Well now there is a turd in the punch bowl... <iframe style="display: none;" allowtransparency="true" scrolling="no" id="rufous-sandbox" frameborder="0"></iframe>
Jopatmc, er, basketballaholic, if you have inside sources regarding Parsons, then I acquiesce. I'm just used to your so-sure-of-myself, put-it-in-the-bank we're-gonna-trade-for-Dwight no-way-Romney-can-lose assertions. And if Love is the target? How could it be anything but a three-team trade with no Parsons involved? Because we know Harden isn't going anywhere. Unless we are dialing in on Melo. Because you say "superstar". Other players like Deng just don't qualify.
1. Nothing has changed with Parsons up until now. 2. Only way we get Love is if he wants to come here and we take back salary with him. Teams like Rockets, Kings are saying they will trade for Love without commitment. That is true as long as they don't have to take back long term salary. But that will change if they have to take back salary. 3. The Howard deal was done. Only thing that blew it up was Dwight's agent pulling a last minute shenanigan with the Orlando FO and the Orlando FO fell for it. 4. Wrong forum to discuss Romney.
I was on the no moving Parsons bandwagon, but if we are getting Love or Melo, Parsons, if not traded, needs to be moved to the bench. A defensive oriented wing is going to be a must with a bunch of offensive specialists in the starting lineup. My vote continues to be Ariza, for the MLE. Beverley / (Brooks -Vet min) Harden / Daniels (Ariza - MLE) / Parsons Melo or Love / Jones Howard (Okafor - BAE)
Parsons will become a defense oriented wing like he was 2 years ago if he returns to a lesser offensive role with the acquisition of a third superstar player/scorer.
How does anyone think we could possibly trade for Love without giving up Parsons? Pretty ridiculous to be honest. Even if they don't want Parsons due to the contract issue, we would have to trade him for a lottery pick to flip to Minny.
Could this be a ripple effect...and see Harden put more effort on defense if a TRUE 3rd scorer was brought onto the team.
On the Parsons thing. I have no inside sources, but one thing that supports basketballholic's side is that the Rockets can outright sign these players. They can outright sign Melo this offseason and outright sign one of Rondo, Love, or Aldridge. This is where the Rockets differ from many other teams, as we can try to wait things out. Besides, Parsons is a horrible centerpiece for Minnesota in a trade. And he's not likely going to acquiesce being traded anywhere except for a big market. The Clippers can use him but lacks a lottery pick the Rockets would need. Lakers aren't trading their lottery pick for him. Either NY team? The only possibility is to the Knicks in a Melo trade.
hmm...we cant OUTRIGHT sign anybody this offseason.....next year yes..... unless we move Asik and Lin.....but that means any other team can OUTRIGHT sign people if they made the needed space via trade.
Moving Asik requires nothing. If we give him away for nothing, several teams will pick him up. Moving Jeremy Lin would require at least a 1st round pick, which we have. We also have a mid-2nd rounder which is also of value, as well as Knicks 2nd rounder next year which looks to be valuable. So yes, we CAN outright sign these players as long as they agree to come here.
Pretty simple really. If Kevin Love insists on joining the Rockets, then the package we offer only has to be better than offers from teams who know they will only have him for one year before walking to the Rockets as an FA. Currently the best such deal is rumored to be the #8 pick attached to some players on the Kings. This is the best offer available for Kevin Love without a promise of re-signing. The reason people think we can beat that deal is because we can probably offer something just as good without including Chandler Parsons. For example, I think a package of Omer Asik + Terrence Jones is worth way more than the #8 pick and fillers. Or, we can offer Parsons in the deal and get some additional rotation guys back. All in all, the deal hinges on Love's preference. If somehow he ends up deciding the only place he'll go is Houston, we can probably acquire him for WELL below market price because we have something a lot of the other suitors don't have: cap space to sign him outright in 2015. That's a massive bargaining chip which brings the trade value down.
