I agree the Rockets should continue to pursue Fernandez. Especially if the Rockets feel they might have to give up Budinger in any Bosh deal. Thankfully Pritchard is out of Portland as I never felt we would ever get a good deal from them while he was there.
That's the word out of Portland. http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2010/06/blazers_plan_to_release_ryan_g.html
That's the one frustrating thing about Morey... it used to be easy for us armchair GMs to talk about what obvious moves Rockets can do to upgrade a posistion. "If only we can replace Juwan with... " "If only we don't have 38-year-old 6'1'' David Wesley (or 24-year-old 6'2'' Luther Head) playing minutes at the 2." But then Morey goes out gets the guys you put on the Rockets in NBA2K association mode (I am not kidding: I had Ron Artest on the video game Rockets for years and Kevin Martin was on my NBA2K9 squad for more than a year before Morey made the move)-- and he does it in transactions that the even opposing GM in the game would not accept. Now, it's not so easy to speculate on how you'd impove the tea.. They may lack some star power after Mcgrady's decline/departure but has good, competent players for the entire rotation. Even a couple of the guys expected to be at the edge of the rotation (Jeffries, Andersen, Taylor, etc.) are not complete stiffs, and are just about as good as you can expect your deep guys to be. Yes, you always want to add to the team, but it's almost to the point where anything other than getting a superstar is pointless. The only point of keeping an eye on the Gomes-type guys of the world right now is as possibilities if the team depletes some depth in a superstar trade. Anyhow, for the foregoing reasons, I hereby dub Daryl Morey, "The Chubby Dream Destroyer."
Thanks for the scoop. This is interesting (although not unexpected). Waiving Gomes this week saves Portland $3.26M next season (or more, if they are paying luxury tax). However, they will still have to pay Gomes SOMETHING for the next three seasons: $1 million in 2010-11, $1 million in 2011-12, and $750,000 in 2012-13. The sad thing is, I don't necessarily think that Gomes's full salary under his contract ($4.26M, $4.63M, $4.99M) was all that bloated. If he doesn't sign in Houston, here's hoping he can make that on the open market as a most/full MLE signing.
Rudy doesn't want to play behind a star SG and can't play point guard. That's the whole point of trading him (Brandon Roy). This doesn't make any sense.
http://www.examiner.com/x-24705-Por...-Blazers-may-release-newest-member-Ryan-Gomes Fernandez to Knicks?
Probably not. What does New York have to offer? They don't have a pick next year, and they don't have their first in 2012. Plus, I don't think Portland has any interest in the Knicks' players (they don't need Douglas, Walker or Chandler; they don't want Curry; and New York won't deal Gallinari), so there's really nothing to be done between those teams. The only feasible scenario I can see would be New York simply offering cash to Portland and absorbing Fernandez's salary with a trade exception. But Paul Allen doesn't need the money, and the Rockets' 2011 second rounder would be a better offer.
Knicks have no assets, but I keep on thinking one of the other salary dumpers (CHI, MIA) should try to go after Fernandez. If they get the 2 max guys, they are gonna need some cheap talent bad. Rudy is cheap and he can play. Not sure he does as much good for a team like the Rockets.
I like Gomes and was hoping he would be a contract we could use to get Rubio out of Minnesota. Now that he willbbe a FA, he could be an excellent target for Morey.
I'm not sure what the Bulls or Heat could offer Portland. As it is, I believe that Chicago is slightly shy of having room for two full max contracts, which is why I think they will be desperate to get someone to take James Johnson's ($1.71M) contract off their hands. I wonder if Morey is even considering offering to take Johnson and the Bull's (lottery-protected) first rounder next year for "future draft considerations". The Rockets could absorb Johnson's salary with a trade exception. While he had a rough rookie year, James Johnson was the 16th pick of the draft and also might be the toughest sumbich in the league. Dude is a karate champion. No joke.
Not trade exception, cap space. NY will be under the cap, and not have exceptions. It looks like it will take a 1st-rounder to get Rudy Fernandez. Another consideration is that Portland doesn't have a GM, exactly, though the rumors are that somebody in the organization got Pritchard kicked out so they could have the job. Anyhow, they might not do any trades just yet.
You're right. My bad. The Knicks need to waive their trade exceptions in order to maximize their cap space. Still, I don't think the Knicks can offer anything that Portland would value.
Honestly, if the stars align for both parties, Fernandez should go to the Spurs. Ginobili doesn't mind NOT starting for them. Hill / Parker Fernandez / Ginobili Jefferson / Bogans Duncan / Blair Bonner / McDyess Solid 10 man rotation. Although it does seem a bit old, and Bonner is starting...XD
chase budinger is the black version of rip hamilton, and rip hamilton is the white version of chase budinger.
No, I considered asking about it but I declined because I'm fairly sure he wouldn't have said anything. the question I really wanted to get in was to ask who Morey was targeting in 2nd round. But for future strategic reasons, he might not have dulged that either, but the guy was pretty loose lipped yesterday.
Not bad, it's alway useful to add some assets. Johnson might be an asset who simply didn't get much opportunity (wonder how the Rockets rated him going into the draft). A future first never hurts (though this is not as good as a Knicks pick, since the Bulls are pretty talented with or without new FAs). We'll see how things play out, but I'm sure Morey has considered all the possibilities and evaluated the costs and benefits.
I don't know if Morey counted on the Bulls being able to shed Hinrich's contract on draft night without taking back any salary. Sure, as long as the Bulls are the Rockets' competition for Bosh, I don't think he'll want to do anything to accommodate them. But if it becomes clear that Bosh won't be willing to come to Houston, then at least he could salvage some assets from the Bulls' chase of Bosh in the process. Remember, with the Rockets likely being taxpayers next year, Johnson's $1.71M salary will cost double, or $3.42M. But IF the Rockets can get a future first rounder (even if it's a late first rounder), what would they be willing to pay for it? Most late first rounders still go for the full $3M, so think of this as getting a year of James Johnson at the end of your bench for $420,000. That's less than the rookie minimum for second rounders. Something to consider.
