Clutchfans has reported, via Twitter, that the league has informed the Rockets that the deadline to receive re-tradeable players is actually tomorrow, so its unclear at the moment when this thing is going to happen. But still, I wanted to use this headline and wouldn’t have been able to if I waited for tomorrow and they traded Asik today. So there you have it.
A couple of things: From my interactions with some of you on Twitter, it seems many haven’t been watching Morey very closely over the past few years. This rumored Lee, Bass, pick deal, in its current manifestation, should be dubbed the ‘Anti-Morey deal’ because it reeks of everything Morey, a highly principled manager, has been loath to do during his tenure. Trade away the best player in a deal without getting back actual value? Check. Take on long-term salary? Check. Acquire players with presumable ‘immediate’ fit but little ‘liquidity’ value? Check. Hell, Morey is the same guy that refused to give his very best player at the time, Goran Dragic, a player option, simply because of his stance on long-term flexibility…he let the guy walk! And you would have me believe he’s going to take on Courtney Lee for three more years just because “we need perimeter defense” and “aren’t getting anything from Asik anyway”…? You’re missing the big picture.
Reader RollingWave points out that its questionable whether Bass would even represent an upgrade considering that Omri Casspi leads the team in +/-. But even setting that aside, the point is that this just isn’t Daryl Morey’s style. He doesn’t panic, he wouldn’t trade a guy just because said guy wants out (see: Martin, Kevin), and he certainly doesn’t subscribe to the “well, we’re not getting anything from player X right now so we might as well take this crap deal right now” train of thought. Guys like Bass and Lee are of a mold of player that Morey plucks from the scrap heap for dimes; he doesn’t deal special talents for them at exorbitant lengths.
All of the above is why I’m convinced this leaked report is inaccurate and we’ll see a surprise either today or tomorrow. I think you’ll see them either do a different deal altogether, you’ll see this same deal without Lee, or they’ll get two draft picks. But I’d just be absolutely floored if Morey, knowing what we know of how we works, took this deal in its current form. We’ll see.
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