Would it be better just to let Tmac's contract expire?

I see no reason for the organization to declare they would buy out McGrady, so take that with a grain of salt. Especially given the way McGrady's mouth runs, no reason to show that hand and have him talk his way out of you being able to make a deal.

I don't see a sign and trade as a realistic possibility. I don't see anyone wanting to pay a guy who hasn't really played in 1.5+ years MLE money. If we didn't do it with Artest, why do it with Tmac? Plus, holding onto him for a sign and trade eliminates any cap room we could have.

Bribing another team to take Cook takes assets. If you can't trade McGrady as an expiring, I no longer see him as an asset in the offseason. You may as well pocket an extra million or two, and keep a roster space for other flexibility.

 

I don't mind holding on to Mac as long as we don't buy him out. I want to retain the opportunity to S&T during the offseason.

 

This is a great idea. If we can't Chris Paul now, I'd rather wait until the end of the season. The possibility of signing Joe Johnson as our wing player makes me drooling. I think he is a perfect fit for our current system.

 

it really depends on how good would we be in position to get the top 5-6 people in the FA. These are types of players that team normally wouldn't giveup on trades unless due to FA.

If morey our chances of landing one of those guys are great then I would let Tmac contract expired.

If morey thinks our chances of landing one of them is slim, then perhaps helping another team with cap room and try to take away one of their stars would be ideal.

 

S&T impossible no one would want Tmac for more than 3 to 4 mil a year.

buyout? sure if tmac willing to cut his price. it saves us money and he is allowed to play for protential championship teams.

Tmac's agent will first try to find protential trading partners for rockets, ie like the bulls.

if it fails, then his agent will try to contact teams that are willing to play Tmac and protentially think that he may help them in a championship run. very likely situation. mark cuban may be willing to bite for a rental at 2 to 4 millions a yr. with second yr as team option. Magic could be another team that willing to sign tmac if he gets brought out. Tmac will surely plays his heart out.

This can save us money and allow us cap flexibility too. of course we lose tmac with no return. unless if we have high probility of landing a superstar like wade or bosh.

 

The key words there are "salary cap decrease". The cap is expected to go down significantly next year. The Rockets' cap figure under your scenario would be closer to about $12-13M, tops. That's not enough to get one of the big fish (Lebron, Wade, Bosh, Amare, Joe Johnson). And the Rockets would have to make a final decision on Hayes BEFORE July 1, so he'd be gone just for the CHANCE to . . . not quite have enough money to sign a star.

Again, it's great the Morey's keeping his options open by maintaining salary cap flexibility. But I'd rather have Scola and Lowry back, together with an MLE addition, instead of adding one second- or third-tier free agent this summer.

 

^^^Oh, sorry. I also forgot to further reduce that cap room figure to account for "roster charges" and the salary slot for the Rockets' first round pick. Make that cap room figure closer to $9-10M, tops.

 

I'm inclined to agree with you on McGrady's S&T value. More likely that Morey is just bluffing.

On Brian Cook, I have a strong feeling that dumping him will cost the Rockets cash (probably more than Cook's remaining salary) and the higher of the Rockets' or the Clippers' 2011 second rounder (Houston got the right to swap picks in the Steve Novak trade). That 2011 second rounder might actually be pretty good, if the Clippers continue to wallow in sub-mediocrity. Therefore, I think it would be nice if a T-Mac trade/buyout got the Rockets back under the tax threshold and Brian Cook did not need to be dumped.

 

If McG is still a Rocket at 1 minute past the trade deadline what he still offers the Rox is the ability to SnT him, and his retained Bird rights, for a salary commensurate with (perceived) value. As LBJ's sidekick in the New World Order perhaps? Or D-Wade's? Or to LAL for RA (LOL)?

 

So, the thing to do is really to (1) trade McGrady for the best piece you can (without, of course, completely decimating the team's economics), (2) bring back the team option guys and the team's own RFAs, and (3) try their luck with the MLE, trolling for someone who should make $8-9 mil, but lost out in the musical chairs game.

I think Morey should show up at 12:01 a.m. July 1, 2010 at Manu Ginobili's house with the MLE, Luis Scola, and a blackberry linked up to RocketsFansLuvManu@gmail.com to see if Manu would join his countryman. I have a feeling SA may be trying to get younger and may not want to pay Manu big bucks. (Morey will have to, however, first get things done with Luis).

 

YOU CAN NOT CONTROL T MAC AFTER THIS CONTRACT THIS MEANS WE NEED 2 GET WHATEVER WE CAN FROM 3RD WORLD TEAM IN EAST TIMOR BARRING THAT AN EAST COAST SHURE FIRE NON PLAYOFF TEAM ALA NETS -WIZ REMEMBER TMAC TALK A FEW YEARS AGO ABOUT RETIRING AT 30 . HE CANNOT GO OUT W/ CLASS HE GOTTA GO KICKIN & SCREAMIN DID THE SAME CRY BABY ACT IN TORONTO & HIS HOME TOWN ORL .(WHO DOES NOT WANT HIM BACK) CONSIGN HIM 2 HELL WHILE YOU CAN HE CAN'T HURT YOU THERE THIS YEAR ANY WAY GOOD LUC ANYBODY THAT GETS ME MAC

 

Welcome back LHutz!

 

I don't see the Spurs letting him walk as long as his ankle is ok.

 

from the team's perspective, it makes the most sense to -

let the contract expire; or
do a trade like we're trying right now; or
do a buyout.

it is advantageous to disadvantageous to the team in that order. the team is taking the middle ground, which imo is doing mcgrady a favor somewhat imo.

 

True, the preliminary gate receipts around the NBA (in the aggregate) are a little rosier than the "doomsday" scenario in the memo initially sent out to all 30 teams by the league office. However, basically every single GM expects (and is planning for) a more-than-insignificant decline in the salary cap. Some GMs have a slightly higher "estimated figure" with which they're working than others do. But ALL of them are working with numbers below the current salary cap.

So, asking what would happen if the cap numbers stayed the same is like asking what would happen if Lebron took the MLE with the Rockets. It just is not within the realm of reality.

That said, to answer your question, the Rockets would have close to $16-17M in cap room (just shy of the max) if they declined their team option on Hayes, renounced their rights to T-Mac, Scola and Lowry, and traded away their first round pick. But that is a hypothetical scenario that has no chance of becoming a reality.

 

I think we would need to offer him the MLE for 5 years to pry him away from the Spurs who could easily offer him a 2 or 3 year contract extension at his current salary and maintain reasonable flexibility for the future.

 

yes just let it expire we cant get no one good for him

 

So you're saying there's a chance? :grin:

 

http://ken-berger.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/11838893/18850386?source=rss_blogs_NBA