Don't know about that. My own personal feelings about Harden is he's simply not going to be even a good defender without the right matchup. Here's the base problem with Harden on defense. He's having to work so hard offensively that you can't ask him to chase a guy all over the court on defense and fight through screens, etc. That expends a lot of energy that we need him to have on the offensive end. I really don't think it's a case of Harden not wanting to play D. But if you notice defensively most opponents play him the same, they put a small SG out there for him to defend and then run that SG from side to side through screens and try to get Harden to chase him all over the place. Secondly, Harden is not built for that. Harden doesn't have the body type to chase. He's thick in the middle, big butt and thighs, strong base. He simply doesn't have the physical tools to chase. He's built to be more of a power defender. That's why he looks so much better when he's guarding Lebron and Lebron is handling at the top and bumping and grinding without flying around all over the court. That's why Harden looks better defensively defending power forwards, who sometimes have as much as 6 to 8 inches on him. They can't really post him up because of the strength in his base. He forces them to fade away. And then he's got the hand quickness and foot quickness on them to slap the ball away and steal it. And those big power forwards ain't running from side to side through screens. So, I don't personally think we're going to be able to solve Harden's defensive problems except with the appropriate match ups. I think he's going to be match up sensitive for his career. One thing I've been watching with Miami...they don't really ask Lebron to take on that kind of defensive assignment either. Lebron defends mostly bigs or he is up top taking on playmaker. Rarely do you see him chasing somebody like Redick or Korver all over the floor. I think it would be wise for McHale and Company to look at how Miami uses Lebron defensively as somewhat of a reference model for Harden. Not that Harden can guard all the guys Lebron guards. But Harden is better off defensively guarding power and guys that are attempting to make plays with the dribble than he is attempting to chase guys all over the court who are running from side to side through screens looking for open jump shots and cuts to the rim off the defensive overplay.
I agree with the pretty good writeup on Harden and defense. We're gonna have issues with him on D regardless. Hopefully we'll at least see some effort this year, but he's gonna need some help on both ends. He played 40 minutes per game because (a) there is no bench and (b) McHale ignored that inner voice telling him he's giving Harden and Parsons too many minutes. If a third star or, at least, a reliable scorer can be brought in to alleviate this problem, Harden won't arrive at the playoffs already looking like he just survived a death march. But we all know Minnesota won't just give away Kevin Love, no matter if he insists on one specific team. And a third team would probably be needed regardless of who gets shipped out. No, you don't get Kevin Love with an Asik + Lin + Terrence Jones + #25. You just don't. If we don't get Kevin Love, here's hoping he winds up with Boston, hmn?
Rondo isn't a free agent until next year, but I get your point. Houston has LEVERAGE if they can move Asik & Lin without taking much salary at all. That's really what you need, and that's why Morey was able to get Howard without giving up assets. However.... (to play devils advocate a little).... At the same time, the team that is trading for Asik, and (more-so) Lin has leverage with the Rockets because they are going to know that Morey needs their teams cap space and that at the same time gives them leverage to ream Morey in a trade into their cap space. While Morey can still move Asik & Lin to create that leverage, it's probably going to come at a pretty big cost.... like multiple picks, cash, and maybe a good young player cost. Maybe being a little over-conservative with that estimate, but I still think teams are going to be very predatory to get assets from Houston in these deals. ............. Also I agree with ROXTXIA, Love for Asik+Lin+ Jones+ a couple late 1st rounders just wont compete with the other trade packages Minny is going to get offered this Summer. If you want to make a play for Kevin Love, you NEED that leverage, and you are going to need Minnesota to not bite on one of these deals they are going to get offered on Draft night. Minnesota is obviously going to try and keep Love through to the trade deadline so they get one more chance to keep him when they can offer him a max extension in January. However, if a team with a top 5 pick offers it to Minnesota, it could be a game changer and expedite Love getting traded, but that's seeming very unlikely. What is likely is- A. Love stays with the Wolves until the trade deadline B. The trade package offers from the teams that have leverage (meaning Love has identified them as contenders for free agency the next year) will end up being close to exactly the same If the Rockets can be patient, and create leverage for Love to be signed next Summer, they can get him maybe even as early as January/February of this upcoming season. Without that leverage, they are going to have a tough time even getting the attention of Flip Saunders with a draft night/July Free Agency trade.
