Rockets Owner tips Morey's hand?

[Lucky17]

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/story/25433200/leslie-alexander-rockets-plan-to-bring-in-a-terrific-free-agent-will-be-a-lot-better-next-season

"We're going to have cap room to bring in a terrific free agent and I think next year we'll be a lot better than we were this year," Alexander said in an interview with FOX 26 Sports.

Funny thing is, unless Houston sheds a lot of payroll, they won't have any cap space.

http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/rockets.jsp

Conventional wisdom has long said that Morey will find a way to offload Asik, Lin, etc. in order to make a run at Carmelo Anthony.

But here's the owner speaking as though it's going to happen. Thought it was interesting.

[Who]

LeBron should opt out and go to Houston. Play with James Harden and Dwight Howard for the next 7-8 years.

[Roy H.]

This + Ainge's comments that the groundwork has been laid for some trades = ?

[PhoSita]

LeBron should opt out and go to Houston. Play with James Harden and Dwight Howard for the next 7-8 years.

Why in the world would LeBron go to the Western Conference?

Also: man, if LeBron did, the East would be the weakest it's been since . . . well, ever?  Sheesh.

[Fafnir]

This + Ainge's comments that the groundwork has been laid for some trades = ?

Sounds like it.

I imagine that if he's just looking to dump salary Asik would be easy to move. Maybe Lin too.

[Lucky17]

This + Ainge's comments that the groundwork has been laid for some trades = ?

Yup, that's where my brain went too.

[indeedproceed]

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/story/25433200/leslie-alexander-rockets-plan-to-bring-in-a-terrific-free-agent-will-be-a-lot-better-next-season

"We're going to have cap room to bring in a terrific free agent and I think next year we'll be a lot better than we were this year," Alexander said in an interview with FOX 26 Sports.

Funny thing is, unless Houston sheds a lot of payroll, they won't have any cap space.

http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/rockets.jsp

Conventional wisdom has long said that Morey will find a way to offload Asik, Lin, etc. in order to make a run at Carmelo Anthony.

But here's the owner speaking as though it's going to happen. Thought it was interesting.

The thing I don't really understand is, unless the deal is really mutually beneficial even if Carmelo doesn't sign in Houston (IE, not a deal I really want Danny making), why would they do it unless Melo is a done-deal?

You can always unload salary at a loss, but you can't undo a bad trade. Seems unlike Morey to commit to such an action.

Which leads me to thinking that if he's committed to Asik going, it means we're also taking on Lin, or, we're giving up a pick we probably would rather keep.

That is assuming that we're taking on the salary. 

[Lucky17]

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/story/25433200/leslie-alexander-rockets-plan-to-bring-in-a-terrific-free-agent-will-be-a-lot-better-next-season

"We're going to have cap room to bring in a terrific free agent and I think next year we'll be a lot better than we were this year," Alexander said in an interview with FOX 26 Sports.

Funny thing is, unless Houston sheds a lot of payroll, they won't have any cap space.

http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/rockets.jsp

Conventional wisdom has long said that Morey will find a way to offload Asik, Lin, etc. in order to make a run at Carmelo Anthony.

But here's the owner speaking as though it's going to happen. Thought it was interesting.

The thing I don't really understand is, unless the deal is really mutually beneficial even if Carmelo doesn't sign in Houston (IE, not a deal I really want Danny making), why would they do it unless Melo is a done-deal?

You can always unload salary at a loss, but you can't undo a bad trade. Seems unlike Morey to commit to such an action.

Which leads me to thinking that if he's committed to Asik going, it means we're also taking on Lin, or, we're giving up a pick we probably would rather keep.

That is assuming that we're taking on the salary.

I think they have to move the salary first, and have the cap room in hand, and then go after the target.

I'm sure Melo is first on the list, but Morey's got to have Plans B through K in mind too (Deng, Ariza, etc.).

Who knows? Maybe Asik isn't the first shoe to drop. Maybe it's Lin.

[CFAN38]

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/story/25433200/leslie-alexander-rockets-plan-to-bring-in-a-terrific-free-agent-will-be-a-lot-better-next-season

"We're going to have cap room to bring in a terrific free agent and I think next year we'll be a lot better than we were this year," Alexander said in an interview with FOX 26 Sports.

Funny thing is, unless Houston sheds a lot of payroll, they won't have any cap space.

http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/rockets.jsp

Conventional wisdom has long said that Morey will find a way to offload Asik, Lin, etc. in order to make a run at Carmelo Anthony.

But here's the owner speaking as though it's going to happen. Thought it was interesting.

I fully expect the Cs and Rockets to have a trade go down this offseason. Either a minor one just for Asik or a blockbuster featuring Rondo. To much smoke for no fire.

[BleedGreen1989]

Beat me to it Lucky.

Was going to post this when I got home.

Very interesting...

[aporel#18]

Yeah, it's time to sell capspace to Morey... send them the Pierce TPE for Lin + their 2014 first rounder. Then, send them Bogans unguaranteed contract + Joel's expiring  for Asik + the Knicks 2014 2nd rounder so they can sign that third super-mega-ultra star.

Do it, Danny!

[beantownboy171]

We could take both Lin and Asik off their payroll, without sending much money back, so long as we broke the deal up into two trades.

Trade 1: Jeremy Lin (8.3 mill)   <-->  Pierce Trade Exception

Trade 2: Omer Asik (8.3 mill)  <---> Keith Bogans (5 million****), Vitor Faverani (2 million)

****: bogans contract is non-guaranteed, so the rockets can just waive him and his salary is gone.


That would be that basic structure of a Houston salary dump deal, i think. You may see us give up one of our picks that aren't very good (76ers pick, ideally). But we would have to give up LESS for Asik, because we are willing to take on the contract of Jeremy Lin.

[CoachBo]

Great catch. Very interesting.

Why do I see Morey out in front of a row of 2000 Miatas, waving his arms and screaming, "How do we do it? Volume, volume, volume?"

[LooseCannon]

Trade 2: Omer Asik (8.3 mill)  <---> Keith Bogans (5 million****), Vitor Faverani (2 million)

The Rockets wouldn't want Faverani, they would want some combination of Phil Pressey, Chris Johnson, and Chris Babb for whatever is needed to make the trade legal, since those guys are also unguaranteed for 2014-2015 and can be waived without counting against the cap.  None of those guys are so good as to be dealbreakers if you want to make this trade.

[BleedGreen1989]

We could take both Lin and Asik off their payroll, without sending much money back, so long as we broke the deal up into two trades.

Trade 1: Jeremy Lin (8.3 mill)   <-->  Pierce Trade Exception

Trade 2: Omer Asik (8.3 mill)  <---> Keith Bogans (5 million****), Vitor Faverani (2 million)

****: bogans contract is non-guaranteed, so the rockets can just waive him and his salary is gone.


That would be that basic structure of a Houston salary dump deal, i think. You may see us give up one of our picks that aren't very good (76ers pick, ideally). But we would have to give up LESS for Asik, because we are willing to take on the contract of Jeremy Lin.

Yeah, I think this is more accurate.

I think it's a little unrealistic to expect Asik+Lin and additional compensation for simply taking those two guys.