Thinking about how Morey shocked the NBA by taking Brooks a couple years back along with him picking up 2nd rounders to get Landry, Budinger, and JT the last few years. So here's my theory. This is the draft of the big man. We've got two small forward expiring contracts(Battier and Jeffries) and a 3rd vet small forward with a reasonable contract(Ariza) and a 4th 2nd year small forward who still has some ups and is great value on a rookie contract (Chase). We are trying to trade for a premier big man (Bosh). After Wall and Turner, who is the most NBA ready player in this draft, the player that is ready to start and make a signficant contribution to a team? It is undoubtedly Wesley Johnson. Great athleticism, great motor, great shooter, great finisher. In addition to Johnson, there is Luke Babbitt and Gordon Hayward, both very underrated and ignored in this draft where all the focus is on the big guys...............of which most of the big guys are projects and bench guys, most of which will be drafted based on "potential" or "size", etc., but not "skills" and not "basketball iq" and not "work ethic". So, here is what I see Morey doing. If no trade for Bosh materializes, and no trade to move up to 3 or 4 happens, I wouldn't be surprised if Morey tries to make a move at 5 or 6 to get Wesley Johnson, knowing that he is going to eventually trade those expirings and some other talent for other assets. Barring this, I would expect Morey to trade down if we are on the board at #14, that is if Babbitt and Hayward are still on the board. He may try to lure Minny into a trade using our #14 and the 2011 pick swap to pick up the rights to Rubio and one of Minny's later draft picks to draft Babbitt. (Babbitt is a Morey type guy, very efficient, very skilled, very hard working, and surprisingly more athletic than he is given credit for.) Along with this type move, I fully expect Morey to buy a pick at the top of the 2nd round to pick up a leftover big, somebody like Larry Sanders, or Trevor Booker, or Solomon Alabi, or perhaps Derick Caracter or Brian Zoubek. Here's another possibility of the Bosh trade doesn't go down. We make the move with Philly and take on Brand. We then trade #2 to Minny for #4 and the rights to Rubio, possibly throwing in the 2011 pick swap. Then at #4 we pick up Johnson and go to war with him at SF. However if no trade materializes it appears that both Babbitt and Hayward will be available at 14 (unless Babbitt continues to blow everybody away in drills and one on ones, dude is going nuts) and possibly available later on at 20-22. EVEN IF we make the trade for Bosh, we are likely going to be short at SF since our expirings are there. Not only that, Babbitt and Hayward likely represents an upgrade over Ariza, at least better value, especially if Ariza is part of the package going out for Bosh. IF the trade does go down I would think Morey may even buy a late first rounder to take Babbitt or Hayward, perhaps still working a deal for one of Minny's picks. It just makes sense that if Hayward and Babbitt represent the 3rd and 4th best SFs in this draft, there would be more value drafting them at 14 or later than there will be in drafting possibly the tenth to twelvth best big man at 14. Look for a small forward coming out of this draft. Wesley Johnson, Luke Babbitt, or Gordon Hayward.
While I certainly think some of what you say could actually happen, I'm going to have to disagree with your thought process here. First of all, none of the Rockets' draft day (June 24) plans can be dependent on whether or not they get Bosh or any other outside free agent, since they can't even talk to free agents until July 1. Sure, they might want to trade up for a stud or to trade down for additional assets for use in a Bosh sign-and-trade, but the end result of the draft will have to be something the Rockets don't mind coming away with if no free agent deals end up happening. Also, regarding small forwards, the Rockets can make a Bosh sign-and-trade package with only ONE out of Battier, Jeffries or Ariza. So the SF crop will not be totally harvested as you suggest. I could see Battier and Budinger going to Toronto as part of the package, although I doubt that Morey wants to part with both those guys. In the end, I think you'll probably have one of Battier and Ariza, along with possibly Budinger, still on the roster, even if the Rockets can lure Bosh to Houston. Would Luke Babbitt be an unconventional, "didn't-see-it-coming" yet strangely logical pick from Morey? Sure, I could see that. But I don't think it will be because the Rockets are losing all of their small forwards. Oh, and it's looking like the Rockets would be lucky if Babbitt lasts until #14. It's looking like he could be off the board in the #10-12 range. Still, pretty good analysis, jopatmc.
