Given Bogans has been on the team all year and is quite expendable, don't you think this would have already been discussed by Ainge and Morey and soundly rejected?
If all the Rockets wanted was salary relief, I believe Asik would have been gone already.
I think they would have discussed it but I don't think Danny takes on Asik without having Lee gone first. That was the sticking point- Danny didn't want Lee, and neither did Morey.
Understand that the pressure here on is on the Rockets.
Danny knows that Morey is going to move Asik by the February deadline. He's got 6 weeks to trade him or they'll be paying Asik 20 million over 2 years as a chair warmer for Dwight Howard who does not want to play behind Dwight. I think salary relief and not going over the cap are definitely his main objectives.
The longer Ainge waits, the more desperate Morey will become and he'll settle for something like a Bass+Bogans deal for the salary relief. Is anyone giving up a first round pick for this guy? I doubt it.
Danny is in the drivers seat either way you look at it.
My take on the situation is simple:
Morey declined Lee, knowing that Bogans+Bass was an option if they couldn't get a deal done by December 19th.
Danny wasn't prepared to do anything unless Lee was gone whilst putting pressure on Morey to eventually accept his terms.
Judging from business negotiations I have had that's not how it works. That thinking, and please don't take this the wrong way, is too narrow minded for business. A much wider view of the entire situation is usually taken and talked about by both sides. I am 1000% sure Danny wasn't thinking I have to get rid of Lee first and only then will I make a Bogans Bass trade. As I said, that's just not very smart business.
If you have a product and want to sell it for a dollar but decide you can live with selling it for 90 cents and no less, if someone wants to negotiate the price they will come in at 75 cents go to 85 cents and then the real negotiations begin.
Bogans Bass is a 75 cent offer.
Bogans Lee is an 85 cent offer.
Bogans Lee and a pick is probably a 95 cent to one dollar offer.
I am sure both parties discussed what their end game was here and needs. I am sure multiple offers and demands were put on the table in both directions and after several long discussions Morey and Ainge came to their final offers and neither was good enough.
If Bass Lee wasn't good enough in a completely manufactured deadline infused market like Morey created, I am sure a lesser offer isn't going to get the job done now.
Nick I'm not offended at all. I'm actually a negotiator by profession and make (reasonably large) deals for a living...so I understand what you're saying. Now that I've tooted my own horn a bit more...
My analysis of this situation is that Ainge has had the upper hand the whole time. Morey is trying to control what he can and doing a good job of marketing his overpaid goon Asik.
Like you, I admire Morey for his aggressiveness and tact- he's a huge fan of Danny Ainge and they are both guys that don't give an inch. Ainge is looking for as much value as possible too, but he won't be roped into Morey's personal deadline.
Ainge knows what the market for Asik is. There aren't too many players or teams available, so Morey's options are ultimately limited because he also knows that the Rockets don't want to pay Asik 20 million over 2 seasons(or one monster 15 million hit next season more importantly).
As with most negotiation sessions, the longer the buyer waits, generally the price goes down. The longer the seller waits, more pressure gets put on Morey from the owners to make a move and get rid of this 15 million dollar headache as the deadline approaches.
Ainge ultimately wouldn't give up any more than Bass and Lee. He wouldn't give up Bass and Bogans and it was probably discussed earlier.
I think in your dollars/cents outline you meant Bass+Lee not Bogans/Lee.
The difference between our viewpoint is that I think Bass+Bogans is a far better deal than Bass+Lee because I think the Rockets want to save money and move the headache.
So I'd actually re-work your dollars/cents exchange to having Bass and Lee as a 75c offer and
Bogans/Bass as a 90c to the dollar offer.
I believe Morey would love to clear Asik's 8 million off the cap and 15 million salary for Brandon Bass and an expiring Bogan's contract. What he didn't want was another 2.5 years of Courtney Lee at $5 million.
I think Ainge's number one priority was moving Lee and/or Bass, getting Asik back as a valuable bonus. He wanted to move the Lee contract and get out of that 2.5 years of salary.
Ainge had the Memphis deal in the background as back up, because they've discussed the deal before- but he thought if he could move Lee, and Bass, whilst keep Bogans expiring for another trade or extra chip in another deal, he'd go hard at that option first.
Just because Morey had an imaginary deadline trying to stir up some excitement and urgency doesn't mean anything to Ainge. He knows that Morey is going to be under more pressure in the next 6 weeks- the whole point of Morey signing Asik to this deal was so he could get rid of him before they pay him the 15 million.
If I were Ainge, I'd now include Bogans or Humphries and ask for a nice pick or young, cheap asset in return before finally giving in to just Bass+Bogans. I'd say it's likely Morey doesn't get many more offers and finds that a deal that,
*moves Asik and his 15 million salary
*brings in a 6.5 million dollar veteran big man for the playoffs
*gives him 2 million more in cap room next season whilst eliminating Asik's salary and headache
..is a pretty good deal.
Of course that's if Danny even wants Asik now.
There's no rush though, at least from Danny's point of view.
Topic: Now that Lee is gone, how bout Bass+Bogans for Asik? (Read 12707 times)