Why would you waste cap on players like Smith and Jefferson when it is clear they won't be enough to put us over the hump? Morey's goal is to be a championship contender, how is a fringe all-star like those guys going to do that? You need a 2nd star, and you shouldn't settle for anything less unless you are interested in being a perennial 1st/2nd round exit.
You have this idea that the Lakers are going to amnesty Kobe. THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN. They can't keep Howard and Gasol in LA next year. It Dwight leaves then yes they can but that's why the Rockets are in such a good position. Dwight comes to Houston. It's over, we're a 55 win team or Dwight re-signs with LA and we trade for Pau (for peanuts and a trade exemption) because if LA doesn't they have to pay a $120 million tax bill. For a 8th seed playoff team.
Well imo bosh, love and aldridge aren't going anywhere. If we were to wait, I think all we would be doing is wasting time untill we have to pay parsons, instead of improving the team. Plus I'd argue josh smith would be a key trading piece in any trade in the future for a star. Also who says we're giving him superstar money? And why is he joe? And would we be the nets? If we were to sign him to a fair 13-14 mill contract over the next 4 years? He's only 27, fits the team perfectly and brings much needed defense.
Pau is such a good short term fit here that it's disgusting (because I've never been a fan but now I want him). Gives us a much needed post presence, maintains cap flexibilty, can spread the floor with his outside touch and distribute the ball when our offense is sputtering, and hopefully mentor some of our young PFs into becoming real players. I think Morey will put out a feeler for J.Smith, at a much lower rate than he wants and that will be it. One of Dwight, Gasol, or Garnett will be a Rocket next year IMO.
Smith even played SG some when he entered the league. He could swing over to backup Harden. Imagine the guard shotblocking of Beverly and Smith at the backup 1 and 2.
You act like you know. You don't. Cuban is right it makes a lot of business sense. Mitch Kupchak hasn't denied it. In fact after the exit interviews he was asked exactly that and only said we won't discuss that publicly. He also joked and said ask Cuban he handles that department but he could have easily cleared it up and said Kobe is coming back. It is still an option that they are not prepared to take off the table just yet. I do agree trading Gasol is another option and probably the more likely one then they could just Amnesty Artest and give it one more run with Kobe and Dwight but we would still have to give up something to get Gasol. Maybe they would do it for the exception but you don't know if there is more than one suitor. Maybe Cuban wants Gasol also and is willing to offer more. Plus what happens after Gasol. Yes we still have cap space but what does that give us. Look down the list of free agent pf's in 2014. There are none. And all off these dreams people talk of getting LMA or Love are just that pipe dreams. I like Gasol and would definitely consider that but unless you think Gasol is more than a 1 year patch you have to look at all options. The good thing is you are not the GM and I am sure Morey is looking at all options. Which absolutely includes Josh Smith. he already showed his hand when he tried to deal for him at the trade deadline and only balked at Atlanta's ridiculous proposal for Asik and Parsons. So yes if Morey has the opportunity to sign Josh Smith he is definitely considering it in spite of what you type here.
With the ridiculous ideas of smoove and Jefferson, Old Man Rock has become the new coachbadlee....seriously you want all our money tied up to these guys whose ceilings are nowhere near title contenders?? In the wise words of Chris Carter....COME ON MAN
For all those words you posted about Kobe and the Lakers it's not going to happen. You can only use the Amnesty between July 10-16. That's not enough time to determine if Kobe will be ready or not for the 2013-14 season. They expect Kobe back here are his words. NBA Free agency starts July 11th. So assuming Dwight is out testing the market which he looks to do the Lakers can't risk dropping thier franchise icon because Mark Cuban thinks its a good idea. Cuban will snatch up Kobe before anyone else! You're talk about offers for Gasol being challenging are a little true but the one thing every GM in the league knows is the Lakers HAVE to drop salary and that means they will get **** offers. That only helps the Rockets. Josh Smith is not worth the max and I'm glad you believe it too but all it takes is one stupid desperate team to offer him the max. It will happen and Josh will take it. You'll be glad it won't be Morey.
Also joining the group that says LAL will not amnesty Kobe. They won't amnesty Kobe. When I thought he was done for the whole next season, I thought it was possible, but with his current window, I think he'll be back before all star break (maybe earlier). If Kobe can play for LAL, he will never agree to be amnestied, even if it makes business sense. And that is the point of the whole thing -- Kobe has to agree because LAL will not piss off its whole fanbase AND be unable to sign Kobe the following season on the cheap (unless again, he agrees). No one will even bid on Kobe because he has said how he will not play for another team besides LAL...he'd rather retire. Maybe LAL would piss him off enough to make him join another team just to try to stomp him, but what a way to go out. I just can't see that happening, esp. now that Kobe CAN PLAY part of next season at least.
