#1 Not sure that Phoenix is playing like a playoff team and Atlanta suffers from perpetual mediocrity. #2 An soon to be free agent valued for his skill is worth less the closer you get to the deadline because he has fewer games until he is a free agent. #3 I am not sure Morey expects an elite player in the next 30 days, but a rotation depth player. #4 The Rockets do not have the assets to target players they have in the past like Harden and Love and Paul and Howard. However they have the assets to target players like Dragic, Horford, Milsap and Deron Williams. For example Goran Dragic. He is soon to be a free agent, plays a position that is very deep in the NBA, has let it be known he intends to be a free agent, has recently expressed his frustrations and is having a poor season. A player like that IS possible with the Rockets assets.
It is for alot of teams. Go back last Summer with the Knicks. Everyone was wondering why the Knicks wouldn't trade Carmelo since he was about to go into free agency and they knew Melo would have options with the Bulls and Rockets. The Knicks openly admitted that they were not interested in assets they were getting offered at the deadline for Melo because THEY VALUED THE CAP SPACE if he walked over those assets they were getting offered. This is something very real in the new NBA. If a high paid player is going to walk, the cap space often times has greater value (and you get to pick your players in FA) than whatever assets you are going to get in a leveraged trade. This is something that is very real in the new CBA NBA guys. Its not like the T-Mac expiring contract days. Things have changed.
Atlanta has been perfectly happy the past 10 or so years being a 6th seed. Not sure why that's all the sudden changed and they want to go all Sam Hinkie with their roster. You see this more often with larger ownership groups. You have way too many owners in that room that are there to make money and scared as hell to sign off on a tank fest. Phoenix is more of the same, but I really do think they think are in it to make the playoffs this year. I mean they just signed the Morris twins to extensions. They look to be trying to build continuity with this team longterm obviously. I think they might trade a guard, but it might be Bledsoe they look to move instead of Dragic, and I think they have their eyes set on getting an all-star level big or wing in the process. They have hunted down Kevin Love for years, and they look more in the market for the big splash acquisition rather than the rebuild. They are likely to be after the same PF/C targets as the Rockets, but they will have a hell of alot better trade asset in Bledsoe to offer than the Rockets. A GM might threaten to give less assets, but at the end of the day, that GM is going to pay market value to get that player in trade. Why is the market going to get better for the buying team when there is MORE competition come the trade deadline??? Simple Supply and Demand. I'd favor the selling team when there is a maximum amount of buyers which is probably at the deadline this year but you its not the same every year. Correct. The Feigan article was pretty telling. They went out of their way to basically say NO MILLSAP, NO DRAGIC, etc. They are looking players that can fit into the TPE now, and they obviously want to be able to flip that player if necessary at the deadline much like they handled (or didn't handle) the Asik December trade deadline last year. The Rockets have assets if they have the leverage. However, my point is free agency in July of next year in a market that values cap space over meh players & picks isn't creating that leverage RIGHT NOW. Maybe in February, but right now I think the Rockets are focused on players they can fit in the TPE. The higher grade players will have to come later on most likely.
My sources tells me that there's no way we're getting Paul Millsap this year and my sources' name is Common Sense. Danny Ferry is not going to let Millsap go for pennies on the dollar and bring in a less talented PF (TJones, DMo, take your pick), expiring contracts (they're going to be under the cap next summer even if they drop $15 mil a year on Millsap), and a draft pick that might or might not be that valuable. Last but not least, Ferry isn't going to get hosed on a deal just to help Morey out when his team can still make the playoffs in the East (e.g. generate $$ from playoff games) with Millsap. You'd have an easier time prying Teague from Ferry's hands than you would for Millsap.
Report: Cavaliers deliberate as Rockets ready to trade for Corey Brewer http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/11/20/report-cavaliers-deliberate-as-rockets-ready-to-trade-for-corey-brewer/
But if you truly value only the cap space, why wouldn't you deal for ec's and picks. At least then you get something of value.
Firstly - There is a Corey Brewer thread so we probably should be there but regardless..... Corey Brewer is not a basketball player. Corey Brewer is a professional track star that happens to get paid by professional basketball teams to get them 6 to 10 incredibly easy fast break points a game. Corey Brewer isn't meant to be a normal half court offensive player who can create. The Rockets would be acquiring him strictly for the fact that they know he's worth at least 6 to 10 easy ppg that are about as highly efficient as they come, and it doesn't come at the price of bad defense. He's one of the few players in the league that has the stamina to break out and not compromise the defense in the half court. Brewer will help the Rockets speed up their game. He has a specialty that is very useful to this team especially with the loss of Parsons. The Rockets now have a 3 headed dragon to makeup for all the areas Parsons had (fast breaking (Brewer), Ball handling/play-making (Papanikolaou)), and improve dramatically on the defensive end with Ariza.
He can't shoot 3's. He CAN make baskets however. If we ever implemented an offensive system that didn't require players who could either score in the post or hit 3-pointers, Brewer would be a solid addition to the team. The mere fact that getting Brewer would mean Cisco would likely never see another minute on the floor is reason enough to make the deal. Of course that wouldn't solve the problem of McHale refusing to play Canaan, but we'll burn that bridge when we get to it.
In trades, obviously you need salaries to match. The Knicks last year weren't unloading Melo anywhere he wanted to go without getting back some sort of long term salary. That was a given. In Atlanta and Phoenix's case this year, maybe the cap space isn't the huge draw, and maybe long term salary isn't a huge deterrent, but the most important fact is - They view the chance to resign that key player > getting a pick or two and a young player that they might or might not have interest in. If they lose the gamble and the player walks in free agency, that's a risk they are probably willing to take because they know at the end of the day, they will have more cap space to go in another direction. The fact is, we know Atlanta wants Millsap back. We THINK Phoenix wants Goran back. He is their best player mind you. However just keep it in the back of your minds that the value of cap space is worth something to these teams if they lose their player in FA, and sometimes can outweigh those assets IF they lose their bet and lose their player in July.
So Brewer can't shoot 3s? I don't understand why we would want him then. We need depth at PF/C not SF/SG
Probably not much. This is a salary dump for the Wolves first and foremost, and the Rockets are only bidding against the Cavs who have little to offer. What's been reported is related to the Lin TPE. So I'd assume they are going to give away maybe a 2nd round pick but nothing crazy like a first rounder or a good prospect like Capela. Also don't sleep on the possibility of Sergio Llull's rights having value to the T-Wolves. Might be an ideal time to unload him onto a team that wants to bring him over next year, and the Wolves would seem like a good fit given the Rubio connection. They might be able to save a pick being transferred over by sending Llull's rights.
The Rockets need easy points, and they need to speed the tempo. Brewer does both for 15 to 20 MPG, and will get you 6 to 10 points in transition on top of what the Rockets current offense can produce in the allotted mpg. Yes.... he has value to this team.
Getting Corey brewer to make one of Kostas P or Terry expendable? Throw in salary for a Millsap or West deal
PLAYER 1 3PT 38% career three 62% 2014 season PLAYER 2 - 3PT 28% career 20% 2014 season Both have players options, guess who didn't want because of player option, but who we do want now with a player option..
