The State of the Houston Rockets

This is a month old, but not much has changed...actually nothing has changed. Anyway, for those this is relevant to, enjoy.
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State of the Cap: Houston Rockets
By admin
Sun, 05/23/2010 - 2:46am

By Mike Misek

2010/11 Houston Rockets Payroll: $58.1 million
2010/11 NBA Salary Cap: $56.1 million
Roughly: $2 million over cap

Variables:

Luis ScolaLuis ScolaYao Ming - ETO for $17.7 million
Jared Jeffries - Player Option for $6.9 million
Chuck Hayes - Team Option for $2.3 million
Mike Harris - Non-guaranteed Team Option for $854K
Alexander Johnson - Non-guaranteed Team Option for $885K
Brian Cook - Unrestricted Free Agent
Hilton Armstrong - Unrestricted Free Agent
Luis Scola - Qualifying Offer for $4.1 million
Kyle Lowry - Qualifying Offer for just $3.0 million
Sergio Llull - 2nd round pick from 2009 and backup combo guard for Real Madrid has one more year on his current deal. He won’t come over to the NBA, but is a possible asset that could be used in a summer trade.

Draft Picks: 14th overall pick in the draft

The Good: Despite playing without their franchise center, the Rockets were able to grind their way to a 42-40 season. It has little to do with how good they will be going forward, but it shows the team to have respectability in how they play. The team also fleeced the Knicks out of 2009 top 10 pick Jordan Hill, a 2012 first round pick, and the rights to swap picks in 2011 for taking back Jared Jeffries in the epic Tracy McGrady trade. The funny part of that trade is that between the young players, draft picks, international interest in the franchise, and established veterans, the Rockets would probably be in better position to work a sign-and-trade for LeBron James than New York. Maybe that is only funny to me. It is mostly funny because Houston is not going land James, but in part because the Rockets do have more assets and flexibility to attract someone this offseason.

The Bad: At some point, teams are going to learn that role players aiding superstars are not necessarily fit to take on bigger roles with new teams. Trevor Ariza should not have nearly as prominent a role in the offense that he played this season. It is not so much that the Rockets were wrong to allow Artest to leave, but a criticism of the assumption that Ariza would thrive in a greater role outside Los Angeles. With Yao, Brooks, Martin, and theoretically a traded for player with a contract in excess of eight figures annually, he should be able to return to a fifth option. If not, those $28 million remaining on his deal do not look particularly good.

The Future: Houston has one of the murkier cap pictures because they have so many variables in play. Coming off a broken bone in his left foot, Yao Ming is unlikely to opt out of his $17.7 million deal for this coming season. Jared Jeffries is not going to opt out of $6.9 million. The team has long liked Chuck Hayes and the post defense and intangibles he brings to the team. Given that his team option is for only $2.3 million, it is likely they will pick it up. Those variables alone place Houston over the cap going into the summer of 2010. It is everyone else who are up in the air. The team will surely offer Luis Scola a $4.1 million qualifying offer and Kyle Lowry a tender of just less than $3 million in order to match any and all offers for them.

If Houston attempts to become a player in the free agent market this summer, it will have to be through sign-and-trades. The team does have a number of valuable trade pieces. Scola is a very valuable player who is capable of being a secondary option on offense (as his 18-9 per following the All-Star break/trade of Carl Landry shows) while also being the screener and worker bee fifth option when that is the role needed. While not the leaper of David Lee, he offers a team the same kind of power forward. Shane Battier is well regarded throughout the league for his defensive prowess, and also would give a team an expiring contract. Jordan Hill showed signs of life following his trade from New York and is a promising young talent. Former second round picks Chase Budinger proved to be a steal and Jermaine Taylor could provide some value to a rebuilding team. The Rockets also possess the 2012 first round pick from the Knicks.

It has long been reported that Houston wants to try to acquire Houston-native Chris Bosh this summer. A sign-and-trade package could be created amongst a re-signed Shane Battier, Luis Scola, Chase Budinger, Jordan Hill, David Andersen, a 2011 first round pick, and also 2012 first round pick (because they have two first rounders in 2012 they can work around the rule regarding dealing future first round picks in consecutive years). It would deplete the depth Houston currently boasts, but it is much easier to find depth than stars. Of course, this is all be contingent on the assumption that Chris Bosh wants to leave Toronto, and should he want to leave, a desire to play for Houston despite stating concerns about the negatives surrounding returning home.

If the Rockets cannot turn their assets into a star, it will be the first kink in the Daryl Morey supposed super genius armor. Expensive and average is no way to operate in the NBA. While the Rockets are a likable bunch whose willingness to play hard and scrap is respectable, a team that has Trevor Ariza taking 14 shots per game needs to bring in another scorer to halve that amount. The saving grace for holding on to their assets would be that if Yao is unable to return to pre-injury form next season, the Rockets would be in a decent position to rebuild with so many contracts expiring after 2010-11 (they have less than 20 million committed past next season), two first round picks in 2012, and a few interesting prospects whose rights they have retained working on their games in Europe.

http://www.nbadraft.net/state-cap-houston-rockets-0

In Morey we trust

As we approach the draft, i'm starting to think we will be trading down.

Also, Bosh came out with a few more comments again stating he is serious about the being the man for a franchise, similar to his situation in Toronto, and that being a role player is simply too pedestrian. If that is going to be a determining factor in his decision, that cuts the majority of teams out of the running for his services.

Few teams can offer toronto a package as complete as Houston and offer Bosh the limelight. Therefore, I'm thinking a draft night Sign and Trade to the tune of:

Toronto Receives:
Shane Battier (7.3Mil expiring)
Jared Jefferies(6.8Mil expiring)
#14 2010 Pick
David Andersen

Houston Receives:
Chris Bosh

This gives Toronto a ton of versatility to work with this year and rebuild for the Future.

