[Philly Inquirer] 76ers have to knock over Rockets with young talent (UPDATE: 1/13)

I agree with you to a point. Houston will be better that way and will be a contending team....My only concern is I feel like we need a go to clutch scorer(G/SF) to handle the ball at the end of the game - one who gets respect from the refs. I don't really trust anyone on our team now to be that guy. I think we are a good team without that guy, and while Yao is good the rules make it much harder for post players to take over in the clutch. It really has to be a creator who can take the ball up from half court and get a score. ALL serious contenders have that guy. Orlando had Hedo last year and Vince this year, the Lakers have Kobe, Denver has Anthony/Billups, Cleveland has LeBron, Atlanta has Johnson....Houston doesn't have that guy and outside of Joe Johnson, I'm not really sure who is realistically available this summer to be that guy. It has me worried to say the least.... Without that guy according to your plan I think we are a very good team - maybe even a conference Finals team...but we aren't necessarily a NBA championship team and isn't that the goal?

...it's like Artest said - Joey Crawford told him, 'Who cares about the Houston Rockets? Kobe Bryant is on the floor.'" The refs will find a way to screw Houston out of a win in a close playoff game if they don't have a guy like that. It's sad, but it's a reality.

 

Hey I'm not saying I would want those guys - I'm just saying they are noteworthy. Don't shoot the messenger...

 

You can't win a championship by adding one of these guys and a who-knows-how-good-he-will-be-Yao.
This is a business, and as much as I like the players we have, as much as I love their intensity, for most of them, their stock will never be higher than right now because they are not out-shined by a superstar. Right now, and at the end of the season, is the best time to package a couple of these guys to land some all-star potential that will, deep in the playoffs, carry you on there back.
A Brandon Roy, a Kobe, a Wade, a Bosh, those guys don't come often and are very expensive. If you have the shot to package a couple of boys you found in the 2nd round to get one of them, you do it.
Morey has shown once again this year with Budinger that he is good at drafting and can find that gem. A Kyle Lowry, a Carl Landry or a Luis Scola will be easier to find in the future than a CP3.

 

When did AI cease to be a direct reference to Allen Iverson? Because when you think Allen Iverson every time AI is posted in this thread it gets pretty funny.

I'm with Bima. When your default position on Tmac is to let him expire, retain everyone on this fun, hardworking, harmonious team AND add back in Yao next year; most of this mumbo jumbo of mid-level talent and $10 million dollar + contracts just seems so unnecessarily risky.

We don't have to waste our time b****ing and moaning over the active players we have now. If we had a $12 million dollar Samuel Dalembert clogging up the system or had to bench an older $14 million dollar Andre Igoudola in a couple of years we would be back to the same old suck as every other NBA team.
Effort, production, value, entertainment and flexibility ... in Morey we trust.

Unless it's for a Super Star. Then bet the ranch.

 

Here's a deal that might work.

Spoiler

Rockets side: We essentially trade Battier and expirings for Iguodala and Yao's future back up center. Blake would be waived and resigned by the blazers for the minimum. We improve the areas we need help in (SG and C). It might be tough to lose a strong leader like Battier but I think this deal makes a better in the long run. The rockets reduce salary this season and avoid Dalembert's monster contract next season. Also, we would need to waive someone to make room for 4 new players.

Sixers side: They clear a lot of cap space...next season. This season they would actually be taking on more money but they get the option of getting a free look at Outlaw when he gets healthy.

Blazers side: They get immediate help in Shane, whom I'm sure they'd love to have, and Dalembert. Essentially trading Przybilla and Outlaw for Battier and Dalembert, they would get Blake back in 30 days. It's only a slight upgrade as Przybilla is better than Dalembert but Battier is much better than Outlaw. The immediate help is really their incentive to do this deal.

The specifics of a Rockets/Sixers/Blazers deal could be adjusted but I think the incentive is there for these teams to make a move with the Rockets looking to upgrade talent, the Sixers looking to unload salary, and the Blazers looking for healthy bodies.

 

Some guys on your list are not considered a 2nd-3rd tier guy.
Why would Houston go after Boozer,Lee, or O'Neal when they have Scola and Landry anyway??
Boozer,Lee,Camby,O'Neal,Ginobli will demand much more than any of the guys on my list as these guys are low end 1st tier guys more than the 2nd tier.
Harrington,Barnes,Miller are 2nd tier and I mentioned two of them.
Redd will demand big money and not worth it with his injury issues every season.

AI is the right move if he can be had with Dalembert. I would not want to get stuck with Brand's contract though.

 

I must disagree with your statements. You are way off on you assesment of the current team.

1. Yao will come back for next season but how many minutes will he be able to play. Will he last the entire season or will he break down AGAIN.

2. We need a good back center (DA is not a good backup center). Sam D fits the bill, sometimes you have over pay for one (see Magic) and if it doesn't work out he is only on the books for two seasons.

3. AI is old in two years? AI is only 26 now, in two years he'll be just hitting his prime.

If the Sixers offer us AI + Sam D for T-MAC we make this deal 10 out of 10 times. The Rockets are good but not championship good, we need to work to get closer to that and AI will help. We won't be able to sign anyone as good or better than AI over the summer so let's take advantage of T-MAC's contract if we can.

