Oh, he'll definitely try to trade up. But teams with top 5 picks got there for a reason. They lacked franchise players. And what would the Rockets offer those teams for that pick? Some good role players? It's not so easy to move up into the top 5. More likely, you could see a move up into the top 8 or 9 spots. Even more likely is that the team stands pat or even trades down for a comparable talent in the late teens or early twenties.
Morey has the assets to get a franchise player like Chris Bosh or Amar'e Stoudemire so a move into the top 5 is certainly possible. The only problem is, do you trade away those assets for an unproven player? I wouldn't mind trading for either the 6th or 7th pick, which will be relatively cheaper and prospects Al-Farouq Aminu and Wesley Johnson are possibly available.
So would the teams with top 5 draft picks. I just don't know what the motivation would be for the Nets or the Wizards or the T-Wolves to trade a high lottery pick (top 4 or 5), which could potentially net them a franchise player, in exchange for a couple of role players and a pick? The Raptors' motivation to get SOMETHING in exchange for the departing Bosh is easy. Big difference when talking about a high pick. Here's hoping that Morey can pull the wool over another GMs eyes . . . again.
Haha yea I know, I know!!! I wonder If one of those teams would look at a Jordan Hill, Chase Budinger, Knicks picks and our picks type of deal. Those are some very nice assets that I could see a team possibly biting on... Our Knicks picks might be very valueable, or not! :grin: I wouldn't put it past Daryl to throw Brooks in a deal too...
Exactly. We need to find our Houston Rockets and be the Memphis Grizzlies (aka we need to acquire Rudy Gay type of player in exchange for some solid role players for a team who already posses a star-stacked team). So, following that definition, what team comes to mind that is picking higher than us? Minnesota (2nd) Golden State (4th) LA Clippers (8th) Memphis (12th) Sacramento (depending on where they will) Now IMO the Clippers are the most possible situation. First off, the gap isn't THAT big between 14 to 8 compared to 14 to 2 or 3. Secondly, the Clippers have stars/promising players at every promising spot of the draft (Baron Davis-Eric Gordon-DeAndre Jordan-Blake Griffin). They also have cleared a big amount of capspace and will be trying to go after a top FA (most likely Lebron). What they DON'T have is veteran players with a high IQ who can help this team glue together and make an impact throughout the season. If the Clippers GM said:"Hey looks Lebron/Amare/etc we have great young promising players that will maintain or level of competitiveness and we've also acquired some proven veteran role players who can help you win now". So the kind of package I could see going there way would be something around Scola/Battier/etc either for the 8th pick straight up or packaged with the 14th pick. Voila
Uh . . . no. The Clippers did not go through all that trouble to clear cap room just so that they could eat up $7.4M of that cap room with Shane Battier. If the Rockets were to move up to the Clippers' pick (assuming the Clips don't win a top 3 spot tomorrow night), it would probably be with the #14 pick and Chase Budinger, whose minuscule salary would have little impact on L.A.'s ability to pursue a max free agent.
This can be done without the 14th pick. Preferably Chase w/ cash considerations for the 8th spot. They could great things with the 8th and 14th picks.
With the current depth and committed salary for next year (whether the roster stands pat or a sign-and-trade is done to bring in someon like Bosh), I just don't see the Rockets exiting the 2010 NBA Draft with multiple first round picks. It's just too much guaranteed money in too many players. Sure, they could possibly purchase a second round pick (theirs belongs to the T-Wolves), but even then I see it being more of a "Sergio Llull" (draft a foreign player to develop overseas) type of pick more than a "Jermaine Taylor" (here's a guy we really like later in the draft) type of pick. But there could always be the possibility of another "Chase Budinger" (what the hell is THIS guy still doing on the board?) type of pick if someone just falls so far as to become a compelling value. But as for the 14th pick, if the Rockets move up in the draft, I just don't see a plausible scenario in which a contending Rockets team does not use the #14 pick as a principal component of its trade package.
Good post. There is also the possibility that the Rockets draft Donatas Motiejunas (possible that he might stay in Europe another year to hone his skills) with the 14th pick and then take an NBA ready player with a later pick.
Could you see Morey trading brooks and 14 to get Rubio? Then get Bosh in FA. How about trading Scola + 14 to get into the top 5? Then get Bosh in FA? Point is Morey has the ammo to get into the top 5.
If he's on the board at #14, I could definitely see Morey going that route. Kid can get run in an even better league that the NBADL, and the Rockets won't even have to pay his salary. In a year where Les will most likely be paying the luxury tax for the first time, that's a major cost-saving move as well.
Morey does have the ammo to get into the top 5. But Brooks alone is worth a pick in the range of----hmn, tough to say; the top 10, anyway, especially in a draft so light on point guards. Whether or not Morey would trade for Rubio using Brooks as the bait, well, he'd have to trade Brooks to another team for a high draft pick and use THAT to entice Minny. The Wolves already have an undersized speedster at PG (Flynn). Rubio won't play for the NBA for another year at least, maybe even two years, depending on the impending lockout. If he had been drafted higher he might have played in the States already so he could pay off that grotesque buyout.
I'm actually very interested to know what the agents of first round picks currently playing overseas (like Rubio, Splitter and Claver) are telling their clients about the impending new CBA. Remember, under the current CBA, these players will make their first round rookie scale salary for the slot in which they were picked IN THE YEAR THEY COME OVER, not the year they are drafted. BUT . . . after three years, the player is no longer restricted by that scale salary and can sign for any amount permissible under the salary cap rules. Splitter purposely waited until this summer to come to San Antonio so that he could sign for most/all of their MLE instead of a low first round pick salary. Rubio is considering waiting until 2012 for this very reason. But what if the new CBA changes these rules and (a) reduces the rookie scale salaries further and (b) does away with the 3-year rule, meaning that those player can NEVER avoid the scale salary? I wonder if this risk is being weighed by Rubio and if he'd be willing to come over to Minnesota (or whichever team trades for his rights) BEFORE the CBA ends in 2011. I could conceivably see Rubio signing as soon as his Spanish League season is over next year (???, but before July 2011) in order to lock in the 2010-11 rookie scale salary for the 5th overall pick, rather than leave his salary up to chance in CBA negotiations. Just a thought.
Morey could draft the best player available at 14 and then let them shine in summer league and package them in a trade later this summer or before training camp (a la Donte' Green). I think he will try to get one of the bigs. That may mean trying to move up into the top 10 to get one of the better ones if they don't fall to us. Whatever the case, im watching the NBA draft to see what he does. He makes it interesting for us fans.
That's probably Minnesota's pitch to Rubio as well. Personally I don't see it, say it's 2011 and Rubio can come to the NBA or sign with an European club. Why would he sign here just to be locked out for a year? He'd probably just sign another 2 year deal with a Euro club and take his chances with the CBA.
If the Rockets were to draft Motiejunas, maybe he would consider playing right away seeing as Scola is his favorite NBA player. :grin:
Bima, what did you think of my #13 thread idea? As i said there, we will already be dealing with Toronto, why not try to find a way to not only get Bosh, but also the #13 pick in the draft? As you know we have the talent to do so.