Sorry, I like to respond to posts addressed to me, even if I am 3 pages late haha. I understand how our risk/return values differ -- I am totally fine with that. Renting Pau for a yr is a great idea too. I am on board with that move as well. For me, it is #1 CP3 + D12, #2 CP3 OR D12, #3 rent pau ~= JSmoove for <$14M, #4 other methods of renting out cap space, #5 Millsap signing (as much as I like him, he to me spells constant mid-tier WC much more than JSmoove). On any given day, anything after #2 can fluctuate. I assumed from your earlier post that by waiting till next yr for LMA/Love, you meant for their teams to trade them. They aren't FAs until the yr after that, and that is quite a lot of ways away. I don't like to plan for that yr because it is just too crazy -- too many variables to plan for. LMA and Love (assuming he's not picking up his player option) are on the free market then...the same summer our contracts with Asik, Lin and Parsons end. I would rather spend our cap space before then, either this summer or the next, because I just can't see Minny or POR agreeing to deal either to our team without asking for a core player like Parsons + other critical pieces, like Asik. Love or LMA on a team w/o Parsons or Asik is bleh. I'm not saying LAL can offer more -- they'd have a bunch of cap space the start of the season so no idea what they spend it on -- but bottom feeding teams can give much higher picks than we could by then (even if we stayed pat) and better pieces. No reason for MIN or POR to deal with us unless we give them the best deal (Parsons + Asik or something). If we aren't, they can deal them to any other team or keep them and deal at the 2015 trade deadline. Lin, Asik and Parsons are just as "worthless" to them then as LMA/Love as they are all effectively expirings by that point.
Here's the thing, in all your rant you forget Morey tried to trade for Josh Smith at the deadline. If he gets Smith at the deadline he now has the deal with the exact same problem you suggest. All it takes is one stupid desperate team to offer him the max and Morey has to risk losing him or match. Do you think Morey would trade for Smith if he didn't expect that as a real possibility and was not prepared to match it. The biggest fault you make and I was guilty of also is undervaluing Josh Smith's worth. Compare his game to Blake Griffin across the board and the only area he is not as good is his Power Game. He is just as good a rebounder, better shotblocker, passer,rim protector, 3pt shooter and midrange jumpshooter. Griffin just signed a 95 million max deal. The biggest weakness in Josh Smith's game is shot selection. He dribbles and pulls up for jumpshots and his percentage stinks when doing that and he does that same thing all the way out to the three at times. If you take those stupid shots away he is much better shooter. Someone said on here he shoots 38% percent from the right side behind the arc. That's exactly where we want him shooting from. His biggest fault is shot selection after that probably handling the point forward duties too much. If you think you can coach that out of him you may have a gem. I watched alot of his interviews and he doesn't seem like a knucklehead. Search yourself, him seems like a good egg. SO I think he is coachable. Again I am not saying I am sold on him. But more and more I think he is the right choice. The bottom line is Atlanta holds a lot of cards. They can offer him more money and years. If they do then Gasol may be the next best thing. Maybe... the key is look at all options and pick the best one for us. Fortunately Morey is our GM and will do that and more.
Lin & T-Rob = 11.9 million Harden, Asik, Parsons, Beverly, Motiejunas, Jones, Honeycutt, & Josh Smith (@12 million) = 38.8 million Next year's cap is estimated to be about 60 million. So there's around 21 million of cap space if they can sign Josh smith for that amount.
you have no clue what Morey wanted to do at the deadline, none of us do! He blows so much smoke everywhere. We thought Tjones was gone, we had no idea about Morris or Ppat.
Dude you're not listening. unless Howard comes too, that team is going nowhere! We will be the Atlanta hawks of the west if Josh Smith and/or Jefferson ate our moves this summer
Agreed that Howard is the domino piece that can start endless possibilities. Howard + Millsap? EASILY. Howard + Smith? If Smith agrees to a lower salary (like $12M) to play on a contender. Howard + CP3? Independently hard to get either, but if both know the other will be here, we actually have a reasonable shot at this dream team.
Adding Josh Smith at the right price doesn't hurt the Rockets' chances at a Dwight or another superstar on the same level in the near future. Smith himself could a key asset to enable such a trade in the future if they go that route.
Nice, enough to sign howard. Or enough to sign another a near max player and a solid PG to take lins mins. Also, im sure lin and robinson could get us a lotto pick aswell.
Dwight Howard and Chris Paul are obviously the prizes of this offseason. It will take some true convincing to get either one of them, and we'd have to move players we already have in order to have the money (and not overpay backups who could be starters) anyway. IF we land Howard, you re-visit Atlanta's offer of Josh Smith for Asik and another player. They asked for Parsons. Asik and Parsons for Josh Smith would be a crime of epic proportions. Morey smartly found a polite way to say, "Danny Ferry, kiss my a$$ smack-dab in the middle. Thank you. Now, here's a Tic-Tac, maybe we'll talk again this summer." And if we land Howard, that offer should be Asik and (T-Rob or D-Mo). Parsons? No. He's our Ginobili: invaluable third-best type player. If we don't land Howard? Sign Josh Smith at about $12,000,000 per. Trade one or two of the redundant PFs for halfway decent draft picks. Keep the PF you want to develop. And/or find a way to bring back the Chuck Wagon so that our defense starts to suck less. That other Turk (the second-rounder) wants to come over next year, but I don't know if his presence as backup 5/4 would make much Furkan difference yet.
