Luke Ridnour kind of sucks, is more expensive than both Aaron Brooks and Isaiah Canaan combined, and probably isn't really any better than either Brooks or Canaan. Ilyasova clearly has more trade value than Lin. I suggested a Lin-Ilyasova deal previously, but I'm suggesting Houston needs to sweeten the deal by including Donatas Motiejunas and the rights to the Greek kid who was acquired a few months ago from Portland in the Thomas Robinson deal.
POR out: McCollum, Leonard, Freeland POR in: Asik, Wroten, 2nd round pick PHI out: T.Young, Wroten PHI in: McCollum, Leonard HOU out: Asik, 2nd rounder HOU in: T.Young, Freeland McCollum has promise but is injury prone and a strange fit on the Portland team. LA seems impatient and wants to win now, and getting a double-double guy in Asik would help that cause. Wroten is a NW product with upside. McCollum fits in well with Philly however, who could use perimeter scoring. They shed arguably their best player in Young, to tank for a 2014 class rich in SFs and PFs. Leonard is a low-risk young C worth taking a shot on. Houston gets a great small-ball 4 who would fit very well into our lineup.
This only happens close to the deadline with minnesota hovering around .500 and Love trying to force his way out. Love would likely have to list Houston as his preferred destination. Hou out: Asik/Parsons/Lin/T.Jones/2014 1st(unprotected)/NY2nd/rights to Kostas Papanik Hou In: Love/Shabazz/Udoh Outlook: Houston trades off alot of players and assets but cashes in on the third bonafide all-star, who happens to be a perfect fit and young. gets a prospect sf in shabazz with hopes of being a future replacement of parsons. and bench depth in udoh. Starting 5: Beverley Harden Garcia Love Harden Milwaukee Out: Ilyasova/2014 1st(top10-protected) Milwaukee In: Ryan Anderson/Lin/NY2nd Outlook: it gets a pg they need and who is a potential star. Lin could likely blossom in an offense of his own, and potentially be the star he can become. it also gets a swap from ilyasova to anderson and gain a 2nd for a likely non lottery 1st. Starting 5: Lin Mayo Caron Butler Ryan Anderson Larry Sanders NewOrleans Out: Anderson/2015 1st(top10-protected) NewOrleans In: Asik/T.Jones Outlook: Gets the true center they are so clamoring for. they really want asik and they get him along with and young prospect in jones to backup davis and be the pf when davis slides to c. all for a future first. Starting 5: Jrue E.Gordon Tyreke Eyebrow Asik Minny Out: Love/Shabazz Minny In: Parsons/Ilyasova/Hou 2014 1st/Milw 2014 1st/NewOrleans 2015 1st/rights to Kostas Papanik Outlook: Love is wanting out, so they have to find best package for the future. they receive 3 1st rd picks, a young borderline all-star and a replacement pf who stretches the defense and is a great role player. this helps them stay competetive while also building for the future. they also get the overseas prospect in Kostas Papanik. Starting 5: Rubio Kevin Martin Parsons Ilyasova Pekovic http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=lkdv2t4 I think its pretty fair for all teams involved and i dont know who would say no, outside of minnesota not wanting to trade love(understandable), but if they were to trade him this is a great package for them. Thoughts?
http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=kk2jm4y What do you think about this guys? Amir is experienced, improving every single season and entering his prime. He's not an all-star or anything, but would probably be miles ahead of T-Jones or D-Mo. Also, he can log in minutes at C when Howard is out and McHale decides to play small. Novak is one of the best 3pt shooters in the league. You could give him 5-10 minutes a game to knock down some shots. This trade makes a lot of sense for Houston. Now on the other hand, Toronto is rebuilding and might even go in tank-mode this season depending on how the start of the season pans out, so young talent (TJ, D-Mo) and a great trading asset (Omer) is always welcome. Any thoughts? Does my logic seem flawed?
Now when I look at it, Houston might not getting a whole lot value for those three, but that trade would definitely improve the team and help then really contend this year already.
Giving up way too much for Novak and Amir. Asik himself should be enough to get them two but I doubt Toronto needs a center. Jonas V is their future at center.
