true, morey always keeps his options open. keeping scola and lowry as an option is nice, but if by some stroke of luck bosh wants to sign here the rockets would have to renounce them and get nothing in return. i think the safest bet is to plan on getting younger. scola is in his prime and probably wouldn't want to resign here if we are rebuilding. shane is getting up there and so is his contract. i think lowry stays due to his age, and the other two get traded for picks and space. even if we dont land a major free agent, trading older players for younger players is a good move for a rebuilding team.
From a PR standpoint, Toronto would be smart to force Bosh's hand. They're not going to trade him unless he makes it known that there's no way he's coming back. Has it reached that point yet? I'm guessing that it hasn't. Maybe a deadline trade involving Tracy, Scola for Bosh and change, but if the Rockets are at the bottom of the standings, it would be nuts for them to toss their pick into the deal, regardless of how much Toronto pleads for it.
gotcha, thanks. well after all of this, wouldn't you agree that trading scola and shane for endings and picks is the way to go? getting younger and having more cap space can't hurt a rebuilding team.
Why would you do that? There's no guarantee that Bosh comes here. Think about it...what incentive does he really have to come here? The only reasonable option would be to S&T Yao to the Raptors (which could possibly be insured) for Chris Bosh. That way Bosh gets the most money he could get and the Raptors get a year to see if Yao can continue playing or if he's just an expiring contract.
So Bima, If we traded both Scola and Battier for expiring contracts and draft picks (i know you must hate that idea), assuming T-mac, Cook, and Barry are off the books, how much cap room would we have for FY10? Just a rough estimate because i know you'd have to factor in rookie contracts for the draft picks (assume two lottery draft picks).
Nah, I'd side more with keeping Battier and Scola until it is apparent that Bosh wants to come to Houston. The Rockets can always renounce their rights to Scola and Lowry next summer if they HAVE to. I just don't see the purpose is completely gutting a team. I actually think the prospect of playing with quality role players like Battier and/or Scola would be what entices Bosh into coming to the Rockets in the first place. If the re-building process is going full-bore, however, then maybe you trade one of them. Definitely not both unless a SIGNIFICANT piece or two is added. First of all, I doubt the Rockets will have two lottery picks next summer. Teams facing the prospect of the lottery will not trade unprotected first rounders for players like Battier or Scola. So, assuming a late lottery pick (Houston's) and another two mid- to late first rounders (acquired in trade of Battier and Scola), then the Rockets would probably be looking at something along the lines of about $16M (if they keep Lowry) or $22M (if they renounce their rights to Lowry). Personally, I just don't see the sense in getting rid of these good players just for a couple of late first rounders and only the PROSPECT of signing a max free agent. If Bosh decides to sign elsewhere, the Rockets would be left to basically suck for the next 3-4 years. Better to hold onto at least 2 out of Lowry, Scola and Battier and see what happens next summer. If they MUST, the Rockets can renounce their rights to Lowry and Scola and create the necessary cap room. It would be a bitter pill to swallow, but not as bitter as becoming the Memphis Grizzlies for the next decade.
I would hate to lose Scola because he is a winner and leaves everything out on the court. However, if that's what is needed to sign Dwayne Wade, I'm all for it.
Ehh, everyone sounds like Knicks fans dreaming about Lebron. Relax guys, worry about 2010 when it gets here.
The best thing to do to increase the worth of the Rockets assets is actually win games in Yao's absence. If Scola, Landry, Brooks, Battier and Ariza can have a decent (i.e. at least .500 or so) or even winning season with a $35 million roster, and if some of them have a breakout year statistically by taking the shots left behind by Yao, Artest (and Wafer), it will make them worth more on the open market. I'm not sure about next year's draft pool... so is there a huge difference between, say, the 5th best player in that draft and, say, the 13th best?
Agreed. This reminds me of the 1999-2000 Orlando Magic, which overachieved to a .500 record playing without any stars (I believe Penny Hardaway was out all year with a bad knee . . . remind you of anyone?). Led by Darrell Armstrong as their best player and a rookie head coach in Doc Rivers (who won Coach of the Year honors for his performance), the Magic became an attractive free agent destination for both Grant Hill and Tracy McGrady. Sure, they had a TON of cap room, but so did a couple of other teams (including the Spurs). Part of the allure of the Magic was the overachieving supporting cast that it could provide. Let's hope that the 2009-10 Houston Rockets can provide a similar allure for free agents.
If Bosh tells Toronto he's probably gone next summer, then maybe they will look to trade him this summer. I'm guessing they look to move him no later than the February trade deadline, so the most realistic way to get him is via trade, not free agency. I'd be cool with a trade of Scola, Battier, Cook and maybe even Lowry for Bosh, because we would still have room next summer to sign a max free agent SG. That is, if we can get Yao to take a long term deal starting at a few million less than the max (see Feigen's blog), which maybe he would do because he will be returning from major surgery and being out for a year, and to help lure a top free agent. This would give us a starting front line of Brooks, max SG, Ariza, Bosh and Yao, with Landry as a sixth man.
I'm just hoping he bolts after they exit the first round next season. It would be much easier to acquire him if Yao is healthy at this time next year
Seeing Toronto sign Hedo, it makes me think about how they would want to target foreign players. Foreigners don't have the same qualms about playing in Canada that Americans have. It makes me feel that someone like Scola would have real value for Toronto - a starting-caliber PF with sign-ability. If we offered Scola, Battier, and Cook for Bosh, I wonder if Toronto might go for it. If so, we could keep McGrady and just let his salary expire. Would that give us enough room to add a Dwyane Wade or a Joe Johnson in 2010 while still keeping Bosh and Yao?
Agreed that the Raptors would love to have Scola. He is a better version of a guy they had a couple of years ago and loved: Jose Garbajosa. Garbajosa was a Euro superstar who was signed by Toronto and played really well as a PF/undersized C. Unfortunately, his NBA career was cut short by a broken leg. I'm sure the Raptors' fan base would love to have a better version of that guy. But for Chris Bosh, he couldn't be the main part of the package. As for your proposed Scola/Battier/Cook trade for Bosh and the Rockets' resulting salary cap situation, that trade would basically use up any cap room the Rockets would otherwise have to sign a major free agent in 2010. If the Rockets renounced their rights to Kyle Lowry, the team has a little over $8M to work with. Personally, I'd rather keep Lowry, waive the $2M in remaining cap space in favor of the MLE, and go to war with Bosh, Lowry and an MLE free agent signing.
The Rockets are at a point of giving up on a long term strategy that took years to develop. This type of outside factor failing can lead teams to decades long periods of futility (See: Celtics, Len Bias). It absolutely takes some luck and the execution of a new long term strategy to overcome it. The ping pong ball bringing Yao to Houston and Tracy wanting out of Orlando were the centerpieces of the old strategy. Texan Chris Bosh wanting out of Canada could be the centerpiece of the new strategy. But you have to be thinking way ahead and making the moves that allow you to strike. The rules of the CBA and salary cap are so complex and intertwined. To me, this is one reason the NBA is so interesting and this time of year is as fascinating as the playing season. And one reason Clutchfans is so great. Bimma, CH, Nikestrad Roxitera, Worzel, all know this stuff like rocket scientist (pun intended). I haven't done squat this except follow this story. I hope the real Rocket brain trust is a well rounded in their strategic view as the sum total of these guys. There is a lot of power in interactive, collective thinking.
