Random Houston Rockets Trade Ideas - 2012-13

Perhaps, but he fell to 9th because the teams picking before him didn't really need a PG. He was the first PG picked. And the Jazz are rather woeful at that position. There should be plenty of minutes for him there, and his draft position may not be entirely indicative of his potential. I guess we'll see. Any draft pick/rookie is always a risk.

 

Remove Canaan and the Mote trade and you've got a deal. We really don't need lee, someone eventually will pass by Morey for cheap. We also still have Anderson and a few prospects to check out during the summer league.

 

Here is my over-the-cap trade proposal if Dwight decides to come to Houston:

1. Re-sign both Brooks and Delfino to non-bird exception contracts**, Brooks making $2,727,799 one-yr guaranteed, 2 more years non-guaranteed, Delfino making $3,432,040 one-yr guaranteed, 2 more years non-guaranteed.

2. LA amnesties Steve Blake.

3. We trade Lin, Brooks, TRob, and Greg Smith for Dwight ($15513178 outgoing salary + $5 mil). Lin goes to a third team (Milwaukee, Detroit) for second rounders. TRob goes to Portland for second rounders. Brooks possibly goes to Lakers or he could go elsewhere ($500,000 cash to receiving team to get them to S&T instead of sign Brooks outright) and Greg Smith goes to Lakers.

4. Simultaneously with #3 we trade Royce White and Carlos Delfino for Metta (150% of outgoing salary)

This leaves us over the cap with the full MLE to use if we want to, the bi-annual exception, and....Birds rights to Garcia to either re-sign him or to sign-and-trade him if he wants to leave and go to another contender (I would suspect we simply re-sign him using Birds rights) .... and Artest's nice $7.7 mil expiring contract to use at the deadline for trade or to simply use off the bench as a championship caliber player. We would also be in position with the full MLE to offer Calderon the same contract he would have gotten in Los Angeles had Dwight stayed there.

Calderon/Bev/Canaan
Harden/Anderson
Parsons/Garcia/Artest
Dwight/Asik/DMo/Ohlbrecht
TJones/DMo/Artest

Use cash and second rounders from TRob/Lin trades to help ply Lakers (or other teams with sign and trades)

Total Rockets salary (assuming Calderon at $3.2 mil and Garcia at $3 mil):
$62,978,752 for 13 players, possibly a couple minimum contracts added to that (one of them being Hassan Whiteside hopefully)


From the Lakers perspective, what do they get?

1. A $20,513,178 TPE which could really come in handy in their re-tooling. There's another exception from the Artest trade but it is negligible.
2. Several second rounders
3. $3.7 million saved by amnestying Blake instead of Artest
4. Cash
5. Greg Smith on a very good contract with another non-guaranteed year left.
6. Delfino - a shooter at the 3/4 to spread hte floor for Pau next season.
7. Brooks - another shooter to replace Blake at the backup 1.

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You can swap this trade around some and come up with different variations of it: For instance the Lakers could choose to amnesty Artest and then include Blake in the trade instead of Artest. We could still work that deal and wind up with Dwight and Blake and help LA with the money side of it and they still get their second rounders Greg Smith and the huge TPE.

Our options going forward in this scenario:

1. Artest has a nice expiring contract. We could possibly attach that expiring deal to one of TJones/DMo for a major upgrade at the 4. An expiring contract by itself can be flipped at the trade deadline most of the time to a team wanting to dump another contract (with one-year left on it that becomes another expiring contract the next year) for that contract and one good asset.

Needless to say...many trade options with Artest or simply let his contract expire and play below the cap next season.

2. Many options for the full MLE and the bi-annual exception. Calderon?? What about Jarrett Jack??? Would Dunleavy change his mind??? What if Kirilenko is squeezed out of the big money market??? What if Paul Millsap is squeezed out of the big money market?? Or perhaps we split it up on a couple guys giving them 1-yr guaranteed and a couple non-guaranteed years so we can trade them at the deadline for something of value??

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** This trade proposal is based on being able to sign-and-trade Brooks and Delfino using the non-bird exception. There is some controversy as to whether or not we can do that. IF we can't do that, this trade can be re-worked using Garcia's Birds rights in a sign-and-trade and stay over the cap. We would then have Delfino available to re-sign with part of the full MLE. In that scenario, the trade would probably have to be including Blake instead of Artest since we would not have enough $$ to put together to get Artest without going into our stash of assets that we really don't want to move.

*** This trade is entirely dependent on being able to move Lin for no salary and just draft picks. If that is not doable then this scenario will not play out and we will likely sign Dwight outright with the idea of moving Lin as soon as we can for other assets of value. Calderon may be able to leverage Detroit into a sign-and-trade involving Lin if he threatens to walk from them for nothing.

