As it stands now, Scola is the only player over 30 in the rotation. DM is doing a great job at staying competitive while adding young pieces. Now, we have some expendable 'assets' in the blockbuster trade we've been hoping for. DM can't gut our foundation for Dwight Howard, Paul, or Deron Williams and remain competitive. This draft added the depth the Rockets need to pull off a big trade.
Trade Scola and Budinger and start Marcus Morris and Patterson. Actually? You get back someone good enough? Trading block any combination of these guys to get your star. Patrick Patterson Marcus Morris Scola Budinger Say like Scola, Marcus, and Budinger for????? or Patrick Patterson and Scola for?????
Scola and Marcus Morris for Adnre Igoudala???? Scola, Morris, and Budinger for Danny Granger???? Our roster after trade scenario two: Hayes/Hill Patrick Patterson/Montajunas Granger/Lee Martin/Lee Lowry/Dragic
Trade scenario for Chris Paul. Lowry, Scola, and Marcus Morris for Chris Paul. Thats a great deal for both. Our roster even after that deal. Hayes/Hill/Free agent center Patrick Patterson/Hayes/Montajunas Budinger/Lee Martin/Lee Chris Paul/Dragic
Les to Morey: "Never go full rebuild..." <object style="height: 390px; width: 640px"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/svwGRJA28lY?version=3"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/svwGRJA28lY?version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="390"></object>
Given the incredible talent and salary benefits of a young superstar player, I think tanking is worth it if you want to have a contending team. On the other hand, attendance certainly goes down if your team is terrible. I would guess a bad team probably costs the owner $20-30 million, but honestly I have no idea of the numbers. One thing Morey has done well the last couple of years (and yesterday too) is get rid of bad contracts. After next season, the only players we will have under contract are Scola, Martin, and Lowry, and our rookies. In addition we have cheap options on Patterson, Lee, and Bud. Aside from that we have affordable options on players who could be valuable sign-and-trade pieces or backups depending on if they develop (Thabeet, TWill, Jordan Hill, Flynn). This puts us in outstanding position to sign a big free agent or to make trades. In particular, if the new salary cap rules are restrictive, we could have the best position to sign Dwight Howard in the league, except for Orlando. I can't imagine they will completely do away with rules favoring the team a player is currently with. So the soft rebuild route has a decent chance of success for us. I still think tanking is better, but we will not be completely out of it under this line. The labor negotiations could have massive importance for us though.
You mean to tell me that Kyle Lowry is not a good enough point guard to lead us to a championship? Even with Dragic backing him up. When ever you mention free agents, stop bringing up other point guards names when we are aleady set at that position. The only position that we really need help at is the 5. D. Williams and C. Paul aren't going to help us do nothing by themselves.
Regarding those saying we can't get Dwill, Paul, or Howard: yes it will be tough. But the important thing to pay attn to is what other teams would be able to sign them. If the salary cap is set anywhere close to the numbers that are being talked about, every team that is currently a contender will be unable to bid, with the possible exception of San Antonio. These teams will almost certainly be out of it: LA, Chi, Mia, Dal, OKC, Mem, Portland, NY. There are only a few teams that will have a promising young core like ours with enough cap space: Utah, LAC, Washington, NJ, and perhaps one or two other teams whose rookies develop. Utah and LAC are unpopular with free agents. So if there is a strict cap we are mainly fighting Washington, NJ, and the home teams (NO and Orlando). It's not hard to imagine a FA picking Houston if those are the competitors. The dark horse candidate I think is OKC. The could make a decent offer if they dump both Harden and Perkins, or if they do something surprising like trade Westbrook for either Paul or Howard. But again I think Houston may be a more attractive place to live, which could help us.
^Yeah seriously, we already have our PG of the future lol. Some people just sound desperate for whatever reason now lol.
Don't forget all the contracts to match. We have Thabeet,Hill,Budinger,Flynn all going to expire. I think if we go hard after CP3 (lowry needs to have a good first half of the season) then we will have the trade to offer. Then the cap space for CP3 to recruit Dwight. Pipe Dream, but starting look more plausible by the hour.
There are no superstar wings or 4's available. The only non-PG superstar who will be available as a FA is Howard. Yea, we go for him, but we need a backup plan too.
Well thanks to Les, we'll just make this rebuilding period longer and harder. We really need to take a step back to take two steps forward. We cannot sit in mediocrity YEAR AFTER YEAR. It's going nowhere.
The fact that they are expiring only makes a difference if we make a trade during the season. I highly doubt Orlando is going to trade Howard mid-season, as they desperately want to resign him. I think there is a small chance Paul could be moved at the trade deadline. But it will be hard to outbid other teams for Paul then. We have more leverage in a straight FA signing war.
How would having Chris Paul or Deron Williams doom us to mediocrity? That's the first I've heard anyone make that argument.
