If the player they are targeting is available to them on draft night they will try to go for it at that time,otherwise they might try to trade after the draft is over.
Yeah - and a Battier/Thomas #5 swap sounds so familiar to Stro/Gay. But, that deal will go down with Mavs and Stack IMHO.
I am guessing it won't be until a day or at the draft night. First Rockets need to scout for the player or players they want. second they need to get a sense of which team is getting at what position. lastly, rockets can't do anything until the ping pong ball drops. This is a weak draft class, so i am guessing we would want to be fairly high.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/jun/09/griz-expect-rubio-visit-for-workout/ I don't know if the link will appear here. The Memphis Commercial Appeal says that Houston and the Knicks are among teams trying to trade for the #2 pick. Rubio?
Uh, wow. That's not even close to anything I'd expect the Rockets to do. I'd have to imagine the cost of getting the number two pick would be steep, very steep.
I would love to get Rubio, but I think if we made that deal it would be to take Harden. Memphis has some cap and they will want to be a player in 2010 so a T-Mac and a 1st(there would be more on each end i assume but these are the principles that make the most sense to me) for #2, Darko, Jaric could be the type of deal they are looking for. Can't really say how I would feel about it, but Harden would start immediately and Darko would be a good backup, Jaric would be a waste of cap and basically a throw in in my opinion.
Sorry, meant to add this. Memphis may feel the talent after #1 is very over valued for the #2 slot, especially since the rumor is that Rubio won't play there(I don't buy that, I'm sure they don't either but may not want to risk it) So trading out and setting themself up for a 2010 off season, with more cap than anyone and a top 5 pick may be worth it.
That's a good idea..if Memphis got Harden, there's a possibility that the Rox is the trading partner..
Thabeet? In the Hinkie podcast he threw out Thabeet as a random example of a player who the Rockets could trade for or sign in the future when explaining how the info gathering they're doing now on draft candidates could help them in the future.
It seems like on the 'buy a pick' deal, you would work out some tentative terms with teams before the draft and then you would wait until the pick is on the clock to see if the player you want, at the pick# you are willing to pay for is available.
Going back to the Hinkie podcast. It was mentioned a player of real value has to be included in a trade for a lottery pick, money alone won't do it. The example of Ray Allen for the no.5 pick was used. McGrady for 2nd pick + Jaric + Buckner + Darko The salaries work. Jaric & Buckner have two more years left and were dumped on them via the Mayo trade. Darko is a bust signing for them. Mr. Lima barely played even though he is one of their highest paid players at $7.1M next season and $7.6M the one after. Memphis rent a superstar to help drive ticket sales for a season and also get McGrady's bird rights.