 

Since Dwight has agreed to sign with the Rockets and I have clarification from Bima on the non-birds rights exception, here is my last attempt at a trade that keeps us over the cap and builds out our roster to compete for a championship this season by having the full MLE and the BAE available for use.


We've already got TRob and White going out in trade. If we can find a team that will take one of Asik/Lin for no salary and just send back draft picks then we could combine that trade with Trob/White going to Portland and Philly respectively along with Greg Smith, James Anderson, and Tim Ohlbrecht going to the Lakers along with a future first rounder or two and/or a couple second rounders then we can get Dwight without using cap space.

So:
Royce to Philly.
Trob to Portland.
One of Lin/Asik to a team willing to take them into cap space and give some draft picks back.
Smith, Anderson, and Ohlbrecht to the Lakers. These are all minimum salary players and non-guaranteed. Lakers can take them using their minimum salary exception and also get a $20.5 million TPE for trading Dwight along with the draft picks we send them.
Dwight to Houston

This type of trade leaves us over the cap. We can now re-sign Garcia to whatever salary we can get him to agree to using his Bird's rights instead of using an exception. And we now have the full MLE ($5.15 million) along with the BAE ($1.9 million) Let's say we moved Lin to Detroit or Milwaukee, both teams in need of a point guard since theirs have left town. You can possibly go get Jarrett Jack with the MLE. Let's say you traded Asik to Charlotte for a top 7 lottery protected first rounder. You can then go get a backup center...perhaps steal Chris Anderson away from Miami for the BAE. Or perhaps Toronto buys out Camby and you can sign him for league minimum. Now you're still sitting on the MLE with Lin/Harden/Parsons/Dwight/TJones as your starters. Corey Brewer??? Now you can get him and still keep Garcia.

Just a lot of options by going over the cap in a sign-and-trade.

 

Asik for Ersan Ilysova and a 2nd rd pick

 

We could get Ilyasova and Udoh for Asik's contract. Udoh is a $4 million expiring rookie deal and he has shown some defensive potential. Could back up Dwight and be a trade chip at the deadline. And Ilyasove is a superior shooter to Ryan Anderson...not to mention superior on the glass as well.

 

Any chance we go after Rondo? Would it make us better?

 

Yeah, that's the guy.

 

Rockets
In Aldridge, Barton
Out Asik, T jones, rockets 1st, rockets 2nd

Blazers
In Anderson, t Jones, pelicans 1st, rockets 2nd&1st
Out Aldridge, Barton

Pelicans
In Asik
Out Anderson, pelicans 1st

Something like this.
Blazers get a younger player along w/ multiple 1st rounders to pair with Lilliard.

 

Pelicans already traded their 2014 pick (to Sixers for Jrue Holiday) so they can't trade 2015 pick, so this will be 2016 pick, so it won't.

And Blazers already have the young guy to pair with Lillard, yep Aldridge. He's just 27 yo, four year older than Lillard.

 

Harden, T.Jones, rights to a foreign player for Kobe.

 

I'm wondering if Portland would give us C.J. McCollum for Asik. That would be a win-win move as far as I'm concerned. McCollum is a big time shooter. He could be folded into a sign-and-trade acquisition of Dwight since unsigned draft picks have no trade value and become our starting PG as soon as we moved Lin. We could then move Lin and possibly TRob for JSmoove or just wait and start the season with Lin still at the point and our MLE and BAE in our pocket. Sign Whiteside to a minimum contract to back up Dwight and see how it goes.

Another possibility I'm thinking about is would Charlotte do an Asik/(TJones or DMo) deal for Cody Zeller. This would fit perfectly into a S&T of Dwight also allowing us to stay over the cap while resetting our PF rotation. We could then examine the possibilities of trading Lin and Smith or Ohlbrecht for a re-signed JSmoove...or once again...simply wait it out, start the season and see what we look like on the floor.

Another huge advantage of staying over the cap is you don't have to execute all your moves during July. You can wait and see what develops in the trade market, see who gets left out of the free agent bonanza and then becomes a huge value at the MLE or a piece of the MLE. The urgency to build out the team goes away because you are not limited to using that Room MLE to get yourself a shooter. This is the mode that Morey is best in..the predatory mode...simply waiting for trade value and free agency value to appear and then being able to pounce on it with his flexibility.

 

Would you trade Asik to Minnesota for Derrick Williams plus 2nd round pick/s???

 

Portland out: W.Matthews, M.Leonard
Portland in: Asik
- They need a franchise C, and the arrival of McCollum to join Lillard in the backcourt might make Matthews expendable.

