Woj: HOU trading Ariza + 16th to Detroit for Space + 2021 second rounder

They just made the playoffs 2 years ago and they play in the east.

They have been pushing for the 8th seed the last 2 years, but I have to say I don't like it being top 16 thats the gray area that changes the odds considerably.

Also who knows about 8 years out, I don't think anybody can say the likelihood of what will occur.

At the end of the day we are talking about a middle round pick whenever and we have much bigger fish to fry.

 

Unload Westbrook to NY for taj Gibson and Porter (both 1 yr contracts) plus 2021 first rounder (via dallas). Gives us two of the 5 or 6 we need and gives us about another 10M in cap space for cheap roster builds. Complete Wood sign and trade using NTMLE. Should give us a competitive team this year and lots of cap space next year, plus picks. Starters Harden, House, Woods, Tucker, Porter. Bench Gibson, Gordan, re-signed Rivers, Mclemore, re-signed Jeff Green, etc.

With all the moves yesterday. I don't think there's a realistic trade we would accept for Harden. Cap space next year get a true robin to Harden's batman and hopefully extend him. If not trade him either at deadline this year or in the off-season.

 

Dude they just went to the playoffs 2 years ago, they play in the east they don't have to be good for that pick to come to us.

Over last 4 years they have had the 15th and the 18th pick so the odds are not crazy and who exactly looking forward to this pick anyway?

 

It is not impossible for Detroit to turn it around, but the top of the East is better than it was last year now. And Detroit isn't exactly built with young guys who have a bright future.

If I had to bet, I would bet that we never get this as a 1st rounder. We only get it in 2028 when it becomes a 2nd.

But yes we do have bigger, Tilman-sized fish to fry.

 

Since the playoffs now include seeds 7,8,9, and 10, I wonder if that impacts front office strategy in any way. Detroit could be the 10 seed, make the playoffs, and still keep their pick.

 

What I am saying is they don't have to turn it around by much and still make the playoffs over the next 4 years.

The top[ of the east makes it likely a bad team in the east makes the playoffs, Detroit has been within 5 games of the 8th seed for several years.

 

I don't understand why you guys are so upset with the pick. Heavily protected would mean top 25 protected or some **** like that. This is only top 16 protected for four years, then it's a possible lottery pick after that if it falls between 10 and 14. It seems like a pretty freaking great deal to me.

I don't get why anybody would of thought the Pistons would have traded us a top 10 protected pick to take on Ariza's expiring deal and the 16th pick of a subpar draft. We can't be delusional either.

I'm not denying that Tilman is a cheap skate. My hate for him is well documented on this board. However, I'm with Clutch on being cautiously optimistic of them being able to pull some moves to keep Harden around. Thankfully we don't have to wait months to see what direction we are going, we should be able to see this play out in the next few weeks.

I'm obviously heavily skeptical of Tilman, but he did do some unconventional things yesterday.

• Paid $1M for a number 52 pick (I'm surprised Stone convinced him to fork out money)
• Paid $4.6M to cover part of Ariza's salary (I'm surprised he didn't make Stone attach a 2nd future FRP to prevent having to pay $4.6M)

For a man that we all claim is on the brink of bankruptcy, he did just dish out $5.6M.

Let's see what happens these next few weeks (maybe just days) and maybe it won't be so bad.

 

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/texas-sports-nation/rockets/article/Rockets-trade-Trevor-Ariza-and-No-16-pick-to-15738029.php

They traded Ariza and the 16th overall pick, acquired from the Trail Blazers on Monday in exchange for Robert Covington, to the Pistons for Detroit’s No. 1 pick next season, two individuals with knowledge of the deal said. ESPN was first to report the deal.

The Rockets separately sent the remaining $4.6 million from their 2019-20 trade cash allotment, set to expire Friday, to the Pistons for the Lakers’ second-round pick in 2021, a move largely to help Detroit pay Ariza.

The first-round pick the Rockets will receive from Detroit will be protected through the first 16 picks in the next four years, the top 10 the following two years, and the top nine the year after that. Because the Pistons could be considered long shots to be a playoff team in the next few years, the pick could be viewed as likely to grow more valuable, making it a better trade asset, which would work into the way the Rockets hope to use it. They made Wednesday's move, according to a person familiar with the team’s thinking, to better arm themselves for free agency and potential trades.

By moving Ariza and the first-round pick, the Rockets duck back under the luxury tax line, allowing them to go into free-agent recruiting Friday with the ability to offer the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, worth $9.3 million in the first season, rather than the taxpayer exception of $5.7 million.

That is a gamble given the uncertainties of free agency, especially amid the questions any free agent considering the Rockets will have about whether he will be playing with James Harden and Russell Westbrook.

