[The Athletic - Kelly Iko] Rockets Trade Deadline notebook 1.0

average playmaking does not equate to adding basically nothing else…u talk like he gives u 20 points, 2 boards, and 2 assists

he provides some rebounding and some playmaking contributing in multiple categories

 

Well there is that

 

As I recall that was 1 or the 12 games we lost to warriors during that run no?

 

Weren’t you bashing people lauding KPJ’s TO/Assist ratio? Now you’re downplaying Herro’s near 1-1 ratio?

 

Herro isn’t available in a non star trade, he isn’t worth going too into detail because the Rockets don’t have the assets that would entice Miami to trade him.

 

Agree.

Hypothetically...

--And this is not to troll any specific Rocket's player fan base. But if Stone hypothetically offer a Green or Sengun, or a Green+KPJ package, would Riley not take the call?

..can factor in things like MIA in win-now mode.

 

Why would Herro agree to that if he has everything he wants other than a starting job in Sunny South Beach?

And go to a much worse team?

Starting would come along as guys like Kyle Lowry gradually retire in time.

 

Less about practicality, more hypothetical in the original premise. We have the pulse on KPJ and Green's progress, but was curious how the league view Rocket's young backcourt as far as actual trade value.

Guys like Green and KPJ, have that 'promise', whether it pans out, who knows, but selling 'hope' is a powerful thing. Are the young rookies viewed as promising assets at all to the GMs out there.

If you are the GM of the other team would you say yes to any of the below?
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Green + KPJ + FRP for Cade
Green + KPJ + FRP for Mobley
---
Green + KPJ + FRP for Herro
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Green + KPJ for Barnes
---
Green for Wagner
Green for Duarte
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

For the Pistons and Cavs, I think they'd still say NO.

 

In actuality, you have good scouts, if you do, their team would know that KPJ and Green are similar prospects, Green obviously has a higher ceiling but is raw.

It is mostly bulk and depending on the FRP you mentioned.

I wouldn't do it for Mobley and Cade because I think they might be generational talents but who knows what a professional would think........

Barnes, Wagner and Duarte are more attainable IMO. But I think Orlando and Toronto love them as far as I can tell.

All 3 are players that are ready to play opposed to Green, each of them brings other set of skills.

Barnes is already a very good defender and 7-8 type of rebounder, that is valuable.

 

yes, but laying it on Capella is pretty ridiculous. Harden had a few really sucky games. I think it’s commonly believed that the rockets would have beaten the warriors and won another championship had cp3 not gone down or if we hit even 4 of those 27 shots

 

Bad info, you say…. something similar to "mid-first round for Oladipo” last year?

Stone’s pathetic attempts to manipulate the market through media-plants disgusts me. How about you keep it close to the vest, treat your fellow GMs with the respect they deserve and let the chips fall wherever the market dictates?

Teams that may have a need for EG will make educated-guess offers based on what they think they can afford and what they think their competitors can offer. Nobody’s going to get anxious or get FOMO from some Tim McMahon blurb.

If anything it makes Stone look like a sleaze and makes counter-parties queasy of dealing with a sleaze.

 

Just like Herro would be best used for a star in a trade, Green is a better asset at this point. His upside is still better than Herro’s and his contract is much friendlier. Sengun is debatable but I think he also would be saved for a future or current superstar or kept.

Luka, Tatum or Morant seem like the level of guys who you would trade those guys for. Obviously that isn’t happening.

Sengun and Green should be the two untouchable players on this roster at this point with Christopher as pretty close to untouchable. When rookies have flashes like they do, it’s prudent to get to their third year to see what they can be. KPJ is another guy I just can’t see trading mostly due to the care the franchise has for him, it would be pretty brutal to send him off at this point.

 

The Rockets are just about maxed out with bad defenders, don’t need to add another.

 

Any chance the Raptors are willing to trade OG?

 

I think Stone has to learn from his mistakes early on and realize that U can’t pass up the opportunity for great talent because u are worried about the fit with the rest of the roster; not when you are in the early stage of a total rebuild. If it is true that their vision of Wood as a core piece was a factor in passing up guys like Allen and Mobley, that’s a big mistake. We need to correct that going forward. We don’t know who we are yet. We don’t know who our core is yet. We don’t know if we have a “franchise-type player” on the roster.

so I hope Stone is being aggressive at the trade deadline, but not overly fixated with any particular player on the roster in a way that would preclude him from going after a bonifide young star at any position. Why not go after Myles Turner (rumored to be available), who is only 25 and would instantly become our best player? Because we are worried about a fit with Sengun? That’s precisely the kind of thinking that resulted in passing on Allen and Mobley.

 

It's possible a Morey- disciple went with "fit" over "BPA" or "talent", but that doesn't fit the MO. However, if Wood was viewed as that important than it was a colossal mistake.

Mobley is the real miss, Allen is a nice piece for a team but is he really that important to a team rebuilding from the ground up? Allen certainly fits if we were going to retool on the fly.

 

Green + KPJ + FRP for Cade
Green + KPJ + FRP for Mobley

I know this was hypothetical, but I think they are no brainers for the Rockets and a no go for Det and Cle. It kind of depends on where that pick will go, though. A top 5 pick probably makes them pretty good for both teams, IMO, but they will never happen, obvi.

 

Not laying it on capella .just saying I think against the warriors, wood would have played a bigger role in helping us win

 

Iko: This has been great. One more from me and I’ll let you go. You and Nate Duncan have a mock deadline every year. So, I want to hear your best mock Rockets-centric trades for any of their veterans.

Leroux: My favorite destination for Gordon is the Celtics because they have some switch-heavy lineups and can use someone like him to make their offense flow. The most logical returning piece is Marcus Smart, whom I would ship to a third team like the Cavs (let’s say for Ricky Rubio and a pick or prospect) or the Bulls (same concept). Houston may not get an unprotected first from either, but it could potentially get multiple interesting young players if the Celtics are willing to part with either Aaron Nesmith or Romeo Langford in the deal.

For Wood, I would be targeting a first-round pick or equivalent young player, and there may not be a team willing to pay that right now. The Hornets would be super fun, but my favorite destination is the Raptors, as he would cover up some of their spacing issues offensively, and they have the defenders to make Wood’s life easier. Goran Dragić (the return!) is easy matching salary, and they could send him to a third team, but the sweetener is hard unless Masai Ujiri is willing to give up a first. Still, that is my favorite format.