 

Well, Pryzbilla's out for the season...

 

the more i think about this trade and work with the numbers..the more i do not like trade for Sam Dalembert and AI. I'll be more than happy with AI, but taking Dalembert's contract leaves very little flexibility for us next year. We'll have 3 players totaling $41mil and if we want to keep Scola and Lowry (which i think Morey does), we'll be way over the salary cap. I understand that we could use size off the bench to backup Yao, but the way this team has with a small lineup, i think we'll be fine without another big coming off the bench.

I think this is why Morey is refusing to take on Dalember or Brand.

 

I reallly like this trade, but we would only have to waive one person since we are trading T-MAC and Cook and waving Blake. Therefore, Mike Harris would be the obvious choice here.

 

Pryzbilla and Outlaw's injuries would be the Blazers' incentive to do the deal.

 

Not Hardworking? Not fun to watch? Isn't it more fun to identify with an overachieving "team" than b**** about overpaid under-performers? When this team is in the playoffs we are going to be living and dying with every loose ball (zen tip: it's the trip not the destination)

Remember to sign Igoudola and Delembert you won't be able resign two or three of these guys we already got playing the way we want our team to play. I didn't mean Igoudola would be old, it's just that his contract escalates to a point where he can't possibly contribute accordingly. Bima has already called it a bad contract.

And, the Rockets are already 100% committed to Yao. Whether we compete for a 2010/11 Championship will depend on how much he can contribute. If he can then it's the destination, and the trip.

 

Mango is right on all accounts here.

Yes, being even $1 over the tax threshold means that you can't share in the pot of all luxury taxes collected by the league. Each under-the-tax team gets 1/30th of the pot, with the rest going to fund "league programs" and the tiny remainder being re-distributed to the teams.

The Rockets have been willing to part with future second rounders in order to get below the tax, knowing that they'd save money well in excess of what it would cost to buy EVEN BETTER second round picks.

knote32, to address you point about the luxury tax being "peanuts" for Les, let's do the math of what it would cost Les Alexander to have a Rockets team next year with Iguodala, Dalembert, Scola and Lowry. My guess would be that, in order to keep both Scola and Lowry, the Rockets would end up exceeding the luxury tax threshold by about $15-20M. That is all additional team salary. Then, factoring in the 100% luxury tax, you're talking about another $15-20M. Then, in missing out on shared luxury tax revenues, Les is losing another, let's say, $3M.

So, adding it up, to acquire a very good--but not superstar--talent in Andre Iguodala (who himself is overpaid in the first place), Les would have to shell out an additional $33-43M for next season alone!!! This doesn't even count any future years, with Iguodala's salary continually increasing until it hits $15.9M in 2014, plus new deals for Aaron Brooks and Carl Landry in 2011.

Would Les be willing to pay this much just to add Andre Iguodala? I think not.

Would Les be willing to pay this much to add Chris Paul. MAYBE.

Peanuts???

 

Damn it, BimaThug! Quit bringing me down to reality! I'm trying to live in a fantasy world where the Rockets trade for Chris Paul then sign Lebron James for the MLE! :grin:

 

How can you say he's not contributing accordingly? He's only 24 and averaging 18.5ppg, 7reb, 6asts, 2stls and is shooting much better than Trevor Ariza. I think if we make a deal for him, Ariza, AI, and AB will become a nice 1-2-3 punch...they're numbers are very similar but AI has better ast numbers and is a better shooter and has the ability to get his own shot. It'll make life easier for Ariza and wont have to try to do as much.

 

Then, you send package Dalembert out. Work out a deal with the Kings or Blazers. Something like:

Houston receives: Iguodala, Speights, Kenny Thomas
Philly receives: McGrady, Hawes, cash from Houston
Sacramento receives: Dalembert, Jermaine Taylor, Houston 2010 (protected) 1st Round Pick

Or this:

Houston receives: Iguodala, Thad Young, Pryzbilla
Philly receives: McGrady, Blake, Outlaw, Houston 2010 (protected) 1st Round Pick
Portland receives: Dalembert, Jermaine Taylor,

 

...AGAIN - don't shoot the messenger. You left some names out that some people might consider instead of Iguadala (who I like by the way). I was just trying to fill in the list as I think your list was rather incomplete. I'm not saying we should get Boozer or would even need him....

To me the only 1st tier guys are Lebron, Wade, Bosh, and maybe Joe Johnson. First tier is max contract territory. All those other guys comes with warts and won't get close to max contract deals - if Lee really was a lower end first tier option don't you think someone would have offered him more than the qualifying offer last year when he was a RFA?

 

I think there's a difference of opinion of Andre Iguodala's value vs. salary.

IMO, he is living up to his salary and isn't overpaid...yet. The last couple years will be tough but I think he's good enough to put us over the top and give us that chance at winning a title. I'm not even the biggest fan of his game but he just seems like one of the few attainable players that could upgrade what we already have and not mess up the flow or get killed on the defensive end.

 

Obviously this is assuming there isn't a deal in place to move Dalembert out of Houston.

 

PPG 18.5 RPG 6.80 APG 5.6

I wouldn't mind "overpaying" for someone of this caliber.