[lock if posted] Rockets' Brooks Might Have Limited Options Published On 3:48pm, Feb 08, 2011 Rockets guard and reigning Most Improved Player Aaron Brooks has had a rough season in what he probably hoped would be the year his entire professional career came together. His rookie deal is up after this season, and Brooks wanted either to nail down an extension with Houston (something he’s acknowledged publicly) or, failing that, have a monster season and set himself up for a big-money contract. Then he missed about two-dozen games with a severe ankle sprain and, in the process, lost his starting job to Kyle Lowry — a move that now appears permanent. His minutes have tanked, he’s shooting 37 percent (30 percent from three-point range) and he’s struggling to find his way mostly with bench units that aren’t working or as something of a duel point guard in units that include Lowry. Brooks was also suspended for one game for walking to the locker room instead of going to the bench after being taken out in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s victory against Memphis. Now sources are telling Newsday‘s Alan Hahn that the Rockets “are going to try hard” to deal Brooks. Of course, the Houston Chronicle‘s sources say the Rockets haven’t started any Brooks trade talks and that the team “is not looking to dump Brooks.” As my buddy Jeff Clark of CelticsBlog likes to remind his readers: It’s trade season in the NBA, and it’s generally a good idea to assume there is some spinning — if not out-and-out fibbing — going on when team sources and player agents talk anonymously to writers (including this one). The fact is that Brooks’ situation screams for at least some pretty serious trade talks, and that he looks unlikely to secure the big contract he was probably dreaming about. There were those in Houston’s fan base who even last season viewed Lowry at least as Brooks’ equal, even as Brooks was scoring 20 points a game. Brooks, who at 26 is about 18 months older than Lowry, has never hit better than 43 percent of his field-goal attempts and he doesn’t get to the line as much as your typical high-volume shooter. He was one of just eight players last season to attempt at least 16 shots per 36 minutes from the field but fewer than four foul shots — and he played more minutes than any of the other seven. He he has never been a plus defensively, and that’s not only because of his height. The Rockets have smartly used a no-extensions policy with all of their impending free agents this season, and once it was clear they would go that route with Brooks, the possibility of a trade became real. Brooks wants money — starting point guard money — and the Rockets have committed league-average money to Lowry through at least 2012-13. Lowry’s Player Efficiency Rating was only half a point lower than Brooks’ last season, and Lowry has looked at least as adept at running Rick Adelman’s motion-heavy offense, and at pushing the pace for easy scores. Brooks transformed himself into a solid offensive player last season primarily because he hit 40 percent of his threes, while Lowry couldn’t come close to 30 percent. That has reversed itself this season, though how real that reversal is remains to be seen. Lowry is shooting 35 percent from deep — about the league average — and that improvement is even better than it looks when you consider that he is taking many more threes than ever before. Brooks, meanwhile, is floating around the 30 percent mark. The Rockets would be justified if they had decided at this point to move on without Brooks or keep him beyond this season only if he accepts his role as a second-unit point guard and crunch-time scorer — and the salary that goes with that role. If they have received indications from Brooks that he wants to look for more cash than Houston will be willing to dish out, they should by all means see what the market might yield before the trade deadline. The Knicks are reportedly interested, Hahn says, and that initially surprised me. The Knicks are not a rental away from winning a playoff series against an elite team, and if they think there’s even a chance they will have to lure Carmelo Anthony as a free agent (assuming they’d want to), they’d have to renounce all their outgoing free agents to open up the needed cap space. Brooks would not seem to have much short- or long-term value to the Knicks. If they can get him for essentially nothing — Hahn speculates that the Rockets might want Kelenna Azubuike’s insurance-covered expiring deal — that’s one thing. But I’m not sure why Houston would do that on its own, even if the Knicks threw in the maximum-allowed $3 million in cash. Houston could instead keep Brooks and try to package him in a larger deal – one that could either bring back a significant piece or get it under the luxury-tax line. The Rockets could also keep him and see how much competition there is for Brooks on the free-agent market. And the sad thing for Brooks is that there might not be much. At least two-thirds of the league’s teams are pretty much set at point guard for at least another season, and Brooks lost one potential suitor when the Grizzlies locked up Mike Conley earlier this season. The Pistons might need a point man, depending on what they decide to do with Rodney Stuckey. The Cavs need help everywhere, but they have three point guards with multiple years left on their contracts. The Lakers have Derek Fisher and Steve Blake under contract for the next two seasons (three in Blake’s case). Eric Bledsoe looks like the heir apparent to Baron Davis with the Clippers. There are a few wild cards out there. The Suns and Mavericks have to start prepping for life beyond Jason Kidd and Steve Nash, both of whom will be in the final years of their contracts next season. Ditto for the Hawks and Mike Bibby. Portland might have an opening if it decides not to pick up the final year on Andre Miller’s deal. But of all those teams, only the Hawks and Blazers might be willing to give Brooks a starting role, and the Hawks are already projected to be over the current salary-cap level next season. Toss in the new collective bargaining agreement, and Brooks looks to be in a tight spot. Regardless, expect to hear his name over and over in the next two weeks and change. http://nba-point-forward.si.com/2011/02/08/rockets-pg-brooks-may-have-limited-options/
Didn't Denver have their eyes on Batum? Maybe a 3 way with Brooks going to Portland, Batum to Denver, Nene to Houston (with expirings thrown in of course)...