The Rockets have remained steadfast in their determination to hold off on any trades of their star players unless they can get packages they consider satisfactory. In a trade involving Harden, who has pushed for a deal to the Brooklyn Nets, the Rockets will seek a young, potential superstar successor to their perennial MVP candidate.

With the potential Harden and Westbrook could still be with them at the start of training camp next month and the start of the season Dec. 22, the Rockets nonetheless hope to make additions that would not only motivate the two guards to want to stick around but benefit the club regardless.

If the Rockets are to seek a center or combination forward/center, free agents at the position who would be out of range of the smaller exception could include Serge Ibaka, Christian Wood and Tristan Thompson. Centers who in some cases might be available for the smaller exception could include Aron Baynes, Mason Plumlee, Marc Gasol, Enes Kanter and possibly Nerlens Noel. Perhaps more important, the exception money can be divided among several players.

Retooling immediately also drove the Rockets’ interest in future first-round picks, rather than picks to be used Wednesday. With the lottery-protected first-round pick in next year’s draft acquired from the Trail Blazers on Monday and the Pistons pick acquired Wednesday, the Rockets believe they have trade assets if a deal needs a pick, something they had lacked.

With Oklahoma City owning the right to switch positions in two upcoming drafts, along with the two picks Houston owes the Thunder, the Rockets had control of few future picks to offer in a trade. Now, with future selections to offer, the Rockets — who have not picked in the first round since 2015 — can return to their usual recent philosophy of building through trades and free agency.

 

Feigen only reports what the Rockets want him to report.

They aren't trading Harden. They are going to play the "we tried" card and make him stay. That or Philly opening cap and a TPE which is to allow them to take on Tucker in the deal into the TPE while sending the Rockets less salary.


Harden + PJ for Simmons + Shake + Thybule + every single pick they have left.

 

This is how I see it things The trade gives Stone a lot more flexibility in whatever route is taken. I didn’t see anyone at #16 that outweighs that IMO.

 

2 years ago the east wasn’t as deep as it is now. They’re clearly not better then the top 7 in the east for awhile and a number of the bottom teams in the east are trending higher than they are

 

Haven’t picked in the 1st round in 6 years is disgusting.

 

Hope he is right but Stone didn’t give up a FRP, it was just deferred.

 

The Magic and the Nets both made the playoffs with a losing record and the Pacers are gonna take a step down.

You never know, remember when Memphis was thought to be dead in the water?

 

You realize who the nets are right. yeah theyre going to be top 7 easily. you might want to catch up on who they have. Pacers are going to step down to what? They still have the same team. They're not dropping out of the playoffs

Atl is easily going to be better than Detroit. Wash gets wall back. and it's still a toss up if det is even better than any of the other young teams

I'd bet hou gets this once it becomes a 2nd rounder over the 1st

 

ok.

 

Yes he has been very good the last couple years in limited time. Last year when his minutes increased he was a 20 point a game scorer. Is it because someone on Detroit had to score? Is it because teams were not defending him hard? Or was it because he is a legitimate threat? He does a lot of things well, passing isn’t one of them.

I think Wood is a pipe dream, the Pistons have his Bird rights and can sign him if they want to. They claim they want to. He has a number of teams interested.

He is a legitimate 4/5 with a massive wingspan. Morey tried to trade for him last year at the deadline. I would be very excited about a Wood AND Covington 4/5

 

The minimum is 13, 12 active 1 inactive. Harden, Westbrook, Gordon, House, Tucker...that's all the guaranteed contracts I believe? Then it's McLemore, Clemons, Nwaba has a team option, Rivers already declined his player option... We literally have 8 players right now, accepting a guy coming off injury and 2 fringe guards... we need 5 more and the team's owner is on his 3rd consecutive year of mind blowing cost cutting bullshit. So 5 more under the cap. It's either going to be cheaper players than you all want or it will come taking .70 cents on the dollar to get rid of a superstar caliber player. Yes, almost any rookie available at 16 last night would have been able to carve a role out on a team this depleted out of sheer necessity.

And then they got nobody. Lit.

 

Again I don’t think anyone is GM on this site and I certainly am not. Its a wait and see. We don’t know what management has cooking. The criticism and allegations are interesting to me. We all know the bad financial situation morey left us in. The moves create 12.8 TPE in that non simultaneous deal with Detroit. This can be used in a sign a trade situation perhaps like Ibaka or can be used in waivers during the season. The full MLE gives us 9 mil roughly and can be used for a serviceable vet. Only thing is we can’t use both in the offseason. One or the other. But keeps us under luxury tax and hard cap. Its an interesting move that gives us more flexibility for future trades or pickups. Unfortunately the casualty is ROCO who I love. Quid pro quo. Gotta give something to get something. So let’s believe trust and see. Too much finger pointing without real solutions. Just my take from a non GM.