The thing is, Morey has never drafted based on needs. Its always going to be best player available for him, and rightly so.
great theory but Morey isnt goin SF, we need a big and thats the direction he will continue to seek.. he will find somebody at the 4/5 range and it wont be a 13 or 14th best player in this draft Morey isnt gona settle for that low value somebody willl drop if we stand pat, in everyday someone ALWAYS drop due to someone stock rising or falling or GM picking based off of need and not BPA I like our prospects no matter what happens as DM will do the best thing for the team and some ppl may not like it similar to the Brooks pick but I feel Udoh or Monroe will fall to us.. jus my intuition sayin so
I agree with Bima. Whatever the Rockets do in the draft, I don't think it will be that connected to their Bosh run. That said, I do think they want to make sure they have enough assets for a proper Bosh run so that will limit what the Rockets can do in terms of "trading up". I think the Rockets will try to offer this package to the Raptors for Bosh: Jeffries (expiring), Andersen (expiring), Hill, 2 out of the 3 (Rockets 2010 1st round already picked player, Rockets 2011 NY swap rights, Knicks 2012 1st round pick). That gives the Raptors expirings and really "3" first round picks which include Hill. Not sure they can turn that down. And this would still leave the Rockets Battier & Budinger on the roster. If Morey feels that he is going to have to move their 2010 1st round picked player to the Raptors in the Bosh deal, we could see him looking to buy a later 1st round pick and/or 2nd round pick to keep the asset bowl fresh.
I think I would INITIALLY offer Jeffries, Andersen, and 1 of the 3 picks. You want to start negociations by low balling way under what you estimate the final compramise would eventually be.
Your making alot of emphasis on Ricky Rubio .. Iam not so sure Morey wants him that much .. We heard some gossips but nothing serouis .. and the Wolves are never ever going to trade him .. Me,, I dont see Bosh coming .. its too unrealistic and too good too happen I can see drafting someone like Greg Monroe or Patrick Patterson other than that dont get ur hopes up rockets fan ..
The Rox are going to have some feel for whether they have a shot at Bosh and what Toronto is looking for in the draft. if they have a shot, they are going to trade and draft accordingly. I am fully convinced that Morey has Rubio as a top priority along with Bosh. I am fully convinced he is holding that 2011 pick swap to trade for Rubio's rights. I will be convinced he has thrown in the towel in acquiring Rubio when he trades those pick swap rights. he may trade those swap pick rights in the deal for Bosh. That will tell me he is giving up on Rubio. Ideal trade involves Minny and Toronto.
like drexler, barkley, pippen, and tmac? the rockets have a history of attracting and landing elite talent. sure, its a long shot but i wouldn't dismiss the possibility altogether.
nice story bro and i agree with alot of the stuff that you said and i was wondering ...morey always does the thing that nobody expects so let say we get rubio or jefferson ...how is rubio going to fit in because aaron brooks is a great pg and i dont want him traded unless there is an opportunity that u cant pass up :grin:
If Morey could nab Bosh + Rubio in some sort of Rockets/Raptors/Wolves 3 way trade similar to Morey's 3 team deadline deal with Kings/Knicks (Martin, Hill + picks) then that would be a home run.
Brooks is a great scoring point guard and will continue to excel in that role. He is an obvious mismatch offensively against every player in the league that we can conceive save for Rondo and possibly Paul when he is healthy. All that being said, he does not make his teammates better. and he is going to wind up earning a bloated contract after putting up bloated numbers for a couple seasons. I love him as a scorer. But he comes up short defensively. and he comes up short in making his teammates better. Brooks is a complementary piece. He would be great next to Rubio. But we've already got Martin to play next to Rubio and Martin is way more efficient than Brooks and is definitely highly effective at playing off the ball. As much as I like Brooks, our offense will eventually stagnate with him spearheading it and we will not be as efficient offensively as a unit with him dribbling and jacking as we will be with a Rubio at the point who has that great knack for getting the ball to the most efficient scoring opportunity on the floor set after set after set.
Morey is drafting Luke Babbitt. Most people expect the Rockets to draft a black guy some somewhere other than Reno, NV. Morey the Contrarian will draft a white guy from Reno, NV.
I disagree. A "feel" for getting a free agent who has made no indication that he even wants to come to your city is not enough to spend the 14th pick of the NBA Draft on a guy your team doesn't value as the best player available, just because that free agent's old team likes him the most. If Morey thinks Player A is the best player available and would help the Rockets the most over the mid- and long term, he is not going to take a lower valued Player B just because that's who Toronto likes the most. Sure, Player A may be included in a trade package for Bosh, but Morey isn't going to hamstring the organization by risking being "stuck" with Player B if Bosh doesn't agree to come to Houston.
With rubios size, hee could pllay point and possibly defend the two spot, leaving brooks available to play the two at times, pprobably coming off the bench. Its possible morey wants rubio to play wityh brooks, not instead of him.
Morey already has an idea of what Toronto wants and he will draft and trade with that in mind, whether it is current players or draft picks. This is the reason I feel he will draft a small forward because if we trade we are going to be sending them expiring contracts (small forwards), probably Jordan Hill (if they want him) and draft picks. and we would be trading for a big. Yao/Scola/Bosh/and a free agent like Brad Miller is your big man rotation and the team strength. The weakness then is at small forward and possibly point if Brooks is traded. A small forward if one of Babbitt or Hayward is available at 14 or later makes a lot of sense.
