Yeah, I agree. I am just trying to stay somewhat positive. It's hard. I guess Stephenson would be our only realistic option, and Morey doesn't seem to want big contracts and is probably worried about his personality.
I would sign: * PG: Nelson or Ridnour * SF: Johnson or Hamilton * C: Blatche (can play PF) or Jason Smith (with midrange jumper)
I doubt we can get Okafor , so morey needs to bring in Michael beasley and blatche. Beasley is a great scorer off the bench and blatche is solid all around player at a weak PF position. With those to signings i'd be satisfied with the offseason.
I know Kris Humphries is mocked a lot, but he'd bring a lot of value, especially if he can be had cheap for 1 year. Solid rebounder, solid defender. He's not great by any stretch, but he can give us quality minutes at the 4. I think there are several guys on the free agent list who can give us solid minutes at the four. I'd be targeting a lot of them and seeing who will sign for the best deal.
I'd take him in a heartbeat. He could fill the Asik role as backup C and play some at the 4. We could really use another plus rebounder now that Asik is gone.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Oh man if the Rockets get Greg Monroe ALL is forgiven.</p>— Tom Martin (@TomMartinKATC) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomMartinKATC/statuses/488714823652626432">July 14, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
how are we going to get monroe? sign him with all the cap we have? detroit will match and trade him later bledsoe injured history scare me
what is our situation now? are we over the cap? if we are how are we still have our mid-level exception? is it because we are over the cap on 7/1?
Morey pretty much said in the interviews he did this morning that they are going to operate over the cap and not use the remaining cap room, but rather go the MLE, BAE + TPE route. PG, to me, really isn't a position of need. Beverley and Canaan/Nick Johnson will do. A backup center is needed, but there aren't a ton of stud out there... so, to me, vet minimum is the route to go there. Jermaine O'Neal, Okafor, Eltron Brand. Just some body for a few minutes a game, so you don't have to throw Capela out there right away. A backup 3 probably is the biggest need right now. Mike Miller, Shawn Marion, Jordan Hamilton. Any one of them would be fine with me. Preferably on a two-year deal with the second year fully non-guaranteed, so that you can you use them as trade fillers, which is something the Rockets lack currently.
If we could add Kris Humphries and Shawn Marion and then maybe another warm body center I'd be really happy with those moves. Not a true contender, but could definitely compete in the playoffs and if you get a chance to add a real elite player during the season that would be great!
PG: Eric Bledsoe Ramon Sessions Mo Williams Jerryd Bayless J.Nelson L.Ridnour SG: Jordan Crawford Lance Stephenson Ray Allen Alan Anderson Jimmer Fredette Brandon Rush Rodrigue Beaubois R.Stuckey SF: Mike Miller Evan Turner Shawn Marion Josh Childress A.Aminu W.Johnson PF: Andray Blatche Udonis Haslem Dejuan Blair Ed Davis Kris Humpries T.Booker M.Scott J.Smith E.Udoh C: Greg Monroe Jermaine O'Neal Andrew Bynum Jeff Adrien
Morey will get creative as usual. He will most likely take the trade route and used the non guaranteed contracts or TPE to take on unwanted player from another team and a pick as well. Example: Non guaranteed contracts or TPE for Josh Smith and 2 first round picks Non guaranteed contracts or TPE for ZaZa Pachulia OR Illysova and 1 first round and 1 second round Non guaranteed contracts or TPE for Gerald Wallace or Brandon Bass and Brooklyn Pick. Add in a third team and it can get very interesting.
I'd probably be against adding the Kris Humphries of the world, because, while decent, he/they doesn't really move the needle, and you gotta play Jones and especially D-Mo for them to be more than meh-assets to other teams. Need to build up that asset base again. Gotta be the top priority. That's why I'd be just fine with overpaying someone like Jordan Hamilton by giving a two-year deal worth full MLE money, if the second year is fully non-guaranteed. (Though I'd obviously prefer somebody who actually might be worth that kind of money like Mike Miller or Shawn Marion).
You need more big men than just Dwight/Jones/Donuts Hump would have moved the needle in the Portland series when you couldn't get anyone outside of Dwight/Asik to give you anything defensively or on the boards at the 4/5. No, he's not going to shut down Aldridge. He's not a GOOD defender, but he's good enough that you wouldn't have been hyperventilating everytime the pass went to Aldridge. Keep in mind I said on a cheap deal and in another post I mentioned 1 year deal or 1 year plus non guaranteed second year.