73 replies to this topic

[Losthief]

Current updates as of Sunday 4am CT:

 

CP3 4 yrs 160 million (had to happen, also glad to see its 4 years)

 

Gerald Green 1 yrs 2.4 million-vet min (great for the dollar amount)

 

Trevor Ariza->Suns for 1 yr. 15 million (the JJ Redick Check, I get it, sucks for us but get your money Ariza)

 

 

Other Thoughts:

I never criticize a player getting the most money, because they only have max like 15 years of earning time. So congrats to Ariza. Thanks for the hard work these past years. I do think this makes Luc a bigger priority for us. He can slide into that role pretty easily.

 

Capela meeting is later today. Need to keep him as he is the largest chance of in-team growth for us. We also have our 5.4 (I think thats the amount) mid-level available. Which could be used for Luc or we could go chasing someone else. I'm okay with someone else or splitting it. Depends on the market for Luc I guess.

 

 

[thejohnnygold]

Lowe is reporting we are meeting with Michael Carter-Williams today.  I can't imagine what we would want with him.

[rocketrick]

I'm not convinced the Rockets plan to simply give Capela his Max contract. It wasn't that long ago that Morey had the same predicament (Summer 2014) regarding Chandler Parsons. Chandler was upset then because Morey did not consider Chandler to be a "big 3" player after signing Harden and D12. As it turned out, both D12 and Chandler flamed out shortly afterwards.

 

So forward the clock to Summer 2018. The Rockets definitely have their Big 2 in Harden and CP3. I love Capela but I did not love seeing the Rockets having to bench him in Game 7 because the Warriors decided to foul him and put him on the free throw line when we needed 2 or 3 possessions of (finally maybe) hitting a couple of 3's to get back into the game. And he hits 1-2 both times and the Rockets were forced to remove him from the game.

 

Don't get me wrong, I truly believe Capela can certainly be a difference maker. The reason the Warriors chose to foul him in late in the second half is to remove his defensive presence as well as the alley oop option at that time. Smart coaching move on their part, kudos to them.

 

Anyway, no doubt the Rockets do need Capela going forward but is he worth a Max contract with his shortcomings? Or do the Rockets have a better opportunity to retain Capela for less than Max and improve their bench? Don't forget, we still have a hole at the 3, too, now that Ariza is a Sun going forward.

 

Don't forget that Capela could also simply accept the $3.7 million qualifying offer for this upcoming season and become an UNRESTRICTED Free Agent next summer.

 

Lastly, don't forget that July 1-2, 2019 has so many more Free Agent possibilites including KD, Klay Thompson, K Leonard et al

[thejohnnygold]

I'm not convinced the Rockets plan to simply give Capela his Max contract. It wasn't that long ago that Morey had the same predicament (Summer 2014) regarding Chandler Parsons. Chandler was upset then because Morey did not consider Chandler to be a "big 3" player after signing Harden and D12. As it turned out, both D12 and Chandler flamed out shortly afterwards.

 

So forward the clock to Summer 2018. The Rockets definitely have their Big 2 in Harden and CP3. I love Capela but I did not love seeing the Rockets having to bench him in Game 7 because the Warriors decided to foul him and put him on the free throw line when we needed 2 or 3 possessions of (finally maybe) hitting a couple of 3's to get back into the game. And he hits 1-2 both times and the Rockets were forced to remove him from the game.

 

Don't get me wrong, I truly believe Capela can certainly be a difference maker. The reason the Warriors chose to foul him in late in the second half is to remove his defensive presence as well as the alley oop option at that time. Smart coaching move on their part, kudos to them.

 

Anyway, no doubt the Rockets do need Capela going forward but is he worth a Max contract with his shortcomings? Or do the Rockets have a better opportunity to retain Capela for less than Max and improve their bench? Don't forget, we still have a hole at the 3, too, now that Ariza is a Sun going forward.

 

Don't forget that Capela could also simply accept the $3.7 million qualifying offer for this upcoming season and become an UNRESTRICTED Free Agent next summer.

