We can't just toss all our players out of the window just yet. Lets remember that Francis and Bonzi are both possibly in the last year of their contracts. What if Bonzi is unhappy and decides to leave next season? What if Francis doesn't pick up the player option for year 2? Just trying to play Devil's advocate here. We need to package some players that have some interest (Alston, JLIII, Sura's contract) into some potential talent or backups.
I agree with that. Unless the Rockets can't get another big man though, I want to keep Deke around. He's still a good shot blocker and rebounder in his old age.
No one will be cut, with the exception of the Camp Fodder. Of the regular 20 players six will be traded, which includes Sura's Contract. We will make one addition to the team and gain some draft picks etc.IMHO
I can't imagine this team will trade 6 more players. That's just crazy and perhaps the kind of roster turnover that would limit extend our 2nd round ambitions for another season. Bonzi won't get cut. He's working out, and Adelman likes him. He comes cheap. Realistically, we're going to try to shed some salary. There's a lot of money that can be saved by getting rid of people here and there - namely Sura, Lucas and Alston. We've had a great offseason and at this point I anticipate the roster getting trimmed down as well as the payroll. I'm not complaining, and in fact I think it makes lots of sense. I would love to see the payroll trimmed allowing us to use our MLE freely the following season and not worrying about luxury tax in case a dream trade scenario falls into our laps at some point. weslinder's right, I counted Deke twice.
Deke played a major part as a starting center who contributed towards a 52 win season. He's better than a some other teams starting centers and would only cost around 800k (vet's min c.1.2M but league pays c.400k).
See my post under Landry. Apparently he did everything the coaches asked of him in summer league and are really high on him.
Personally if I were Landry, I'd want to get traded to the Pacers cause at least there he's probably going to get some playing time since the Pacers basically traded away all their talent and are slow as all get out. He's also from Indiana so it's not a big deal for Landry to go there. Butler, PPG 3.7 RPG 2.00 APG 0.5 EFF + 3.64 Pass, Reed PPG 2.6 RPG 1.10 APG 0.4 EFF + 2.05 also pass, Novak..umm maybe he's ok and is developing nicely. Hayes..I'd say keeper from his rebounding. Harris strong young athletic player..yeah he's a keeper too. I'd keep Landry if at all possible but he actually makes good trade bait.
pg: alston/james/brooks/lucas/sura sg: tmac/francis/bonzi/head/newley sf: battier/reed/snyder/harris pf: scola/hayes/novak/landry c: yao/butler/deke/tsak imo what will happen definitely: sura retire, landry hopefully nbdl but no playing time, lucas traded, tsak gone, newley playing outside nba imo definite keepers are pg: james/brooks sg: tmac/francis sf: battier/bonzi pf: scola/hayes c: yao/butler those im pretty sure will definitely get some PT next season, which leaves alotta players im not sure about , reed, alston, head, snyder, harris, and novak im not sure about. we could definitely use some more bigs, 4/5 players, i think butler shuold be our 3rd string C, and im not convinced completely relying on scola alone at PF is good enough, its a great improvement from last year but we could definitely improve in that area, our PG,SG and SF positions are exrtemely solid and i dont see us requiring to upgrade these areas anymore, but another useful PF wouldnt do us any harm and a better backup C would be nice also. theres alotta players we have to trade to get this done but ive grown to like alston, head and snyder and think they can contribute alot this year, but if they can bring a good PF in for us then we'd have to do it, i guess i know that we will have to let a few players go via trade or other means but i would like to see how they turn out, players that interst me are snyder (didnt get much of a chance last season after injury), harris (i find him interesting prospect), novak (i know his got somethin in him!) and head has proven to be able to hit the 3 at clutch moments and rafer doesnt get many turn overs and is an adept passer of the ball and im sure can be much more of an efficient player given limited minutes. deke might still ahve enough in the tank to be our primary backup C, but i cant be sure and reed can be traded or whatever i dont really konw him so i dont care if he stays. hmm theres still alot of things to be done this off season and i hope it will involve balancing out our roster, (too many PG,SG and SFs) by trading for some bigs. i have no idae how this is going to work out but im very excited to see how our team will turn out by the end of the off season, theres still a few trades left to be done , exciting stuff!