I brought this idea up before, but for different reasons. I think its worth taking a look at a few things. Yes, I think that if the Rockets feel they MUST trade Asik, Toronto might have the pieces to facilitate a deal. However, first I really want people to look back at the Harden/OKC trade and realize that trading Asik this year or this next Summer could have a similar affect. Obviously Harden is a star player, and Asik is not, but what I want people to focus on is the importance & role Harden had with OKC, and the importance/role Asik will potentially have with Houston. Here's the big question- If the Rockets knew FOR A FACT that they would lose Asik in free agency in the summer of 2015, would they trade him for future assets & a stop gap backup like Amir Johnson (Or Kevin Martin in OKC)??? I am now in the belief that you go back in time with OKC and think that if for some reason Presti decided that they keep Harden last year, and allow him the option to walk in the offseason, the Thunder not only would have had a higher chance at winning in the postseason, I ABSOLUTELY think they would have beaten the Spurs (Harden gave them fits), and if Westbrook is health (Houston doesn't make the playoffs/Bev never runs into Westbrook), I think they have a really good shot of taking down Miami. So was the trade for future assets & a stop gap worth it for Presti??? IMO NO WAY... The lesson I learned from this is that you go for it now when you have your window, and worry about free agency later on. With Asik I think he can give teams fits off the bench in an opposite, but similarly affective role, and his role on this team just might be what puts them over the top this year... and maybe next. I say take the risk, and keep him.
Oh, and Amir Johnson coming back to the Rockets in trade should be viewed as a stop gap version of Asik anyways.... he's not the answer at PF in the starting lineup. He isn't great at any of the 3 most important traits for the perfect PF in Houston's starting lineup- -Great passing & post entry passing - bad -team defense (mmehh... good shot blocker, but they need quick feet/team defense for rotations) -floor spacing - bad So no Amir Johnson as starting PF. The other two guys and small-ball would be better fits.
If Asik get's traded, I'm interested to see if the Rockets go after Gortat with their MLE. Asik + Rights to Papanikolau for Ersan Ilyasova (three way trade) Gortat is signed with the Rockets MLE Picks to Boston for Courtney Lee Beverley / Lin Harden / Lee Parsons / Garcia / Casspi Ilyasova / TJones / DMo Howard / Gortat
Gortat is a starting center. He's going to get a nice deal from a team with capspace this next Summer, and its going to be alot more than the MLE and Gortat will be guaranteed a starting spot. -Golden State -Philly * -Phoenix * -Charlotte -Atlanta * -Portland -Dallas * -Boston* -NO- * -Cleveland -Washington -Lakers-* Will all have both significant capspace & a need for a starting center Given that the best Centers set to hit free agency are- -Gortat -Bogut -Okafor -Steimsma -Hawes Its safe to say that Gortat gets paid a really, really good contract.
I proposed Asik/Lin/TJones/picks to Boston for Rondo and expiring contract to Zach Lowe. He punked it and said it was way too much value for Rondo. What do you think about that?
Even though I would love to have Rondo on this team (Howard, Harden & Parsons would disguise Rajon's limited offensive gave, and Rajon could concentrate at what he's best at - facilitating the ball to talented offensive players), this trade does not address the most glaring issue we have right now - the power forward spot. And not just that - we lose a good PF prospect and an elite defensive C. We basically butcher our frontcourt, leaving Howard with no back-up and D-Mo alone to play the PF. Then you have 4 all star caliber players, no bench to speak of, and very limited if any cap-space to re-acquire it.
I'm not necessarily proposing trading for Rondo as the end game. I was proposing trading for Rondo as a means to getting to the pieces that really would fit.
See I would much rather prefer having three bigs (1 starter-level C, and two prospects with great potential) as opposed to 1 all-star PG with a limited offensive game. PGs are just too damn common, and you can get some quality ones at every draft, while talented bigs are much more rare to come by.
^^ *I would much rather have them as assets is what I meant. You'd just get much more of value for quality bigs.
You can't more value than Rondo for Asik. In fact, Boston won't trade Rondo unless they get at least 2 star-level players that fit in with their team concept.