Brooks would love to go to Portland. If I'm not mistaken, he's from Seattle (he and Nate Robinson). But Portland would have to give to get, considering they're one of the teams we really don't want to improve. The Hawks makes sense, but for what player? In any case, the Rox will keep saying they don't want to trade him etc etc.
This is more of a comment directed at Bima. Atlanta appears to be up against the cap. Crawford is a free agent and Bibby is declining rapidly. They are also hamstrung with Joe Johnson's contract (goes for 5 more years and is worth $25 million his last year). They've got Marvin Williams for another 3 more years at almost $8 per. They've got Horford at $12 mil for another 5 years (a value contract). And Josh Smith is two more years at $12.5-13 mil. It seems to me that Atlanta is a perfect target for doing a deal with. Either Horford or Smith would be a perfect building block for Houston and they both play the same position. In fact, there's an article today on Horford's father pleading with the organization to get a center and move his son to his natural position. So it's not far fetched that Atlanta may want to deal. My question is, does Atlanta have to deal to get below the cap? Do you think they have enough reasons to mess with a roster that is currently #4 in the East?
nice article. but I didnt see Sacramento mentioned anywhere. I think there is a PG spot up for grabs at Sac town. and Brooks would fit perfectly with Tyreke considering the fact that Reke is the primary chucker/ball handler there.
Teams won't be willing to give up much, if anything at all when they can just sign him in the offseason. Even though he is restricted, I'm sure other teams will take their chances signing him to an offer sheet and hoping the Rockets don't math, rather than giving up assets to get a struggling player as a rental.
A guy like Brooks who pouts excessively when he doesn't get the starting role, will undoubtedly see a lot more shut doors than open ones.
Yes that was reported correctly, but Portland would not budge and I dont see them making that trade for just Brooks. Plus the salaries dont match. I Still wouldn't rule out a trade with Portland. Just not sure what Morey would come up with to make all parties happy. Portland will most likely try and move Andre Miller in any deal if they think they are going to have Brandon Roy back for the playoffs and that is a player I know the Rockets do not want. -Aaron Brooks is a hometown hero in Portland from his days playing for the Ducks in college, and Im sure he would love to go there if it wasn't going to work out for him in Houston.
The Hawks need a backup PG and a true center (so they can play Horford more at the 4). I don't watch a lot of their games but I do follow them loosely to keep up w/ Jeff Teague. Teague (their backup PG - one would think - yet he's not getting much PT lately) was pegged to be taking over the team from Mike Bibby over the summer. There were some articles in the AJC addressing this not only as speculation by writers but comments from other players expecting him to be wrestling the team from Bibby this year. This has not happened and considering this is a new HC, then it's not just a "free JT" thing. Coach Drew said pretty recently that his frustration w/ Teague is that when he gets in the game, his lack of aggressiveness and using his speed on defense and defensive inconsistency is what gets him pulled, not his offense. I have seen him in a few games and when he gets loose w/ the ball, he can finish. I would think that alone (as I don't see AB0 as an improvement on defense) would make the Hawks an unlikely trade partner for #0.
If he was traded to a team that was interested in keeping him long term, it is quite possible an extension could be worked out as part of the trade I would think. But I agree that it is unlikely that Brooks as the center peice of a trade would hold a ton of value to most other teams.
One dimensional scoring point guards that can't find the bucket.....gotta give them at least $8M and cement in their starting role.
Nice, well-written article. Good points made throughout. Yes, Atlanta would have to improve via trade (rather than free agency) due to their cap situation, especially under a new, more restrictive CBA. If you are thinking about getting Horford from Atlanta, you can forget about that right now. He's not going anywhere. Josh Smith, on the other hand? Maybe a package involving Brooks could be used to lure Smith to Houston. That said, I've never been much of a fan of Smith's. Yeah, SAC has always struck me as the perfect combination of (a) team with a desperate need at PG and (b) team with loads of 2011 cap room that it will be looking to spend like a drunken sailor just to meet the NBA's minimum mandated salary cap figure. Still, from a pure basketball standpoint, I don't know how well Brooks and Evans would fit together in the same backcourt, since both need to dominate the ball to be effective. I think a Fisher/Blake/Hinrich type of complementary PG--basically, a better version of Beno Udrih--is better suited to that team. Still, it won't prevent the Kings from possibly making a run at Brooks in the summer. 2007 first round picks CANNOT sign extensions after October 2010. So, that would be impossible.
Brooks is in a shooting slump, he had a slump last year also and righted himself. Shooters have slumps, Brooks is no different. Give him some consistent minutes and he'll come out of it, the kid can flat out score. That said, with Lowry doing a good job as the starting PG and Ish right behind him. The Rox are not going to resign him, the AB era may be over as soon as next month.
