Recap of DM on 610 last night (night of the deadline) . . . since i'm in a recapping mood. if this is already posted, lock it up. Host: would you negotiate my next deal with gavin? (boss i'm guessing) Host: how on earth did you get Walsh to swap the draft picks? how important were the draft picks to the overall deal? DM: they were a very important component of the deal. its not right to get on donnie's case for doing that because they have a very different strategy than we do, and they needed to clear up a lot of space for multiple FA. we were able to accomplish our goals too. we feel like with rick and this team we'll have a good team every year, hopefully a contender, and when you do that you don't pick very high. we wanted a shot at a top pick in the draft and this does that while allowing donnie to reach his goals too. we may not even pick the picks, we may use them to improve the team in some other way. Host: this deal had a lot of different forms before it happened, right? DM: we worked on the NYK deal for about a week. we have been working with sacramento for a long time because martin was a longtime target of ours, but until recently they were adamant that he wasn't available. but recently they decided to change up their team a little and make tyreke their primary offensive option, and they needed low post scoring. we felt like through the picks, through jordan hill, through the improvement of some of our guys, through potential trades, we can work to replace what carl brought. we think its easier to replace that then to find a guy like kevin martin. Host: at what point did the two separate deals become one deal? DM: shout out to the rockets staff, who worked their butts off to make this happen. also to les who is going to let us go way over the luxury tax next year to keep this team together, but also gives us the resources to hire great people. these sort of complex deals dont happen without a group like that. what happened is that we were working on a complex deal with NYK with picks and swaps, then sacramento came in. we figured out we could do the deal with sacramento and agree to it, then expand it to a three way if NYK wanted to do it. by doing the deal with sacramento we could pressure NYK into making its final decision. but the proof will be on the floor for the rest of the season. Host: but you wont have a lot of cap space this offseason will you? you have to resign your players right? DM: we are not out of the tier 1 free agents even though they are long shots. we are actually better positioned now than we were before this trade. free agents who sign with other teams have to give up about $30 million, and not many players will want to do that. we may see it this year but not many do that. more likely those players move in a sign and trade. by picking up a lot of assets like picks and a good roster, we could get something done in sign and trade. most of the top tier guys move in sign and trade because of the dollar difference to the player. Host: Jordan hill is fascinating. terrific athlete, runs well, has length. seems like a great project. DM: we like his potential. we think he's played well in his 250 minutes. not setting the world on fire, but he's a true sized big, very active, runs well, top level offensive rebounder, very mobile. developing a strong midrange shot, developing post game. but he's very raw and we feel like he's got a chance to earn minutes this season, and work toward next season. between the draft picks and jordan hill, we can shore up with what we lost with carl. Host: Martin has missed a lot of time with injuries, does that concern you? DM: we researched that heavily before making the deal. he's had a lot of injuries the last two years. his injuries are the sort of things youd expect from a guy who plays the game hard like he does. he takes hard fouls, sprains ankles, but nothing that should lead to a major injury. he's a strong player against top teams, and we like that for the playoffs. even if he's out a little during the season we feel like its worth it to have him around for the playoffs.
One word to describe Daryl Morey: Sick It was his plan all along to use Sac to further pressure NYK to submit to his demands.
This is probably how the negotiation went down. DM is Bernie Mac Other two are SAC and NY <object width="445" height="364"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tit89ofCOt4&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tit89ofCOt4&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object>
First, I want to say that I LOVE Landry and will follow him on LP for the rest of his career. I will go as far as to say that he is now part of Rockets lore. (I am not a T-Mac fan any longer, but I will watch him on LP also.) That being said, the Sports Media, other GM's and fans are playing CHECKERS. Let me give you an sample of the thoughts going through the "checkers" mind-set of the media, other GM's, general fans' minds: 1. Get to the middle. 2. Stay together. 3. Use the corners. HOWEVER, Daryl Morey is playing CHESS! Let me give you an sample of the thoughts going through Daryl's MIT mind: Albin Countergambit – Lasker Trap Blackmar-Diemer Gambit – Halosar Trap Bogo-Indian Defence – Monticelli Trap Budapest Gambit – Kieninger Trap Italian Game – Blackburne Shilling Gambit Petrov's Defence – Marshall Trap Philidor Defence – Légal Trap Queen's Gambit Declined – Elephant Trap, Rubinstein Trap Ruy Lopez – Mortimer Trap, Noah's Ark Trap, Tarrasch Trap Sicilian Defence – Magnus Smith Trap, Siberian Trap Vienna Gambit – Würzburger Trap WHEN, not IF, the other shoe drops and we get a Bosh/Amare to start along with YM-KM-TA-AB/KL, we are going to be like: OMG Book it!
I noticed the same part of the interview, though I think pressuring NY is only a part of the consideration. When you are taking on the kind of salary the Rockets did for Kevin Martin, and giving away Landry, you gotta be pretty happy with Kevin Martin first. Otherwise, the stuff from NYC ain't worth paying that kind of money for. On the other hand, pressuring NY is no doubt part of the thinking. It's the first thing I thought of when I read about the finalized deal. NYK was playing a game of chicken with Houston because while their own 2 max FA dream die on February 18, 2010 (and there realistically wasn't another buyer of Jeffries that would have wanted less than Houston-- otherwise, they would have traded Jeffries to that team instead), Houston's dream of extracting value for McGrady also die on Februry 18, 2010. By making the Martin deal, Houston changed the latter fact, they will have Kevin Martin and will no longer end up with nothing for McGrady (though one can argue that the bigger part of the trade is Landry)-- but NYK still would have their dream die on February 18, 2010. It's brilliant triangulation, almost like Houston and Sacramento worked together to get NY to move. Houston gave a fair price (Landry) for a guy they wanted (Martin). Sacramento got the insider scorer they coveted. In the mean time, their deal got Houston the maximum leverage to move NY off its game of chicken with Hill and th epicks.
