Luol Deng

if he wants to win we are the most appealing destination which i think it wouldn't be the case since our roster and depth would limit his minutes.

 

You need as many guys as possible so MDA will expand his bench and stop his 7 samurai strategy. Deng can play 3 positions on the court, he'll he good in case anybody else gets injured. Its also possible he will outplay Ariza so he can be the starter and 3za and Moute will be the bench.

Of course all this is if he gets bought out. No way we want that contract...we are already paying Anderson lol!

 

On a minimum free agent deal, I would love to add Deng. He's a smart, and versatile front court players. The Rockets could run a true 10 man rotation so minutes could actually be held down in the meaningless regular season.

Any suggestion of adding him with his current contract is absolutely ridiculous.

 

Eric gordon looks like someone who went to work during the off season. He added to his game and repetoire. He became one of the deadliest 3pt shooters in the league. He came into camp in shape. He was also only only 28...
Deng is 32 and obviously the only thing he has added to his game is probably 50 - 100 lbs of fat. If he really wanted to play he could have come into the season in better shape. Who would we trade for him? The guys on our team all seem to have a great work ethic. Gym rats, all love to hoop, and some just love to sleep. Hell even Ryan Anderson who just got married spent time adding to his game. Ariza as well who looks like he went to school on how to attack the basket more. We do not need to disrupt this teams' progress by picking up Deng.

 

I'm always a fan for more tall, lengthy defensive-minded players, and Luol did fill that role. Not sure how much lateral quickness he has left at this age. Plus his offensive game was always more predicated on the midrange game if I remember right. Nonetheless, if it's for cheap, why not?

 

We should add 25-29 yr old veterans and not 30 year olds. We got enough of them.

 

He's been pretty shitty ever since he got that contract from the Lakers. Pass.

 

Report: Lakers have “given up” on trading Deng, won’t include picks, young star

 

Not only no but hell no

 

Interesting article referenced the stretch provision and adding additional years to a contract to avoid a huge cap hit. Curious to see if the Rockets do it with Anderson. Right now his deal can be be stretched over 5 years. With a 2 year extension for low amounts; the Rockets can have it stretched over 9 years, knocking his salary down to 7-8 million a year.

 

Yeah I agree. All over 30 year old vets are brittle

 

That would be a terrible decision to make.

 

Is Brewer better than him? Does Walton play Brewer and not deng?

 

South Sudan

 

Maybe, it would depend on the circumstances. What if the Rockets can’t move Anderson and need cap space to add LeBron James or Paul George?

I generally don’t like the stretch provision but it could be necessary in certain situations.

 

Doing that -- even if the league office didn't overrule it as circumvention -- still wouldn't create nearly enough cap room for Lebron if Chris Paul wants to make what he's worth.

 

It may increase the short term prospect of trading him to a team wanting a space spreading 4.

 

I don’t have the numbers in front of me. Most of what I have read would include the Rockets moving Gordon and likely not resigning Trevor Ariza. The appeal would just to move some of the $20,000,000 guaranteed off the cap next year. If they stretch him without an extension it would be $42,000,000 over 5 years or roughly an $8,500,000 hit instead of $20,000,000 for roughly a short term savings of $11,500,000 next year and the next. As far as signing an extension to stretch it out longer. I am skeptical the league would allow it but the article seemed to think if the money was guaranteed they may. If they move Gordon that is $13,500,000 off the ledger as well.

Last I looked the Rockets had ~$81,000,000 to $82,000,000 in guaranteed salaries (not including Paul and Capela) in 2018 and obviously salaries to fill out the roster. If they deal Gordon and stretch Anderson at his current deal that number goes down to $57,000,000 without Paul or Capela with the cap being over ~$100,000,000 next year.

So James and Paul would have to take less for it to work but it is not entirely impossible unless I am missing something. If the issue comes down to $10,000,000 they would likely be able to consider. Obviously you run into depth issues and the apron etc.

It isn’t something I have any inside knowledge of or even have looked extensively at but I thought the logic behind it was interesting.

 

Woj:

The Los Angeles Lakers, needing to shed salary for summer free agency, had been hopeful of waiting until the end of the season to move Jordan Clarkson -- owed $26 million beyond this season -- but there's a mutual desire to find something sooner than later. The Lakers have made it clear that Clarkson, Julius Randle and Larry Nance are available.

Los Angeles has given up hope of unloading Luol Deng's contract in a trade, because it would simply necessitate attaching too many draft assets.

The Lakers and Deng haven't discussed a buyout since late November, but he can simply wait until the season is over to get the full balance of the $37 million owed to him once the Lakers inevitably use the waive and stretch provision to clear salary-cap space. How could the Lakers avoid Deng's money languishing on the cap for six years with the waive and stretch? Well, Deng would have to be so desperate to leave Los Angeles before season's end to sign elsewhere on a minimum deal that he'd forfeit the $18.8 million on the 2019-20 season of his contract and accept a buyout. That makes little sense to do, getting just a half-season of freedom to likely play only a few minutes per game elsewhere.​

 

Anderson
Ariza

FOR

Randle
Clarkson
Deng

Maybe still doesn't clear up enough cap space for the Lakers, who are willing to move Randle, but perhaps want more (cap space or young assets) in return?? Lakers move $33 million in salary, get back $27, but Ariza is expiring, so basically end up saving about $13 million in cap space next year.

Does it work for the Rockets?? Meh... not sure. If Deng could give you 15 solid minutes a night, perhaps, and then the Rockets just go crazy all out guard heavy at the 1-2-3. Harden could be point forward instead of point shooting guard. he's probably better off defending SFs than SGs anyway

I also may be swayed by the fact that Randle seems to beast everytime we play them, lol. At this point I do not have much/any hope he'll ever top 33% from three, but the Rockets really need rebounding, defensive intensity more than Anderson's non-existent floor spacing at this point anyway.