The Rockets' Approach This Offseason Might Not Involve Using Cap Space

See post 87 in this very thread.

DD

 

Throw in? They were trying to trade for Pau Gasol, who is one of the top few 7 footers in the league. They didn't just give up on him even though he was in a reserve role and had been up and down in his NBA career. In fact, it's probably still good value to give up Dragic for Gasol. In fact, if the Lakers would trade Gasol for Dragic+Martin and/or Scola in a S&T, it's a pretty good deal all things considered.

As far as "misses piling up": Misses will "pile up" for pretty much every team in the league. In fact, given that NBA teams only play around 9 out of their 15 guys on their roster and guys who don't get minutes look like busts, it's pretty much guaranteed that a few of the guys you sign/draft/traded for are going to look like "misses." The real question is whether a team's misses are piling up at an above average or below average rate.

 

The point my good man, was that they viewed Lowry as untouchable while a clearly BETTER player was being tossed into a trade, AFTER not being extended.

Come on now Bima, you know danged well their actions to that point did not say they valued Goran all that highly.

The tea leaves and bones read otherwise.

DD

 

Nope, the issue is not the misses, it is whether they are drafting or getting players that can become difference makers.

We have enough role players, we need to take on some risk.....and I would put Morris in that category...even if he busts, I applaud them for taking that risk for a difference making power 3.

DD

 

Of course the lighter player is "clearly BETTER" to you.

 

Nene's contract, even if large, is by no means an albatross. In fact, even after half a season in which he struggled with conditioning, Denver managed to trade him for McGee, who has great physical abilities and good upside.

 

Ah, poor ole CH is losing the argument and results to personal insults.

Hey, maybe once Kyle Lowry is traded we can bring back Aaron Brooks.

YES !

DD

 

I have a hard time following all of this cap space talk (Although I find it very Interesting).

Question...If the Rockets went the "Cap Space" route, then would they have the room to offer a max deal to a FA this offseason?

Thanks...

 

Thanks and I would have assessed that from the opposite end and run from the deal because of his injury history etc.

So, can we extrapolate a bit and assume that you are willing to pay Dragic under the same conditions you listed above?

DD

 

Thank you for the reference. I appreciate it. But since it never got to that it is still just speculation. Maybe my required level for proof are higher than everyone else, but what can I say? Math majors will be math majors.

 

Token. It's an exaggeration at best to say that Dragic is "clearly better" than Lowry going off of half a season of good games when the team was struggling with Dragic on the floor as recently as during the first half of the season and has been up and down during his 4-year NBA career. Frankly, even the "late season Dragic" was comparable to, and not "clearly better than" Lowry's level of play during the last 3 years.

 

Well to a point, it was hard to tell that dragic was going to play that well. I mean we've seen flashes at phoenix,but not the consistency like when he played alot. I'm not going to fault morey for that. My bone was the fact they trying to get gasol and they were giving the lakers the best pg in the league and it wouldve left them with enough to get d12. Topping that off was Nene and his 15m and bringing back Hayes. I just don't think they have a direction right now. Reading Bimas write up doesnt make me feel nothing but worse regarding the situation.

An avaerage team like the rockets should have gobs of cap space or a lot of young talent, but they have neither. Denver has a ton of capspace and young players and so does portland. Utah has 2 expirings that will yield way more than any rockets players and young players with upside. Minny has thier fondation and will add with picks and signing. Its not looking good for the rockets going forward and thats just the truth.

 

LOL - that is funny - why not just call me a "Cracker"....heheh..

DD

 

As I have said many times Dragic and Lowry are equivalent, not equal. Really-good-but not-quite-all-star PG's. They both have their strengths and weaknesses.

 

Goran didn't really show that he was this good in the beginning of the season. He looked like another decent pg when he was backing up Lowry. We also had Lin on the roster at that time as well. We would have been fine if the trade wasn't vetoed.

 

I think you meant that CF viewed Lowry as untouchable. Do you have a reliable line into the front office? If you can honestly say yes I will refrain from commenting on your posts posts about the Rockets FO intentions.

 

Factual notes:


The only reason why Bima lists the Rockets cap space as $8-9 million is due to the cap holds. If they let Lee go, they have $13.5 million, if they let Dragic go also, they have $17.5 million. If they also use the amnesty clause on Martin, they can have almost $30 million. "Cap room" will not be a problem for the Rockets if they actually need it for a major deal (trade or FA signing) to acquire a max-level player, or even two for that matter. The issue is finding someone worth paying the money to.

Denver has less cap space than the Rockets. Almost $50 million committed without counting cap holds and resigning McGee would wipe out any hope of having cap space.

As for Utah's expirings (there are actually 3 big ones: Millsap, Jefferson and Harris), not sure what they'd yield. In fact, not sure they'd yield much more than Martin would in a trade. Millsap is probably the most valuable. I don't know if anyone trades Utah and elite player for Millsap any more than they would for, day, Kyle Lowry.