Milwaukee out: Ilyasova, Udoh
Milwaukee in: Lin, M.Leonard
- Lin would bring in fans and marketability, and Jennings may be gone.

Phoenix out: Dragic
Phoenix in: T.Jones, Udoh, 2014 HOU 1st
- Bledsoe's addition might make Dragic expendable. They get some assets and an unprotected 1st here.

Houston out: Asik, Lin, T.Jones, 2014 1st
Houston in: W.Matthews, Dragic, Ilyasova

Howard - G.Smith
Ilyasova - Motiejunas
Parsons - Matthews
Harden - Matthews
Dragic - Beverley

I'm not a huge Ilyasova fan, but he is a logical fit, who would likely come at a much more attainable price than some of the other PFs on the market. Matthews would be an excellent wing option to have off the bench, who can shoot and defend.

 

Yeah Ilyasova is a great idea, doubt bucks want to give him up though.

 

Interesting, and I love Ilyasova. However, Matthews is dead money on our books. We won't get enough value on the floor or in a future trade for him. And Dragic is not a fit. Dragic is ball-dominant, same problem we have with Lin now.

 

I think Asik > Matthews trade value wise, and Portland is very interested in him to boot.

And ironically, a guy would fit better than Dragic is probably Lowry. And he's surely available, and with Toronto trying to rebuild, we could probably pick him up for picks and maybe a young player. The only iissue then is his relationship with McHale.

 

Yeah, however.....Lowry is potentially a piece that could be moved to the Lakers and they could cut him or keep him in a sign-and-trade deal. Don't know if Uriji would trade Lin for Lowry though. I think he's trying to win the lottery and cut payroll at the same time.

We probably wouldn't bring Lowry back.

In my opinion (and I've recently changed on this), I think Morey is ready to start Beverley and if he could move Lin would only want a vet backup PG to give him some insurance behind Lowry. That guy needs to come cheap (like Pookie Gibson minimum salary cheap).


It is also my opinion that if we sign Dwight outright that it is simply because Morey could not find a landing spot for Jeremy that didn't cost us assets or didn't bring salary back. Otherwise, I think he would prefer to sign-and-trade for Dwight using Lin's salary in the deal.

 

I'm not at all anxious to trade Omer Asik, but, if he will be unhappy at backing up Dwight Howard, then we have to consider a young replacement F/C who will complement Howard at F or back him up at C. So, here is what I propose:

Cleveland Cavaliers Trade Breakdown
Change in Team Outlook: -9.0 ppg, +3.3 rpg, and -1.3 apg.

<TABLE class=breakdowntable width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TH colSpan=2 scope=col>Incoming Players</TH></TR><TR><TD class=photo> </TD><TD>Omer Asik
27 year old , 7-0, 255 lb C from Fenerbahce Ulker (Turkey)
10.1 ppg, 11.7 rpg, 0.9 apg in 30.0 minutes </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=breakdowntable width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TH colSpan=2 scope=col>Outgoing Players</TH></TR><TR><TD class=photo> </TD><TD>C.J. Miles
26 year old , 6-6, 222 lb G-F from Skyline High School (Texas)
11.2 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.0 apg in 21.0 minutes in 2012-2013</TD></TR><TR><TD class=photo> </TD><TD class=even>Tyler Zeller
23 year old , 7-0, 250 lb F-C from North Carolina
7.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.2 apg in 26.4 minutes in 2012-2013</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Houston Rockets Trade Breakdown
Change in Team Outlook: +9.0 ppg, -3.3 rpg, and +1.3 apg.

<TABLE class=breakdowntable width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TH colSpan=2 scope=col>Incoming Players</TH></TR><TR><TD class=photo> </TD><TD>C.J. Miles
26 year old , 6-6, 222 lb G-F from Skyline High School (Texas)
11.2 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.0 apg in 21.0 minutes </TD></TR><TR><TD class=photo> </TD><TD class=even>Tyler Zeller
23 year old , 7-0, 250 lb F-C from North Carolina
7.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.2 apg in 26.4 minutes </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


Zeller won't hurt the team's chemistry, and C.J. Miles would be a terrific back-up for Harden. Cleveland would benefit from Asik's play at center so both teams benefit.

When DH is resting, we wouldn't be hurt by Zeller playing center. If a team like Memphis throws a really big front court at us, Zeller can play PF with range out to 15 feet. Motiejunas, Jones and Smith then can be rotated in and out to gain experience and create mismatches.

Now, that trade proposed, I hope we can keep Asik.

 

That would be an amazing trade. I am a huge fan of Ersan, and I think Udoh would be a great backup at the 4 and 5.

I just looked up Ilyasova's stats for last year and he shot 44% from 3!