Again, why trade for anyone unless you believe that Cam will not get minutes this year? Right now, without KPJ, you have 7 guys who are locks for playing time: VanVleet Green Brooks Jabari Tari Sengun Amen You also have Tate and Landale who could easily be in the rotation, which brings you to 9. There are also scrap minutes for Jeff Green and Aaron Holiday. Why bring in a 12th guy if you already have Cam?
The rockets just gave $32 mil to Landale. They didn't do that for him to just sit and watch. He's the rockets 1st backup big who will be in the regular rotation. Tate is pretty much as close as it gets to a Udoka type rotational player.
One idea I'd have is to call Chicago about a Lonzo Ball swap as a straight salary dump. He's currently on Chicago's books for $20M in 2023 and $21.4M in 2024 when he picks up his player option, but 80% of what he will actually be paid will be covered by insurance. Chicago is currently right at the luxury tax line, such that they have exceptions for $6M, $4M, and $10M, and haven't used any of them. A swap for KPJ's $16M would allow them to cut about $4M in on-the-books salary this year, and $20M in 2024, which would be important while they try to re-sign DeMar Derozan. Meanwhile, Tilman would save about $12M in actual cash paid this year, and you'd preserve a $21.4M expiring for next year that would effectively only cost $4.28M in actual salary to the receiving team, the perfect ballast for getting involved in a S&T. The Bulls seem to be short on actual rotational players, so being able to maneuver around the luxury tax over the next few years seems more advantageous than holding a large ghost salary on their books. The Rockets are in an opposite situation, with too many young guys looking for playing time, and have structured their 2024-2025 books to already have tons of expirings or non-guaranteed deals to facilitate sign-and-trades and to hit the salary floor; they can afford to clog up the end of the roster with empty contracts that aren't going to be expected to play like Boban. Optics would be very tough to dump a fan-favorite Lonzo for KPJ from Chicago's side, but if I were in their position, I 100% would take the opportunity to clear Lonzo off my books, rather than be stuck in the position that the Rockets were in with Yao during the last years of his career. If I can get a couple of seconds in the dump, even better.
I get that people want to look at the optics, but you weigh that against everything else, Optics are temporary, they don't last - Kobe is an excellent example. So, the Rockets are doing what is right for the organization long term, they know that KPJ is done, toast, and they are looking to see if anyone wants cap relief.....and yes, there will be some whining by some fans about it, but people that have billions of dollars and own these teams aren't going to give two ***** for the groups that whine, or they will say sorry or drop a donation but do what they think is right anyway. The Rockets should do the same, and they are.....whether we like it or not. You are free to go follow the Spurs or Mavericks if you don't like it. DD
I’ll go on a limb here and claim that this trade has nothing to do with getting a veteran player because they feel they need more depth to win games. This is about Tillmans pocket book and him not being able to stomach paying however many millions this year and a million next year in dead money. It’s also about trying to excuse themselves from a media headache because the NBA and the NBPA won’t let them waive him until after the investigation which could be months. If the potential trade makes no sense as a trade to help a basketball team guess what… it’s probably not about basketball. Stone I’m sure also is trying to tell Tillman and might even try to sell fans through the media that these are contracts he can use during the season and next summer to make a big splash yada yada because I guess we are supposed to believe he’s got this magic touch with trades. On so many levels this trade is likely going to be hot garbage is someone is game to try and kick the rockets while they are down which there will be. How many times did Sacramento get fleeced during the post Adelman years? Other GM’s are going to make Stone look pathetic if he’s dumb enough to actually do a trade like this on Tillmans behalf.
I don't get what you think you're adding when you say "no, people, this is just a business decision, you see, lots of teams will try to acquire KPJ regardless of the blowback" A hundred posters have said that already. YOu've said it 99 times. At this point either it happens and you guys are all right, we have established that there is no bottom for at least 1 of 30 NBA teams. Or common sense prevails. There's no indication that the ROckets have had any success so far, and like i said, when even a vampire like Shams, who literally survives on the frozen embryos of NBA trades being pureed and injected into his bloodstream, says "maybe you dont want to do this trade cause of the optics!" - it's an indicator that your trade talks are not going anywhere.
Yes, Porter's contract is a negative value. On the inclusion of Porter or an expiring contract acquired by trading Porter with some compensation, the Rockets have to match salary in a trade. The Rockets can offer every draft pick they have, but if they can't match salaries, a trade can't happen. Porter, Brooks (who might be a BYC player which might complicate trades), and FVV are the only salaries large enough that can be used in trades for stars without needing 6 guys going out. With the new CBA, there aren't going to be teams able to accept a player or two with cap space at the deadline for a little compensation like in the past (Detroit has the most cap space currently with $300K). In the Siakim example, the Raptors aren't going to cut 5 players without the Rockets compensating them for the cut players as well. I may be wrong, but I think in season big trades with multiple players for one are going to be much more difficult than in the past. If I haven't said it before, I think the Rockets aren't likely to trade KPJ. I just think the Rockets ability to match salaries if a trade for a star comes about will be much more difficult, and the Rockets will likely lose someone they don't want to part with solely to match salaries.
Houston Rockets Trade Breakdown Change in Team Outlook: 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg, and 0.0 apg. Incoming Players Luke Kennard 27 year old, 6-5, 206 lb SG from Duke No games yet played in 2023-2024 Ziaire Williams 22 year old, 6-9, 185 lb F from Stanford No games yet played in 2023-2024 Outgoing Players Kevin Porter, Jr. 23 year old, 6-4, 203 lb SF from USC No games yet played in 2023-2024 Jae'sean Tate 27 year old, 6-5, 230 lb F from Ohio State No games yet played in 2023-2024
Terry Rozier makes sense and it’s Charlotte. He’s on a god awful contract so that makes sense for Houston since Stone loves shitty contracts. Throw in a couple firsts and I’m sure they’d say yes. Stone would be elated to acquire that contract for multiple firsts. Spoiler please just ****ing cut Porter and end the stupidity