 

Lastly, don't forget that July 1-2, 2019 has so many more Free Agent possibilites including KD, Klay Thompson, K Leonard et al

 

You make a fair point.  Free throw shooting woes are the worst. 

 

I imagine Morey might let the market dictate as he has done in the past.  If someone makes Capela a MAX offer then maybe he let's him walk.  Personally, I think that would be nuts given his perceived value and the demand for him around the league, but what do I know?

 

I do believe he can evolve his offensive game (including FT%) and become a solid two-way threat.  He's got great feet, can dribble (some), and pulled out a Euro-step drive-by from the perimeter that still makes me smile when I think about it.

 

Given how tantalizing the possibilities are combined with the fact his floor is already pretty high I think Morey signs him to whatever deal he wants.  Worst case scenario, we have one of the elite defensive centers in the league during his prime years...best case?  He suddenly goes Olajuwon and becomes unbeatable.    (OK, not likely, but he's got the feet for some serious dreamshakin'.  What he needs is a decent jump hook that he can then use to set up a nice up-and-under move.  I feel like we don't utilize his quickness enough.)

[rocketrick]

You make a fair point.  Free throw shooting woes are the worst. 

 

I imagine Morey might let the market dictate as he has done in the past.  If someone makes Capela a MAX offer then maybe he let's him walk.  Personally, I think that would be nuts given his perceived value and the demand for him around the league, but what do I know?

 

I do believe he can evolve his offensive game (including FT%) and become a solid two-way threat.  He's got great feet, can dribble (some), and pulled out a Euro-step drive-by from the perimeter that still makes me smile when I think about it.

 

Given how tantalizing the possibilities are combined with the fact his floor is already pretty high I think Morey signs him to whatever deal he wants.  Worst case scenario, we have one of the elite defensive centers in the league during his prime years...best case?  He suddenly goes Olajuwon and becomes unbeatable.    (OK, not likely, but he's got the feet for some serious dreamshakin'.  What he needs is a decent jump hook that he can then use to set up a nice up-and-under move.  I feel like we don't utilize his quickness enough.)

 

I am totally with you JG, I really, really like Capela going forward. 

 

It really comes down to Capela and what kind of advice his agent(s) are giving him.

 

Truthfully, which other NBA teams can continue to improve Capela's game going forward? He is like, what, 23 years old? So much more improvement is possible----but only on the right team and in the right system going forward.

 

Hopefully, Capela will accept something less than Max going forward and continue to improve his game going forward and remain a Rocket.

[Losthief]

His max is only 25 million irrc. Which will age well anyways as the cap goes up. Different than hardens/capela/lebron type max cause of his age. Is he worth 35-40 million. No....but 25-28 million isn't too bad. Still high. But yeah...i think that only happens if he gets offered. Probably gonna be around 18-20 million be my guess per year.

[Noah]

Warriors just landed Demarcus Cousins with their taxpayer mid-level exception (1 year, 5.3 million). As a diehard Rocket fan, I’m getting pretty impatience here seeing all these other moves being made, even by teams in tax hell like us. How in the world do we not check in on Cousins? I mean, we could have had both Cousins and Capela, while letting Cousins take his time getting healthy for the playoffs (just in time to play GS should we make it that far). The opposite happens and now GS will have a lineup of Curry-Klay-KD-Green-Cousins for their playoff run. UNREAL. Really hope Morey has something up his sleeve man.

[Losthief]

I mean...i assuming Cousins wanted to go to warriors. 1 yr 5.4 mil is not his market value. I but I agree...we need an impact player cause cousins changes dynamics from last year's wcf.

[Noah]

@Losthief

Sure. There’s obviously no guarantee he would have signed with us if we made him a pitch, but at least kick the tires on the chance don’t cha think? Again, who knows if we actually tried behind closed doors, but I’m confident if we had made an effort and put forth a strong pitch, things could be different at the moment. I guess there’s a few silver-linings with this signing if we’re looking at it from both sides. For one, Capela has always guarded Cousins quite well in their matchup. Secondly, GS still has no rim protection. Nobody in their paint scares me. Third, his health and fit on the team is still in question as well. Nonetheless, we’ll see how this all plays out in the end.

