want him signing the QO. I think they at least give him $12 million for one season to get him not to sign the QO. That way they can trade him to the team of his choosing(after 90 days) and that team can re-sign him to whatever salary is necessary using the Non-Bird Exception even if they don't have cap space.
