72 replies to this topic

[phaketrash]

Are you all really willing to let Asik go for Howard?  Since 2004 id say yes!  Even if Omer was like 15...  but this year...  after this drama with Royce White... a guy that doesn't play and no one cares about... I can seriously see what a single player can do to a franchise with attitude alone.  

 

Yes he's amazing in all facets but the kid brings a stink.  Demarcus is another one.  Omer just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  Look at these teams that win championships.  Show me the fuss with the guys on top.  Im not seeing it.

 

Now CP3 on the other hand...  id do whatever possible to get him in a Rockets Uni.

 

Kobe and Shaq hated each other, and they won 3 rings yo. Warm and fuzzy feelings don't win championships. Would I rather move Lin and get CP3 than move Asik and get Howard? Yes. Would I still take Howard over Asik in a heartbeat? Yes. But I'd miss Asik and feel pretty bummed out lol. He really is a great player on a great contract; he's just not a superstar.

 

edit: my understanding of the cba and of the numbers was off, I think the below is impossible. CP3 + Harden + D12 = $54.3M...that leaves us 9 roster spots to fill w/ just $4M. If we keep Parsons, that is $3M for 8 spots. :S

 

More I think about it though, more I don't see why we can't get both CP3 and Howard. While independently, they both have better reasons for staying in LA, but together, there is a STRONG case for coming to Houston. We're one of the only teams that can physically put them both together this summer WITH James Harden and a bench full of great value players who have a lot of potential AND a GM who can put great role players around a superstar core in his sleep. LAC doesn't have an organization as well run as ours. While LAL could put quality players around Howard, that's a promise, while we can offer both the promise AND the beginnings of it right now (a la CP3 w/ Harden).

 

Asik and TRob easy to move and not take on extra $$ (or in a S&T w/ an LA team), but Lin is tougher...and is the concern. Who would take him in a S&T when they know not taking him would mean they keep their star (most likely), and what team under the cap wants Lin for free essentially?

 

CP3 is really competitive, and I imagine Howard is too. Money is nice, but a ring is nicer. We'd be a younger version of the Heat, and we'd be able to stay together longer because of how Morey works and the K's are structured. I just don't see why they would NOT agree to a scenario that would create:

 

CP3/Harden/Parsons/DMo/Howard......Bev/Anderson/White/TJones/GSmith/Olbrecht/PHX's 2nd round draft pick. Maybe spend MLE or something to get another veteran wing scorer and we are SOLID. That is 4 yrs of auto contention, and a team that would still be one of the youngest in the nba (and a bench that is better than Heat's first yr together bench and LAL's current bench).

[Mason Khamvilay]

CP3/Harden/Parsons/DMo/Howard.... I would cry tears of joy. And then tears of sorrow when the time comes that we have to let Parsons go. 

[phaketrash]

CP3/Harden/Parsons/DMo/Howard.... I would cry tears of joy. And then tears of sorrow when the time comes that we have to let Parsons go. 

 

Here's the beauty of it -- we wouldn't! Because we got those players and are still UNDER THE CAP, all Les has to do is agree to go over the cap for a Parsons re-sign. That's it! Of course he'd do that for a few seasons if we win more rings!

[Mason Khamvilay]

We would have to let someone go eventually, but I guess it's worth it if we win rings before that day comes. 

[phaketrash]

We would have to let someone go eventually, but I guess it's worth it if we win rings before that day comes. 

 

Eventually? Sure, but not for at least 4 yrs. That is a long time, and w/ Morey at the helm, when we eventually let one of the stars go (who would be 31-32 by then anyways), we'd have been set up to still contend via other means I am sure.

[Mason Khamvilay]

I agree. 4 years is a long time to have 3 top 10 players. Arguably top 5 assuming Harden improves. 

[phaketrash]

I agree. 4 years is a long time to have 3 top 10 players. Arguably top 5 assuming Harden improves. 

 

For reals. If Harden continues on, some time during that 4 yr span, we could very well have the #1 Center, the #1 PG, and the #1 SG in the league. Parsons would be probably a top 10 SF in the league as well. That's three top 5 players, w/ another top 4 and a bench of potential/valuable role player contracts, esp. since our 4 would be anchored by a rotation of DMo, GSmith, and TJones. Wow.

 

I mean, it is easy selling this to us Rockets fans...but should it really be harder selling it to CP3 and D12? If they really want to win, I just don't see a better chance of doing it than w/ this plan, right?

[phaketrash]

I also see it as the best team to unseat the Heat. Only other team that has a shot, imo, is the Spurs this yr. But our hypo team would have a 4 yr window to destroy the Heat, who might not even be able to keep their big 3 together for that long...

