Great to see all the new trade rumors as we are closing in on being a legit contender. Sengun, Jalen, and Amen are our foundation for the future. FVV is needed because he has valued experience and we have nobody else to play the PG position. SF and PF are average at best and need to be upgraded to compete with the likes of OKC. If not now, while we have the second best record, when? OKC is just as young, has better talent, and more draft picks. They’re not even playing Holmgran and easily beat us in the earlier tournament. Now is when a move needs to be made and it can be done without touching the core four. Otherwise, next year at this time we’ll still be 6.5 games back. If it was the Warriors or somebody else, I’d say wait it out, but it’s OKC and they ain’t getting any worse anytime soon!
No move has to be made now. This summer maybe? 2026 trade deadline absolutely (mostly because Fred will be expiring)
It took Boston seven years to win the finals with Tatum, Brown etc. It took Milwaukee eight years to win with Giannis, Six years for GSW to win with Curry. They weren't all stars at first, but historically showed signs then developed into stars, then won as the team developed and got a little further in the playoffs each year organically. Patience is a major struggle for fans, I get it, but let the team grow over seasons. Think the Astros championship years. We're actually ahead of schedule, stacked with young talent and doing great. Enjoy it and let it develop without any changes, we don't need them right now.
Agree and I’m not saying break up any of the core. OKC is special and by standing put we’ll be on the outside looking in. We need to face that reality. We played them with Eason and they were without Holmgren and there is no way when he gets back we beat them in a 7 game series with them having home court advantage. Waiting for tomorrow which has always been the way of this team will not bring trophies home, but will leave many of you happy because we made the playoffs. We are a player away from being a legit contender and it can be accomplished without any damage to the core four of this team. Time to make a move!!!
These kind of arguments are pointless because even if we assume that what you're saying is true, and that we just ignore player acquisitions like Holiday or Horford or Irving, there have been plenty of teams who were "patient" and then never did anything. Toronto was patient until they traded for Kawhi. Lakers were patient until they traded for AD. Miami scrapped their entire team for the Heatles. Hell if the Rockets were patient they'd have spent the last decade trying to build around Jeremy Lin. There's no one way to win in the NBA. Only smart GMs who know when to wait and when to pounce.
Jabari has been rounding into a very good complimentary player. If we didnt have Sengun, JG and Amen yeah Id be pissed we missed out on Banchero too. But we have those 3 RN so paolo would be redundant we have 4 guys who cant shoot.
I understand, but it's good to keep perspective and not get too high or low imo. It was a few regular seasons games against them this year and we've just now gotten good. OKC is ahead of us on the curve, SGA is 26, Dort is 25, Jalen Williams will turn 24 in a few months. Our core guys are 20-23 at the most. We also haven't even seen this team perform in the playoffs year over year. They've beaten us twice, but we beat OKC once this year and we're just getting started. They've had a few years to develop, gel and have playoff experience. Don't wish it on anyone and want to compete against a team's best, but we also don't know how guys like Chet's health will be over the years as well. You never want to get impatient and panic sell, OKC was 42-40 just a couple years ago with Shai. We're actually growing during the season as well and can compete for a decade if all our guys reach thier potential. We have several guys with potential homegrown star or superstar potential imo https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/OKC/2023.html
I disagree, None of those teams were both as young as we are and before the change the #2 seed in the West and top 5 in the NBA overall. Kyle Lowry and Siakam were 32 and 24 when they got Kawhi, LeBron was 35, Danny Green and Javale/Dwight were 32 and 34, Wade and Bosh were 26 and 29. There is no comparison to the talent with Lin vs what we have now and that's a straw-man argument imo. OKC is even patient, we're in a great place and don't need to panic or be impatient imo. We can agree to disagree
If what you're saying is true and that this is the second best team in the west and a top-5 team in the entire NBA, then why wouldn't the Rockets try to win now? They are in the golden spot where they are one of the best teams in the NBA and all their youngsters are still cheap. In 2 years when there are 4 guys here making $30+mil/yr and 2-3 more guys are looking for max money, how is this team even able to add talent by then? Are you expecting Fertitta to be as generous as Matt Ishiba? Cause I can guarantee he cares a lot more about his own profit margins.
IMHO if you're close to the top (like we are), you cannot keep playing the waiting game (ask old OKC & Magic how that worked out). Also if we're using Celtics as an example - Jrue Holiday? Porzingis? Horford? Derek White? Celtics didn't just sit around letting their "homegrown" talent continue to develop without adding other pieces.
good way to put it. i should be grateful for the guys we already have. with Paolo I think this team would have everything they needed to compete with OKC but maybe we already do
Yeah, the reason why I'm not against standing pad is because I don't think this team is top-5 in the NBA in a playoff setting. But if I actually do believe that this is the real deal. That Jalen has finally turned the corner and Amen is going to be a star soon. Then hell yeah just trade all the picks to the Suns or the Kings for Booker/Fox. But if the Rockets make that trade and their upside turns out to just be 2nd round of the playoffs, then that would really suck.
I mean, we are winning now honestly, a +19 game improvement last year, highest in the NBA, and on pace for a +15 improvement this year with a top seeded playoff berth, one of the highest in the league again. Even if we gutted our team for a player we still would likely be in this position and would need a season to gel, but with less talent or upside. We haven't even seen this team in the playoffs to see how they do and how they respond and grow over the years. I'm for changes when they are needed, but I'm focused on the long term and winning a championship. I'm not for sacrificing young talent for short term incremental results, like a 36 year old KD, Jimmy Butler etc. for a 1-2 year window. Also trading for Fox, Booker etc. changes the locker room unnecessarily, Morey's biggest flaw was treating players like NBA 2K assets and ignoring team chemistry, gelling as a team over seasons and that they were human beings not basketball talent My Players. All those champions, Boston, Milwaukee, Denver, GSW and the old school Spurs did that organically with the same core as well. The only true artificial superteam to win was the LeBron Heat, KD joined an organically grown GSW champion. They changed the core when it was necessary, but not before. If it's not broken, don't fix it. Even if we don't go deep in the playoffs, allow them to grow and respond next season, then make smaller moves if needed like those organically grown champions did. Panicking and making urgent core moves are what teams like Phoenix, LA teams, Miami, Philly etc. are doing because their stars are aging out of their prime. Our group hasn't even entered their prime, that's why all these teams want our talent. It's more valuable long term than their aging talent about to fall of the rails in a few years. I'll move on after this response, but we can agree to disagree.
Win or lose, I love watching the current team. It's like watching your own kids grow up, which is a very refreshing change of pace from the wheeling-and-dealing git-'er-done Maori years.
Agreed. Don't have to trade our younger core players, but if we had an opportunity to get KD or Booker with just trading back their picks including Brooks or FVV then you have to make that deal!
Good point with Boston and the acquisition of Holiday and Porzingis….they didn’t stand pat as a good competitive team, they went for it and kept their core intact. Winners don’t sit back and wait….they go for it!