Ok I see.
I could actually see a scenario where Paul goes to Houston first
Then, the Lakers sign and deal Howard for Asik and Lin.
I could see that.
What I don't see is anyone doing a sign and trade with the Clippers because it's obvious working with them is a pain in the as*
Wow, a CP3/Howard/Harden trio would be even nastier.
It would be a nasty trio.
But essentially you sign them at the same time. You make agreements with both of them, and then go to the Lakers and Clippers, at pretty much the same time, and offer them the same thing. One of them will bite, because Lin and Asik is a LOT better than nothing. Then you sign the player from the team who didn't take the deal first, because you've got the cap space, and sign-and-trade for the player with the team who did take the deal second. After all is said and done they have Paul, Harden, and Howard, while still having players like Parsons, Jones, and Montiejunas to help round out the roster. They definitely could be setting themselves up to be a top team for a 4-5 year stretch.
Also, there is no way for the Celtics to get in on this, except for maybe getting Robinson for the China 3 and a draft pick. Any deal in which the Rockets take on salary is completely useless to their end goal.
Um, no. First, the rockets can't sign both of them. Second, what's their leverage? The clippers and the lakers can simply say no. Then the rockets have no option. None at all.
And no, Asik and Lin is not nearly enough value for either Howard or Paul, especially when you consider their contracts (and the poison pills).
I'll address the second part first. The "poison pills" have been addressed by the "Arenas" provision, so their contracts each count $8.374 mil in each of the next two seasons, and not the $15 mil in season three that was in the offer. So they are not that burdensome. As to whether or not your think they are worth it, I'm not going to debate, other than to say that those contracts are certainly movable.
Anyway, the order of events goes like this:
1) Rockets agree with Howard and Paul on contracts.
2) Rockets tell Lakers and Clippers that the deal is going down, because it is. Either one of them can make a trade with the Rockets, or be shut out.
3) One of them should cave, so as to not get nothing for a player they invested a lot in, especially, since they each know there is another team that might cave, and that other team is something of a rival. In conceding, you may not be in the perfect situation, but you're not in the worst situation, and the other team is.
4) If both hold out, there are enough teams with cap room to absorb Asik and Lin, and would happily do so for free (or more probably Asik, Lin, and Royce White, because since they're not doing a sign-and-trade, they need to clear a little more salary room). I'm fairly certain a team like the Pistons would take those players on for free in a heartbeat, since what do they have to lose?
If Howard and Paul want to go to Houston and play together, forming a super team with Harden, the obstacles to that occurring are pretty small.
Topic: C's/Clippers Update, Marc Stein Reporting NBA Office forcing reworking (Read 68259 times)