Rockets looking to sell high on "Impactful Veteran Help" to Kings for higher pick?

In this draft, after Irving and Williams, it is a crapshoot as for who will go #3 through #9 or so. If Morey thinks that he can realistically get someone at #7 who he views as the third best player in the draft (or maybe even better), he may pull the trigger. (And, yes, any trade would be made ON DRAFT NIGHT and be dependent on the Rockets' target falling to #7.)

Also, as for Scola's contract, I really don't think it's all that bad. His salary is commensurate with the going rate for PFs who produce at his level, if not better. The most he'll ever possibly make is $10.2M (in 2013-14, when he'll still only be 33, which--given the type of game he plays--should still be his "prime"). Plus, if existing salaries get rolled back under the new CBA, his contract may even become a relative bargain.

You also have to realize that no quality free agent in his right mind is going to WANT to come to Sacramento (or "City X," since the long-term location of the team is very much in question). Meanwhile, the Kings will have a TON of salary cap space to use, with no good player on which to use it. Frankly, Scola would be a good get for them.

If there's a guy who Morey thinks will be better for THIS team going forward than Scola, I'd be willing to part with him, especially since it could vault the Rockets' cap situation into a scenario where adding a superstar in free agency--or having the room for that superstar to threaten to leave for Houston unless he is traded here first--is actually realistic.

 

I agree, #2 and #4 are the prime spots right now. Utah appears like it wants a PG and the Irving hype will probably make picking him easy for Cleveland at #1. So Williams and Kanter will be there for the taking. Anything below those two, I really have no interest in...we can get quality depth at the 14th and 23 rd spots.

 

I don't think Curry, Love, Aldridge, Evans, and Bogut can be the best player on a contending team, unless that team is Detroit-like. (And I am not even mentioning the unproven guys like Oden, Cousins, and Wall.) In other words, if one of those guys is your best player, you aren't a contending team, unless you have near caliber guys at all five positions.

Look at the four remaining ("contending") teams left in the playoffs. Their best players are: James, Rose, Durant, and Nowitzki. You don't get one, let alone two, of those guys every draft.

 

Totally agree.

Scola has a very reasonable contract for his production.

And a team like Sacramento makes total sense. Now, can we find a team a little bit higher that would possibly want Scola and maybe a lil' something something extra for their pick?

Better yet....how could we turn Scola into a SG that Minny would be interested in for #2? How about a big deal with Philly giving them Scola plus expirings and Budinger for Brand and Iggy, then send Iggy to Minny for #2?? You get Brand/Patterson/Hayes/Yao as your bigs, draft Derrick Williams to play the 3, then use 14 23 38 to replace all the pieces parts you gave Philly to make the big trade.

 

I like the idea of trading Martin and No. 14 for the No. 2 (Derrick Williams), and trading Scola for No. 7 (Kawhi Leonard?). We should be looking to strip salary, get younger and more athletic, and then make a play for Chris Paul and Dwight Howard with our cap space.

Let say you do all of the above, which would put you in a position to trade Derrick Williams, Lowry, Thabeet, and Miller for Chris Paul, and then you sign Dwight Howard as a free agent. Your lineup would be:

PG: Paul/Dragic
SG: Lee/Budinger
SF: Leonard/Williams
PF: Patterson/Hill
C: Howard/Yao

The real key is moving Martin and 14 for Derrick Williams, who you could then flip for Paul. If Paul is here and we have cap space, Howard will absolutely come here. And look at the defense we would have! We could stay with anyone.

 

Hopefully, it's Scola. His knee is worrisome.

 

I'm shocked that so many of you want to give up two of our best pieces for unproven talent. Sure, I understand one trade for potential, but damn, giving up Scola and Martin during a weak draft year seems like a step in the wrong direction.

Morey changes his mind hourly, but I don't think he's prepared for that much rebuilding.

 

What a great idea! Let's tank the season less than 15 games into it for an inknown commodity! Not smart.

 

I agree always the bridesmaid never the bride. I am also sick of all of the announcements of the million men march into the Toyota Center for a coaching job. It was really kind high schoolish the way they did that. Who is the PR guy.

ANyway I am sure hoping they get something done this time. I really like Biyombo. And Sac has so much cap space. They will have to spend money this off season like it or not. And they clearly have youth on their team that showed promise toward the end of the season but could use some veteran leadership. The Battier experiment worked well for Memphis maybe they were watching and thinking hey let's talk to Houston.

Taking on a contract like Scola's would be perfect for them if the wanted him. I am not sure the 14th and Scola is what they have in mind but they are one of the few teams that might have some interest in him because he does bring some veteran savvy on a young team. Plus he's got a great contract gives them some trading leverage when it ends.

Okay I digress.

 

There's a better chance of a rapture happening tomorrow than that trade. However, if Daryl somehow pulled that off, I would indeed name my 1st child Morey.

 

I think Curry can get to a Brandon Roy level, or Steve Nash lite. Love I absolutely think you can build around, same goes for Aldridge. Evans I agree with you, I tossed him in because he won R.O.Y. Got me on Bogut too, for some reason I thought he was producing Yao-lite numbers before I saw he averaged below 13 PPG this year. For some reason his game always reminded me of Yao's. You are right that there needs to be multiple allstar caliber players playing along them if they were to be the best player on a contending team. I am thinking Paul Pierce on the Celtics, which I think a couple of those guys can get to. But that is the point, we don't even have a Paul Pierce on our team to begin building around. Morey has shown he can get the near allstars(Martin) to build around the best player. We just need to get that guy first.

 

Well of course it would.

 

You would think its just way to premature in talking about moving up in a draft with it being 4+ weeks away. From what I have heard talks usually don't get hot and heavy till the last several days leading up to the draft. Hopefully Morey can finally move up if he see's a player he can't live without. It appears like the rockets can get somewhat similar value at #23 compared to picking at #14, but what do I know.

 

LOL I feel the same way. I feel like a Rockets addict, these articles with little or no news are just a little fix. The high only lasts for so long then reality kicks in.

 

90% of the topics here are premature :grin:

But the question I wish an answer to is this:

Most seem to agree this draft is weak. But is it weak top to bottom? Are the middle and late 1sts weaker than most drafts? Are the 2nd rounders weaker than most drafts?

The strength of a draft is usually decided by the quality at the top. OK. That makes sense. But can any rate the rest of it?

 

I’d feel comfortable letting go just about anyone in our front court.

 

This is as far as I got in the thread without having to post something. If Morey does this, can someone just put a gun to my head and end my misery? Because I think that idea sucks something awful.

 

Don't worry, at one time Capernicus, Galileo, and Da Vinci were all thought to be crazy too. Just make sure you make a plack for me after the multiple championships. Well, assuming you don't follow through with that and live to see it.

 

I'd love to trade Scola to get Vesely or Biyombo. I like Scola, but he simply doesn't fit it with the youth movement we so desperately need. He's 31 years old now, so if the Kings want him, be my guest.