If Asik's still here after Dec 19th then we probably will see him till end of next year.but after next year Asik and Lin 's a goner for sure. i doubt Morey will do this.
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Thaddeus Young for Asik straight up is a bad trade, and you want to give up a pick in addition?? We need to get a good backup center back for Asik. No trade with Philly unless we get Hawes in the deal, please.
Not a good return for Asik if you ask me. He is going to take up too much time from Jones right when he is pouring it on. To lessen his minutes now would be a mistake. They should really focus on getting another center back in any trade.
Dang it..... I think they overvalue Hawes' offensive production and undervalue Defense. They want to run run run and shoot 3s en masse
I don't "want" to give up an additional pick. Given our situation, I think that Asik for Young is fair, and have stated so. However, I wouldn't let a pick get in the way of anything since we're going for the championship. This is only because of how I know Morey can fill in back end bench pieces. So yes, Asik + a CONDITIONAL first rounder, most likely very late, is okay. Remember, a very late first round pick has similar value as an early 2nd (due to contracts), and these can be had for around $3 million. If Morey believes that Young can be one of the best 5-6 guys on the floor, I think he should go for it.
Lets end the case for Thaddeus Young with his contract - Two years with a player option on a third. That sure doesn't fit Morey's MO of keeping his options open in free agency.
I think this whole "keeping his options open for 2015" is overblown. Morey is in win-now mode at this point. He's not going to withhold trading for a potential difference maker (should he deem Thaddues worthy of Asik's value) at the chance that someone will sign with us in two years. That said, i'm sure that is in the back of his mind (especially Durant) and he has somewhat of a contingency plan if in a couple of years they have a strong indication, ala Dwight, that they have a shot at someone like KD or Love. You dump Thaddeus and the final year of his contract to a team that can absorb most or all of his salary and sweeten it with a draft pick. If you can get Hawes and Young for Asik and say D-Mo + a first rounder, I would be ecstatic.
Young's game is kinda like Jones with more experience. im all for this trade even though I'd rather keep Asik.
OP made applaudable effort, but may have pushed a little too far. Due to the player option, which Morey is allergic to as he should, Asik's on court value and contract(cap friendly and no player option) are both better. It means sixers would have to include a first round pick to be fair. However, their 2014 picks maybe too valuable to be included. I don't think Young is a better player than Dragic, yet their contracts are similar. Remember Morey is willing to let go of Dragic for free instead of keeping him as asset.
I don't disagree with the theory .... But when you bring in a player who wrecks your cap flexibility for the next three seasons , you better have strong convictions that he is the piece that puts you over the top. Do you feel strongly that Young puts this team over the top ? I don't. With T.Jones playing very well of late , the PF spot is one I'm not at all concerned with. What concerns me is 18 turnovers a game (where do they stand pace adjusted here - curious), poor FT percentage as a team and the poor perimeter defense.
Young would not ruin cap flexibility for next three seasons. At worst, he costs the Rockets 8.3 million in cap space in 2015 if the Rockets choose not to use MLE in 2014 and 2015 and let Parsons taste UFA. I don't think Morey lets Parson hit UFA and throw away two MLEs for an offseason two season away so that the Rockets have one shot with Howard, Harden, and whoever they get in 2015 provided Howard and Harden don't get hurt. I would not do Asik for Young straight up. I would want Turner or Hawes also.
OP you also mention that Young's defensive numbers are much improved over the past few seasons. Watching him play I would say his defense is maybe marginally improved. However, the the improvement in his defense rating has more to do with the position he has played. Over the past 2 years he has strictly played PF, whereas early in his career he split time between SF/PF (which is also why his 3 point attempts have dropped off). He struggles to stay in front of his man on the perimeter, which is why his D-rating was much worse early in his career when he played SF part time. Therefor I think your view that he is an excellent perimeter defender is a bit misguided.
This post made me think about how well the Rockets are built. Quality centers and shooting guards are in short supply in the NBA, and the Rockets have the best players at both. There are tons of quality PFs and PGs, which will give the Rockets plenty of supply to plug holes over the next couple of years. It's kind of like fantasy sports. It's not about the total points a player provides....it's about how much he provides over the next best option. The spread in PGs and PFs is very thin, unless we're talking about the CP3s and Loves. I doubt there is much of a difference between Ryan Anderson, Thad Young, Millsap, Illyasova, and several other options at PF. Good players all, but they don't provide enough of an edge. Perhaps this is why Morey said 15 minutes of Asik is worth more than 30+ min. from a 2nd tier PF....there's such a huge supply of them, that their value is diminished. If I'm the Rockets, I'm holding out for one of the difference makers. Morey made another interesting point about how where the Rockets are now is where a lot of teams make mistakes. They misjudge the talent on their roster and sign the wrong players to the wrong deals. Luckily, Morey's the one making the decisions and not us.
Quality centers are the hardest poition to fill in todays NBA. Asik who averaged a double double with outstanding paint defense is quite valuable. Essentially Morey is going to wait for other teams to blink first and then he will make a deal. And if nobody steps up to the plate, Morey will let Asik play out his contract as a 12 minute a game guy.