I say this is the line up. Yao Scola Battier McGrady Francis Mutumbo Hayes Wells Head James Butler - Good quality guy to play behind Yao and Mutumbo on days off. Stays! Harris - Bring hunger to the team, does a little bit of everything. Stays!! Novak - I'm sad to say but Bullard 2nd coming ain't happening. Gone!!! Reed - If not for Wells & Scola, he'd be safe; needs to earn it now. Gone!!! Snyder - Head is a better shooter! And Wells penetrates. Gone!!! Alston - Nice contract for Trade Deadline move. HE STAYS!!! Lucas - Morey said it, they are working on trades for him. Gone!!! Landry - Won't be signed but rights kept!!! Unsigned rights maintained!!! Brooks - He's the Point guard future. Stays!!! Sura - Those expiring contracts are worth gold come trade deadline. Stays!!
Snyder also has an expiring contract. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2654216 http://www.hoopshype.com/salaries/denver.htm Trade Snyder + Lucas to Nuggets for Kleiza + Carter + Wafer Rockets do not pick up options Rockets save 2.11M Trade Alston to Heat for Doleac + Quinn Rockets do not pick up option Rockets save 742K Trade Reed to Clippers for Davis + Conroy Rockets do not pick up option Rockets save 749K Trade Davis + draft rights to Landry via minimum salary exception to any team for a future pick and/or cash considerations. Remaining Roster: James Francis Brooks McGrady Bonzi Head Battier Kleiza Harris Scola Hayes Novak Yao Doleac Butler
These are the only guys I think are guaranteed a spot right now: Yao Scola Battier Bonzi Mcgrady Snyder (slight chance he could be dealt, but I doubt it) James Francis Brooks Out of the rest, here's what I think the possibilities are: Head - trade bait, but will be on the team otherwise Alston - trade bait, as good as gone to the best deal Sura - trade bait, cut otherwise Lucas - gone for 2nd rounder or cash Deke - I think it's either him or Butler. Deke wants to play, not sit. Butler - backup C is his to lose, being younger than Deke. Hayes - small possibility he could be let go, depending on what we get for Alston/Head/Sura/etc. At this point, lets say Head, Sura, Alston get packaged together for a PF, and we keep one of Deke/Butler and re-sign Hayes. That would leave 3 spots for... Novak Landry Reed Mike Harris I could see any one of the four thrown into trades, but assuming they aren't, I think Harris gets cut, or Landry gets sent to NBDL. If Head stays around, Harris and Landry are both gone. PG: James/Francis/Brooks SG: Mcgrady/Snyder SF: Battier/Bonzi PF: Scola/(TRADE)/Hayes C:Yao/Butler or Deke Rest: Reed, Harris or Landry or Head, Novak
I think the only players that have to remain a part of the 15 player roster are 1st round picks since they have to be under contract to remain the property of the team. Landry I think could play in D-League with out the Rockets offering him a contract and we would still retain his rights because he is a 2nd round pick. Since he would not be under contract he would not count against the 15 man roster. There are many free agents in the D-League. John Lucas III was a free agent when we called him up on a 10 day contract a couple of years ago. The same was true for Chuck Hayes...any team could have offered them a contract since they were in the D-League and unrestricted. Butler on the other hand counted against San Antonio's 15 player roster I believe since he was under contract. The advantage to that is that no other team could sign him or call him up, but if SA needed him they could call him up at any time.
I'm not completely sure, but I think I read that in order control a players rights and send them to the D-league, they have to be on your 15 man roster. I don't think we could send Landy to the D-League without him being on the rsoter. I think it would be different if he were playing in Europe or somewhere else.