[thejohnnygold]

Things are certainly getting interesting.  Tad Brown recently got a little snarky with the Twitter crowd and basically said everyone needs to chill, the team seems content to just "run it back" meaning they like the team they have assembled and believe said team can still win it all.  Of course, this was before Cousins became the 4th best player on his own team--yeesh.

 

There are still some sneaky adds we can make out there.  I'd say we should go after Bjelica, but we already have Ryan Anderson so there really isn't much need to do that.  I have long been a fan of Kyle O'Quinn and he could really help solidify the front court defensively without hurting us much on the offensive end.  I think he and Tucker would make a formidable small ball front court on the defensive end and also give us the kind of grit that infects the whole team.

 

Harell is a RFA, but the Clips might not want to match an offer if they are holding out for Kawhi.  I still think he is a quality big and can help on both ends of the floor.

 

I think I am most surprised by New Orleans.  Anthony Davis wanted both Cousins and Rondo back and it seems like management didn't even try.  Considering what they gave up to get him, it makes little sense to me.

 

Things to remember: Gentile, Qi, and Hartenstein are still ours.  Plus, James Nunnally, a stud 3&D guy over in Europe who just shot 55% from deep for a season was being mentioned (not sure what the sample size is).  Maybe we aren't scrambling to bring big name guys in because the team is confident they've got it covered...here's hoping.

 

I also think there is a good chance Morey has a trade lined up that is just waiting on another team to finish other business first...maybe???

[Noah]

@JG

Would love O’Quinn on this team, have always admired his game and toughness as you mentioned.

With the options in free agency drying up, simply bringing back Luc is a priority at this point. I would disagree with most people that say he can slide into Ariza’s role. As streaky a shooter Ariza was, I don’t think Luc can replicate Ariza’s shooting, especially when you consider the shoulder injury. Wayne Ellington is still out there, but I’m hoping Morey will use a Ryno trade to replace Ariza’s spot (and maybe even an upgrade). I was thinking we could trade Ryno by attaching him with picks and prospects for another “bad contract”, but someone who could actually contribute and be on the court. 3 names come to mind: Allen Crabbe (26 years old, $18 million, 2 years left), Kent Bazemore (29 years old, $19 million, 2 years left), and Wesley Matthews (31 years old, $18 million, expiring contract). I think these are the most realistic and best options for us to replace Ariza, and even at an upgrade. I would love Crabbe, but I’d also be happy with Bazemore or Matthews. Any thoughts?

[DenverRocket]

I agree about O'Quinn - seem like it's a real KOQ love fest on Red94 ;-)

 

I think Noah is spot on with his suggestions for a 3. Would prefer Crabbe too, but I think Bazemore is more likely. Not keen on Matthews - he's gone seriously downhill since his injury. I also have a feeling that they are still waiting to see what happens with Carmelo in OKC - if he get's waived or stretched, he'd be available for cheap - not sure whether he'd be a better fit with us than he was for OKC last year.

 

Hopeful that a satisfactory compromise will be found with Capela - is there any team out there with enough cap space to make him a big offer? I believe not - he was hoping the Lakers would, but that ship obviously sailed. Just means giving him enough to keep him reasonably happy without hamstringing the organization for other opportunities. It sucks for Clint that he is a UFA in a year where only a couple of teams had reasonable cap space.

[DenverRocket]

I meant RFA for Clint.

 

As an aside, what would you be willing to give up for a one year Kawhi rental?

[Losthief]

Things are certainly getting interesting.  Tad Brown recently got a little snarky with the Twitter crowd and basically said everyone needs to chill, the team seems content to just "run it back" meaning they like the team they have assembled and believe said team can still win it all.  Of course, this was before Cousins became the 4th best player on his own team--yeesh.

 

There are still some sneaky adds we can make out there.  I'd say we should go after Bjelica, but we already have Ryan Anderson so there really isn't much need to do that.  I have long been a fan of Kyle O'Quinn and he could really help solidify the front court defensively without hurting us much on the offensive end.  I think he and Tucker would make a formidable small ball front court on the defensive end and also give us the kind of grit that infects the whole team.