 

I can't imagine LAL keeping Pau if Dwight signs up there. That's a $100M payroll that leads to a $200M total bill. Removing Pau saves $50M!

[bboley24]

You can keep D12.  I don't want him.  Superstar or not... Id take Ibaka and a Thunder 1st rounder over Dwight and Asik.

[Mason Khamvilay]

We would do alot more than just beat the Heat. With that team we could threaten the 72 win record and dominate the league in historical fashion. 

[phaketrash]

You can keep D12.  I don't want him.  Superstar or not... Id take Ibaka and a Thunder 1st rounder over Dwight and Asik.

 

Wait, you're saying you'd rather have Ibaka and an OKC 1st rounder than...Dwight AND Asik?!

[Rahat Huq]

What teams have money under the cap?

 

You'd need to trade Asik to one of those teams for a future draft pick.  This can easily be done.  Then you'd either need to S&T Lin to LAL for Howard or trade Lin somewhere for an $8mill expiring contract.  Or wait, doesn't Lin cost as the $10mill in trades?  I can't remember if that was only for the matching team.  

 

In any event, the only way I can see someone trading an expiring for Lin is if you included Parsons.  Or if Robinson or D-Mo had shown enough promise, and you included them.  You'd then need to waive the expiring contract and eat that money.

[bboley24]

Sorry... Dwight OR Asik

[Cooper]

Would the jazz want Lin? They have loads of cap space and Lin is an upgrade over mo Williams.

[phaketrash]

What teams have money under the cap?

 

You'd need to trade Asik to one of those teams for a future draft pick.  This can easily be done.  Then you'd either need to S&T Lin to LAL for Howard or trade Lin somewhere for an $8mill expiring contract.  Or wait, doesn't Lin cost as the $10mill in trades?  I can't remember if that was only for the matching team.  

 

In any event, the only way I can see someone trading an expiring for Lin is if you included Parsons.  Or if Robinson or D-Mo had shown enough promise, and you included them.  You'd then need to waive the expiring contract and eat that money.

 

Moving Asik to a team under the cap for a pick is easy. Heck, could move TRob just as easily, but may need to sweeten Lin's deal w/ him. Lin counts $8.3M to the team that gets him, so we'd either have to find a team that is under the cap around that amount and willing to take Lin (are there any???) or trade for an expiring, as you said Rahat. I assume then this trade for expiring would have to happen before a certain date, right?

 

edit: new cba may make the below irrelevant -- LAL is over the luxury tax line, can they even do a S&T?

 

S&T to LAL or LAC w/ Lin is probably impossible. If we were only trying to sign one of the two stars (Dwight or CP3), then we could pressure the other team to do the S&T or else that player will walk for nothing. But if we're trying to get both, that threat goes out the door -- they know that because we've already signed one of the two, we CAN'T sign the other one UNLESS we do the S&T. If we sign CP3, for example, LAL would say no to a S&T because it's not like Howard can then just walk to us and we'll just pay him straight up. Howard could still leave for another team, but that'd defeat the purpose of what we're trying to do and essentially lowers our chances of getting both. I guess we could do the S&T first, move Lin + TRob to LAL for Howard, and then move Asik before signing CP3...

[phaketrash]

Would the jazz want Lin? They have loads of cap space and Lin is an upgrade over mo Williams.

 

This makes a lot of sense. They do have loads of cap space and are in need of a good PG. Mo Williams is expiring (like most of their team) anyways. I could see us moving Lin there for nothing, if the Jazz are in the mood to help us haha.

 

 

Hmm so the options sound like

 

Move Asik + Trob to Hawks for a pick. Lin to Jazz for a pick. Or something along these lines.

 

Or 

 

S&T Lin and TRob to LAL for Dwight, then move Asik to Hawks for a pick (or anywhere, he's well sought after), and sign CP3 outright.

[phaketrash]

Sorry... Dwight OR Asik

 

But then who would be at our center? We'd just have an even greater glut of 4's, and lose our defensive center.

[phaketrash]

Actually, question -- under the new cba, can you still do a S&T to acquire players if you're already over the luxury tax line? i.e., can LAL do a S&T with us for Howard where we give them players, even though they're already over the luxury tax? I think not...

 

Also, I think I've been working under possibly false impressions of how much D12 or CP3 might get at max, based on their yrs in the league. I thought it'd be $17.3M (30% of the cap) for their seniority, but I just realized my mistake. They'd get 105% of their last salary, so it'll be $20.3M each instead...

 

This would obliterate our chances of snagging both unless they take a considerable paycut...

[Mason Khamvilay]

I knew it was too good to be true. 

[Cooper]

I could see Paul taking a slight discount but not Howard.