Yeah he is clever. I would only add He did that after the Knicks decided to play hardball with the picks being protected and then telling the media they wouldn't include Hill in any deal. It was all a bluff on their part. The Knicks know Lebron wants to go to New York but only if they can bring in another star first. So not making the trade was never an option and in the process of bluffing they lost out on Dorsey and still had to limit the protection to almost nothing. Morey was smooth and knew to stick to his guns and not knowing or caring if New york was bluffing or not.
I can see that.. Those Draft Picks were important for Morey to use as barganing chips for his Jedi Mind Games... They Call Him the ODE - Obi Dork Elvis
Carl Herrera is dead on. And to add to that, I think Chicago was being used as leverage all along because the Tyrus stuff was all a smoke screen imo. The Rockets would have been okay with sending T-Mac to Sactown if needed, but because of the Sacto deal, Morey held all the chips. It was a game of chicken back and forth between Walsh and Morey essentially over a draft pick. If Morey was okay with not taking the 2012 1st rounder, I believe the deal would have been done sooner. Walsh had to find a suitor for Jeffries, but couldn't, so he had no leverage. When the Sacto terms were completed, Walsh had to agree to Morey's terms because they would have been screwed with only enough cap space for 1 max FA and Jeffries as a SnT bargaining chip that isn't worth much. Come to think of it, Morey could have been a real b*stard and demanded a 2nd rounder at the last minute, but I don't think he wanted to strain relationships. Hell, Les Alexander 6 years ago (I think it was then) made a last minute demand for $1 million from the Knicks (I think it was them) for the Glen Rice trade because Les thought Rice might get hurt. It was a BS move, even though Les turned out to be right, but it totally pissed off the Knicks (maybe it was Layden back then) and he went off on Les in the media saying Dawson is a professional GM but Les is not a professional owner.
Donnie Walsh had one big thing going against him, which was partly of his own doing: he announced to the world 2 years ago that their goal was major cap space for 2010. There was really only one place where he could generate that cap space this time around (t-mac) and Morey knew it. No matter how much Walsh said he wouldn't give up Hill, it was simply not credible. If he didn't get t-mac, he couldn't have made the cap space he's singlemindedly pursued. This was 3-dimensional negotiating. There are a few principles of negotiations: 1) Always know what your best alternative is 2) Always know what your counterpart's best alternative is 3) If you get in a game of hard-bargaining, expand the game. Either bring in more pieces or add another player. Morey's best alternative was a great hand--simply let t-mac's contract expire. Walsh had no other alternative. And when Walsh thought he could try to play hardball with a bad hand, he got exposed when Morey took the first-mover advantage and anchored with a great trade for Martin. Once he went from thinking he could get t-mac for a bunch of scrubs and a couple picks to thinking he might be left out in the cold, he lost all his bargaining power. I'm guessing Sacramento knew that they were a prop in Morey's larger game. Great job, Morey!
Can someone explain to me the $30 million figure, and how the CBA rules allow for that? I understand the 30 mil is over the life of the contract. Is it as simple a free agent who stays with his existing team is allowed a higher max figure than if he went to a new team? Would appreciate some detail...wikipedia failed me. Also, what are the chances of David Lee being used as sign-and-trade bait?
also because Dallas and already made their trades, Houston was the ONLY buyer left for Jeffries. Couple that with the leverage Sacramento gave Morey, and you took the Knicks for more than you would have otherwise. Brilliant execution.
From the way I understand it the existing team is allowed to pay the player a slightly higher rate throughout the life of the contract but more importantly, they can sign that player to a seven year deal as opposed to six year deal.
I think the contract inflates at a higher mark over the life of the deal than a new team can offer, plus there is an additional year.
I think the most likely outcome of any Sign & Trades, is for Bosh. I bet theres a great chance he ends up in Houston. He especially wants to go to Texas, and Dallas will probably be locking up Dirk, and I don't know why anyone would want to go to San Antonio, but I guess its possible.
I think NY was really hoping that Morey had only one options: theirs. People in NY seemed to really think the Rockets would buy out T-Mac if they didn't make a deal. That wasn't gonna happen. When the Chicago deal fell through (supposedly), they probably figured they had leverage to play hardball with Morey and give up minimal assets. Once Morey played the Sac-town card, they were screwed. Morey was gonna make that deal with or without them, so their only option was to give in and go all-in for the Lebron sweepstakes. I don't even play poker, but these mind games and strategy get me pretty fired up.
I LOL'd at this: "He's a _______ moron! Oh really is that how you got the upper hand, Negotiating?" LOL
That may explain why DM thinks he'll have a better chance (though not probable) at a sign and trade. The player gets 100% of their money and the team that had him gets something in return if the player doesn't want to come back. I think NY is thinking they can pull this off 1 time as they can sign and ship Lee off to a team like Miami or Toronto but good luck after that because I don't think you will have too many lining up to take on Curry and all their near term picks are gone. Edit: Since you can only trade a sign and trade player alone with another sign and trade player, the David Lee thing won't work with the teams above because they will be over the cap and I doubt they'd want a maxed out David Lee as a consolation prize. NY can only hope the alure of the lights and endorsements is more than what they'd get staying at home because the remainder of their team will be quite a load for the new guys to carry. Usually stars are looking for teams to get them help - with NY you will get 2 players and couple of decent young guys and vet max guys after that.