If they had the #1 pick, would we be crazy not to trade Dwight for it, if they would do it? Assuming Dwight comes back and is as he was as good (very good, but not superstar level) last year, but not any better, I think we'd have to. I am a "go for it now and worry less about asset collection" proponent, but this could be the perfect situation. Getting a guy like Towns at #1 or 2 and then still having max cap room to go get Kevin Love (or maybe Aldridge, even though I think there is 0% chance he would leave Portland for anywhere other than SA) and retain Brewer and/or McDaniels seems about perfect. The beauty is, we could potentially do that and still have Jones, DMo, Capela, the #13/14 pick, and the Knick's 2nd as trade assets to find another top player. Plus, the Rockets could very easily still have $25-30M in 2016 cap room despite a Harden, Love, Towns, DMo, Jones, Brewer, and Ariza roster. That seems like the kind of asset collection Daryl Morey seemingly would wet dream about.
In hypothetical world I seriously wonder if knicks would take Howard + a young asset for pick 1 and whatever contracts they don't want
They have a bunch of space, so I don't think they would have to send us back contracts. But if you have any back channels to Love or Aldridge with a very good chance at getting them, Dwight and #31 (maybe even the NOP pick if they make the playoffs or Jones) for #1 seems tough to pass up for us.
Sorry, the Rockets want to win now with Harden on the team, the same as Knicks want to trade the pick for good player(s) to play along with Carmelo. I know that you want to get Love etc with the room created with Howard trade. Why not the Knicks just draft their own #1 pick and use their cap room to go with Love etc? Because there's no guarantee that they can get star players with cap room. The same applies to Rockets cap room. And the Rockets want to win now. Just NO.
I get ya and I am a pretty big "win now" proponent, but this scenario seems pretty tempting. I agree about no guarantee, but it would be offseason before you did this, so you might have a good idea about Love. We have an advantage in McHale and actual success with Harden. The Knicks and Lakers are selling hope of being good. And in this scenario you could get Love, the #1/2, and still have huge money for 2016. The only choices would be us or Cleveland, if Love really wants to win.
While there is no guarantee with the cap space, Harden and Love in their early 20s along with a top talent on a rookie contract is extremely tempting. Essentially you have a big 3 and still have cap space to keep Jones, Smith, Brewer, etc. because your third big 3 is on that rookie deal. Not to mention Harden's max deal looks like a damn bargain right now. Consider: James Harden $14,693,906 Chandler Parsons $14,700,000
I see your point. But I also recall the past summer after LeBron committed to Cavs and how everybody, me included, was so excited that Bosh is destined a Rockets. Morey would be a laugh stock of the league if he traded away Howard and ended up with some cap room to spend coming October.
The Knicks is shopping around with their #1 pick because there's no draft prospect like Wiggins that the Knicks want to immediately get to play along side with Carmelo. So I assume if the Rockets draft the pick, the rookie won't be playing like a star together with Harden. That's a downgrade to this years team if no other stars want to come here to fill Howard role.
Carmelo Anthony will be 31 in May James Harden is 25 Kevin Love is 26 Harden and Love could grow with a Okafor, Mudiay, Russel, Towns, etc. If the Knicks want an established vet along side Melo then give them Howard. Currently our window is a few years with the Howard/Harden tandem. A #1 pick plus Harden and Love is a championship caliber trio for damn near a decade. Not to mention again you could afford to load up on depth as well.
Not a prospect like Wiggins? There are a few guys who have just about as much potential as him entering this year. Towns, Mudiay, Russell. I'm not a big believer in Okafor, but he looks like he could be a solid scoring big man.
More interesting, if we were to trade Howard for this pick, who would we select? Do we get the pg who gives us another playmaker or do we get a replacement big man in Okafor or Towns?
How can Morey be sure that the Rockets will get Love before he trades away Howard? Love might be good for the Rockets but there's no guarantee AT ALL that the Rockets will be able to sign him with available cap room. The Rockets took the risk the last summer and lost Parsons for nothing. Can Morey afford to trade Howard for FUTURE prospect and let Harden dry with no second star besides him?