10 replies to this topic

[bboley24]

This is going to be a major topic in a few weeks.  I figured i'll get it started now.  

WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO!!!!  

Too much talent and so little minutes. Do we trade for draft picks or rights to over seas players?  

How cool would it be to flip Josh Smith before the deadline?  Basically free equity going forward.  It's a contract season for DMO and TJones plus Dmo has been putting forth the level of offensive prowess that we have been expecting for the last few years.  Plus he speaks great english +1.

[Cooper]

Its going to take jones a while to get up to speed, no need to trade away guys unless its for a roster upgrade right now.

[cointurtlemoose]

I agree, it's going to be a big decision! I kinda find it really intriguing.

 

Not to state the obvious, but a lot depends on if Jones looks like Jones when he returns. Nerve issues aren't necessarily as black and white as other more common bball injuries can be. But then again I admittedly haven't followed many updates over these weeks about his recovery.

 

I think we would know enough about Jones' status and Smith's fit in order to make a play including one of them by the deadline. But then again, all of our front court, Howard - DMo - Smith - Jones, are all really different pieces. There's no duplicates in that bunch, and so there are probably some intriguing/effective ways to use them all. Again, come May, matchup matchup matchup.

Edited by cointurtlemoose, 04 January 2015 - 02:07 AM.

[bboley24]

Very true.  They say Josh Smith is a better version of TJones but Josh Smith can defend the post.

[ale11]

This is going to be a major topic in a few weeks.  I figured i'll get it started now.  

WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO!!!!  

Too much talent and so little minutes. Do we trade for draft picks or rights to over seas players?  

How cool would it be to flip Josh Smith before the deadline?  Basically free equity going forward.  It's a contract season for DMO and TJones plus Dmo has been putting forth the level of offensive prowess that we have been expecting for the last few years.  Plus he speaks great english +1.

 

They are both third year players, both picked in the first round, so they have the 2015/2016 left. We have time to figure that out. But due to their skills, unless there's a significant leap in the salary cap, one of them probably will be traded before 2016 deadline

[Losthief]

but there is going to a be a significant (very) leap in the salary cap due to the new tv deal. So....we actually could probably keep both if that is the plan. Keep in mind Howard's got a option coming up in 2016 right?

[thejohnnygold]

 

Here is the Rockets' salary info.  LINK

 

Papanikoloau, Shved, and Smith are our only "decisions" for next season.  I suppose Terry is too, but I feel like he is going to retire and climb into the TV booth somewhere.  I am confident the Rockets will pick up Canaan's option.

 

Shved, as of now, is probably gone since he has shown us next to nothing.  (he has been injured)

 

So, the Smith thing is interesting.  Can Morey not re-sign Dwight's best friend?  The thing to consider is can we get him at around $2M again?  Why not?  Detroit's still paying him $14M a year through 2017.  Why not sign a 2-year contract on the cheap allowing us a more competitive roster without Josh sacrificing any money at all?

 

If that happens we can pick up Papa's option as well.  As for Terrence and D-Mo...we've got them on the books through 2017.  That season, if we do a 2 year Smith deal, we will have choices to make; however, we will have tons of room to do it with.  We only have $28.2M on the books after that season and the cap is likely to have risen substantially by then (some predict $90M).

 

Jones, D-Mo, Smith, and Howard can all fit into that space quite comfortably.  Looking this far into the future is a bit futile since we have no idea if Jones' health is going to return (or if others' will diminish).  We don't know if this Smith thing is going to work out.  We don't know if Morey is going to let D-Mo out a year early to make sure he is a RFA and we can match anyone else's offer (I think this will happen; although, after Parsons' deal who knows?).  We don't know if Dwight will give us a discount or seek that final MAX deal (given the amount of alimony he pays, he might want a max deal--which I think is a mistake and Morey may not bite with D-Mo probably hitting his prime around then and Capela likely rounding into form).  Has Morey retained Beverley?  Do we have Dragic yet?  How many trades have we made from now to the end of 2017?  I'd put the over/under at 7.

 

The good thing is our choices are which good players do we keep instead of how can we get some good players?  On a side note, I just now realized that Daryl Morey is also a "D-Mo".  Coincidence???? 

[Rahat Huq]

I see the Rockets holding onto Jones unless some blockbuster deal falls in their lap. They won't trade him for 25 cents on the dollar to clear up a logjam.

[thejohnnygold]

I see the Rockets holding onto Jones unless some blockbuster deal falls in their lap. They won't trade him for 25 cents on the dollar to clear up a logjam.

 

I agree.  Obviously, everything with Jones' future is contingent on him being healthy and picking up where he left off.  If he can do that the problem is he finds himself having gone from starter to third string behind Motie and Smith.  He can't really play the 3 or the 5 which means his greatest value, aside from injury insurance, is in trade.

 

Now, I don't think Morey will move him until he is sure that Smith is a good fit here and will sign at a reasonable price.  After that, I don't see how we can keep Jones buried on the bench for two more years.  He might get to see 10-15 minutes a night in certain line-ups/match-ups, but otherwise he'll be an extremely talented towel waiver.

 

That being said, I can't help but feel like we'd be trading the younger version of Josh Smith (who looks to be a better shooter) to keep the older version.  It's eerie, go check out their per36 numbers.  Very similar.  The question remains can Jones defend the PF position?

 

It's weird to consider how much different this season could have gone if TJ didn't get the nerve injury.  Would D-Mo have gotten his shot?  Would we have gone after Smith at all?  We wouldn't have had to drop Tarik Black....

[bboley24]

Numbers aside, is anyone afraid of an Omer Asik 2.0 type of deal again.  The guy whined until he was traded.

[Alituro]

I don't think there is a bigger luxury in this league than having 4 fresh, healthy and capable post guys. Assuming D-mo will be effective at the 5 behind Dwight, there's enough minutes in a game between the 4 of them (24 min./ea) to keep all of them happy with their play time and to not run them into the ground by May.