Yup, and the swap is unprotected I'd imagine. If Miami keeps sucking, If someone gets hurt... I don't see them as a top 5 team going forward. Still middle of the pack IMO. That Brooklyn pick is going to be 28-30. Miami is anywhere from 14-22.
This return for Oladipo is beyond underwhelming, and Stone overplayed his hand. However, the handwringing over LeVert doesn’t make sense. He missed nearly two months after having a cancerous tumor removed from his kidney. There was no guarantee he returned to play before the trade deadline, nor that other teams would give up a first-round pick for someone recovering from cancer surgery. Also, he’s making $18 million a season, and he’s not going to be a first or second option on a championship team. Stone’s focus this offseason or next season should be to move Eric Gordon or John Wall’s contracts to create enough cap space after next season to pursue a max salary player in the future. If it costs a first-round pick or two, so be it.
I never said that. Allen and LaVert are positive assets that could have been flipped for an actual return.
He is now. He is younger, healthier and has a higher upside. Oladipo isn't the same player he was 3-4 years ago.... then there is the fact that Oladipo is going to be a free agent, wants the maximum and has said he wants to play for one specific team.
The wager is that by 2023 any of the following would happen 1) 2022 MIA = 2021 TOR 2) 2022 BKN = 2021 TOR 3) 2023 MIL = 2021 TOR Deep out-of-the-money options, but if, IF IF IF IF, BIG IF, any of these happens. TO THE MOON!!! But if all these don't happen, which is much more likely than not, the Houston Rockets become the historic laughing stock of the National Basketball Association.
Miami is currently the 17th pick, Even if Dipo makes them markedly better (unlikely), it won't be lower than say 23-25 pick. At that point there is little difference between quality players between those slots. Rockets will probably trade back or draft the guy who total boom/bust player. Doesn't change that much. Plus if Dipo is that good to help out Heat, moving him prevents him from hurting the Rockets draft position. At least now it is done, and there are fewer distractions for the players. coaches, etc. Again I feel everyone is pouting about tiny things that won't really matter for this franchise in the long run.
Right, except Brooklyn always has players hurt.... my guess is it ends up only being a 2-3 spot improvement.
If the Rockets were to end up outside the top 4, OKC could send Miami’s first to the Rockets in exchange for the Rockets’ lottery pick. Oladipo should make Miami better, meaning the Rockets would get a worse pick in that scenario.
So the piece you're missing here is that the cancer that was found did not occur until AFTER the trade was made. We weren't getting a "damaged goods" LeVert and trading him to Indy. And even if the timeline still occurred where we didn't make that trade and Caris would have had to sit out months to recover from the tumor, it's not like he's not 1. a young player on a 2. relatively cheap contract with 3. 2 years left on his deal. Hell, the Clippers are paying Luke Kenard almost as much but for a 1/20th of the player. In the end would trading LeVert for a 1st hard? Possibly but not as hard as trading a player on an expiring contract who publicly wanted to go to just one team.
