Exactly - address your area of greatest need. I'd say keep the existing big 4 (Parsons, Asik, Hardin and Lin) and add to a stronger bench (backup combo guard, wing defender (like a Corey Brewer type)) if you can't swing a trade or sign a stud 4.
Why would you want to trade Harden, Lin, Smith, Beverley, and/or Anderson? All these guys are young and fit the 3 star and 2 star models. Basically to have 3 stars, a teams needs a bunch of guys on cheap contracts that can produce. Harden is already a star. Lin performs very well for his price. Smith, Beverley, and Anderson are all sub million dollar contracts that produce well. If you keep these guys, plus Parson and Jones...there is still room for two more stars under the luxury tax. Could also go two stars with Asik and another mid level contract under the luxury tax. Unless team that has star wants Smith, Beverley, and/or Anderson, I don't see them being traded. Unless Miami is offering Lebron or OKC is offering Durant, Harden is staying. For Lin, another team would have to offer an all-star caliber player. I don't see the Rockets shopping these guys though. I don't see them shopping DMo either even though he makes a little more than million. I see Rockets signing a star out-right with cap room. I see Rockets trying to trade for a third star. More than likely if the Rockets do find a partner for third star, Lin or Asik would be needed plus a couple of guys to match salary. this is more likely going to be guys with a little more salary than the sub million guys. Rockets will also probably have to trade future picks in the deal. I do think Rockets try to get a pick like the Toronto one in a trade this offseason, but maybe not quite as good.
I guess specualtion doesn't help, but I thought that they were allowed a long as both team are sufficiently under the cap. Which the Lakers are not.
To those saying they would rather have Asik over Howard, that is like saying I would rather be a playoff contender than a championship contender. Although, I DO understand the baggage that comes along with Howard.
I'm talking about just getting second round picks for a guy like Robinson if absolutely necessary to open up cap room to sign Dwight/CP3. I'm not talking about your worthy-of-attempting-yet-highly-unlikely scenarios of trading Lin and Asik for first rounders and cap space to sign both Howard and Chris Paul outright. Of course, if you also mentioned what I was talking about, I guess I just didn't see it. I haven't read all of your posts in this thread and all other threads. No, the new rule (starting this summer) is that teams that are over the luxury tax "apron" (expected to be in the $75-77 million range) cannot RECEIVE a player who is signed-and-traded as part of a particular transaction. A team is considered over the apron, even if it starts out below it, if the sign-and-trade deal pushes it over the apron. The taxpaying team can still sign-and-trade its player AWAY to another team, and it can still receive back players who are not signed-and-traded as part of the particular transaction.
To be clear on the what the S&T can do under the new CBA 1. It CANNOT give the player more money than he would otherwise receive as a FA. i.e. if Dwight Howard can only sign for $80mil with the Rockets allowed under the CBA, he can't re-sign with the Lakers for $100mil and S&T to the Rockets. 2. However, the S&T does allow the Lakers to trade Howard to a team without sufficient capspace, assuming this team gives back enough salary to meet CBA trade rules. For example, trade him to the Clippers for DeAndre Jordan and some extra salary would work. Even though the Clippers would not have enough money to sign Howard otherwise. 3. Pertaining to the Rockets, assuming Howard gives the mandate to the Lakers that he'll sign with us regardless, than the Lakers and the Rockets can work out a S&T where Howard gets max money while the Rockets don't have to go around finding a landing spot for TRob or some other salary. It can be, hypothetically, Howard for Robinson+White+2nd round pick.
Don't the non-guaranteed contracts also help with sign and trades? For instance, Rockets could trade T-Robb plus 2-4 others with non-guaranteed contracts and the other team can just waive them for instant cap relief? I always thought that was one of the reasons Morey liked having end of bench players with non-guranteed money for the following year.
But we know that Dwight likes the spotlight and he's aware of how popular Lin is. So unless we also get another big name like CP3, the rest of team--aside from Harden--just wouldn't be enticing enough for him.
Also, note that the Rockets don't have enough total non-guaranteed salary (when you add up all the contracts) to pull off a trade for a star player unless either (a) that star is only making/signing for (via S&T) a discounted salary or (b) a contract like Lin's or Asik's is thrown in. The "over-the-cap" team salary-matching rules (150% plus $100k) won't help the Rockets much otherwise if they are trying to go that route. This is especially true if you're trying to make a trade after June 30, when you lose the non-guaranteed nature of the two biggest non-guaranteed contracts (Delfino and Brooks). Still, you're right that they are (and could still be) very useful trade assets, especially on draft night.
People also forget that last year Morey took a 9th place team and blew it up, with only Parsons remaining. This year, we are poised to finish 6-8. Still not close to contending. The main difference is this year we have a legit superstar, whereas last year we had none. Why is everyone so sure he won't just do the same again (i.e. blow up a team looking for another superstar)? Obviously he'll hold on to Harden because he's our foundation. Parsons most likely too since he produces a lot for a little amount of money. Other than that, why not use the rest of the roster (as constituted or maybe some guys traded for picks) to make a godfather offer to another team for another superstar, then fill in the holes with D-league guys and cheap veterans (as we did this year)?
Yea why would we want to give robinson and a pick to LA when we could just sign him outright for the same money after trading robinson to the Twolves for another pick in the low 30's? Never help the Lakers.
Can anyone tell me if we do use the Max contract this summer...will we get the MLE as well to spend? Or LLE? Not sure if the MLE or LLE are still part of the new CBA.
The Rockets would only have the "Room" Exception, which is one of several types of Mid-Level Exceptions under the new CBA. Contracts signed using the Room Exception are for a maximum of two seasons. For 2013-14, the Room Exception is $2,652,000, meaning that Year 2 would be capped at $2,771,340 (the maximum 4.5% raise over Year 1). Yes, the more traditional MLE (sort of) and the LLE (called the Biannual Exception) are still in the new CBA, although the MLE is also split into the Taxpayer MLE (max three year deal starting at ~$3M) and Nontaxpayer MLE (max four year deal starting at ~$5M). All of these types of salary cap exceptions escalate incrementally year-to-year.
Interesting side note that the main article on this link is about coaches who are uncertain about their future. They mention McHale as being a concern because of the family tragedy he endured, but go on to say that he wants to stay in "in the game" which makes Les happy.