 

Harell is a RFA, but the Clips might not want to match an offer if they are holding out for Kawhi.  I still think he is a quality big and can help on both ends of the floor.

 

I think I am most surprised by New Orleans.  Anthony Davis wanted both Cousins and Rondo back and it seems like management didn't even try.  Considering what they gave up to get him, it makes little sense to me.

 

Things to remember: Gentile, Qi, and Hartenstein are still ours.  Plus, James Nunnally, a stud 3&D guy over in Europe who just shot 55% from deep for a season was being mentioned (not sure what the sample size is).  Maybe we aren't scrambling to bring big name guys in because the team is confident they've got it covered...here's hoping.

 

I also think there is a good chance Morey has a trade lined up that is just waiting on another team to finish other business first...maybe???

 

New Orleans offerend 20 mil a year for 2 yrs i've seen reported for Boogie. Not a bad offer imho. Rondo i think they just let go.

 

yes I would give up for a kawhi rental. Or window is only like 3 yrs anyways. (CP contract/age) so going for it with Kawhi for even 1 yr appeals. But don't know what it would take (what do we have the SA would want even).

 

I like Noah's suggestions too. I think Bazemore be a good fit too.
 

Edited by Losthief, 04 July 2018 - 07:32 AM.

[rocketrick]

No Such Thing as Patience going forward for true Rockets Fans. There is that minor issue defined as CAP. No CAP and every move would matter....

 

Trying to Trade for Wilson Chandler made perfect sense, but Morey chose not to give up a valuable 2nd round Pick. So Philly ends up with W Chandler. Let's just watch and wonder how that ends up going forward.........

[thejohnnygold]

I don't mind missing out on Chandler.  I think his game has declined quite a bit.  Also, I can't get over his neck tattoo...that little face peaking out of his jersey...nope.

 

Certainly, a 3-point bombing wing would be nice.  I don't think we could entice SA for Kawhi....unless we put Harden on the table.  Not happening.

 

I agree that Morey might be sitting back waiting to see what happens with Melo.

 

I also think Miami's complete silence is interesting.

[slick shoes]

I suppose we could be waiting to re-sign Clint before making any hasty moves. I believe we have placed a qualifying offer, but he has yet to receive anything in the market close to what he was hoping for. Hopefully, he will see the writing on the wall and re-up with us for 18-20 mil a year for 4 years with a 4th-year team option.

 

In retrospect, the MCW contract is a very low-risk gamble for us. A league minimum contract is usually pretty tradeable towards the deadline for teams looking to salary dump and I feel like Morey is gathering trade chips again for a move after the dust settles. He didn't sign Harden until early October if memory serves. 

 

I would say that the FA market has dried up for us for the most part, so any further tweaks to the roster will be via trade. Landing Kawhi would put us right there with GS again, but as JG stated it would be hard to lure him away from SA for anything less than Harden or every first rounder for the next 10 years. 

[thejohnnygold]

MCW is a solid NBA player--if he can find a shot.  It's rare a player develops one after this many years...not sure what use we have for a guy who can't shoot.  Heck, even Mbah a Moute can knock down a 3.  You guys are right, he does have certain value and the contract is cheap, but that is a roster spot we could have used on someone else....maybe?

 

It may prove to be a shrewd move by Morey as Woj is looking at the NBA landscape with all its restricted FA's and asking, "where are these guys going to find their money?  It's (almost) all gone."  Smart or lucky, this could work in our favor.

[DenverRocket]

Agreed on Kawhi under normal circumstances, however, he wants out and will go for nothing next off-season.  Similar to Pacers and PG13 last off-season. The Spurs have to get something for him, so it depends what/who Lakers are willing to give up. Maybe the Spurs prefer to do a deal with someone else and package of EG, Ryno, Zhou Qi and some future picks gets it done? Unlikely, sure, but you never know with Morey ;-)

[Losthief]

Romona Shelbourne saying on ESPN that Clint is leading towards the Qualifying and gambling. Makes me wonder what the hell we offered him. I mean...and following that logic and Ariza, how much is Fertitta really willing to spend.