2010 Houston Rockets (before any other Morey moves):

Brooks/Lowry
Martin/Taylor
Ariza/Budinger
Bosh/Hill
Yao/Hayes

I have a little hope even yet. It's a long shot though, that's for sure.

Quote :

2010 Houston Rockets (before any other Morey moves):

Brooks/Lowry
Martin/Taylor
Ariza/Budinger
Bosh/Hill
Yao/Hayes

I have a little hope even yet. It's a long shot though, that's for sure.

I would love for this too happen.

Me too, I'm a bit worried

Rose/Law
Joe Johnson/Hinrich/Murray
Deng/James Johnson
Bosh/Gibson
Noah/Miller

Is closer to what is really going to happen. I said Joe Johnson instead of Rudy Gay, because who the hell would want Deng's ridiculous contract? But if they did manage to unload it, the Bulls are still able to slide Joe Johnson down to the 3 and have Hinrich start. Pretty intriguing.

Garner wrote:

Me too, I'm a bit worried

Rose/Law
Joe Johnson/Hinrich/Murray
Deng/James Johnson
Bosh/Gibson
Noah/Miller

Is closer to what is really going to happen. I said Joe Johnson instead of Rudy Gay, because who the hell would want Deng's ridiculous contract? But if they did manage to unload it, the Bulls are still able to slide Joe Johnson down to the 3 and have Hinrich start. Pretty intriguing.

So you are assuming LeBron stays?

You are assuming its between Chicago and Cleveland only?

According to Draftexpress.com:

NBA source says both Detroit & Houston are making a major push to trade w/Minnesota to get Cousins with the 4th pick. "His stock is rising."

From DraftExpress.com http://www.draftexpress.com/#ixzz0rWK3iPUI
http://www.draftexpress.com

I wonder if this has Ricky Rubio and Al Jefferson implications? Smells like Morey Magic.

Yao says he'll stay with Rockets


HOUSTON -- One player who won't be part of the monster free agent class of 2010: Houston Rockets center Yao Ming.


Yao
As expected, Yao will not exercise the early termination clause in his contract, meaning he'll play at least one more season with the Rockets.

"My decision is very clear, I am going to stay with the Rockets," Yao said, according to KRIV-TV in Houston. "Why? Because everything we've done in the past I feel very comfortable with and also I believe our GM [Daryl Morey] will bring us more talent for helping us build a championship team."

Morey said Tuesday that an official announcement will come "in the next day or two."

Yao missed all of last season because of reconstructive surgery on his left foot. He has returned to the court to practice. Last week, Rockets owner Leslie Alexander told the Houston Chronicle that he expected Yao to return.

"I just saw him practicing," Alexander said, according to the Chronicle. "He looks great. He lost a lot of weight. He's practicing hard. He is able to do what he wants to do. He looks like he's in great health, which is the best you can ask for. I think Yao looks great."

Yao is due to make about $17.69 million next season, the last of his five-year contract. The Rockets selected Yao with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2002 draft.

Information from The Associated Press were used in this report.

______________________________

Sounds like the Yao-camp is pretty confident in the big fellas foot and returning health. Yao is essentially giving up long term stability by risking the fact he could re-injure himself and no longer be worth the size contract he would have earned if he opted out and resined this season.

Worst case scenario: Yao injures himself and the Rockets have half the amount of salary as last year sitting on the bench.

Best case scenario: Yao is back to dominate fashion under limited minutes!

Great article with an audio clip by Stephen A. Smith explaining whats going on right now and how Miami might end up with their pants down.

Alot of potential scenarios- as soon as Lebron decides his future, the rest of the dominos shall fall.

http://www.clutchfans.net/news/1562/chris_bosh_houston_rockets/

While the Rockets failed to pick up Chris Bosh (or wade and james for that matter) we can sit comfortably with one thought.

The Knicks bombed. Really, really bad. Because of the Tracy McGrady trade, Morey also netted the Rockets the rights to swap picks in the 2011 draft and the Knicks 2012 first round pick. Right now, the Knicks are lotto bound.

Feels great.

http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/nba/news/story?id=5365731

LeBron's decision disastrous for Knicks

NEW YORK -- One word: Disaster.

Check that. Let's make it two words: Utter disaster.

LeBron James isn't coming. David Lee is gone. The best player on the team, for the long term, is Danilo Gallinari. And if Eddy Curry walks (waddles?) through that door, it ain't helping much.

The New York Knicks have now sewn up another half-decade of irrelevance, but there is a silver lining. Tourists will still be able to pick up a pair of ducats in the lower bowl for $20 a pop or less if they hold out long enough with the scalpers, or if they lowball sellers on Craigslist

Did LeBron even mention the Knicks on that telecast? I don't recall him doing so. It was so bad, the Knicks got the Clippers treatment.

So here's what Knicks fans can look forward to in the next few years:

• Regular updates on the amount of knee pain Amare Stoudemire is tolerating as he eats up their cap space for a longer period of time than Stephon Marbury did

• Andy Rautins as the new Greg Butler.

• Nate Robinson's second homecoming game.

• Public abuse and ridicule from Marbury.

• Over/under wagers on which comes first: Mike D'Antoni's firing, or Donnie Walsh's retirement.

If you think LeBron looked shaken up when he watched that video of his jersey being burned in Cleveland, wait until you see Spike Lee around Thanksgiving.

They certainly seem cursed now.

The Knicks can still get some new talent into the Garden through sign-and-trade deals involving Al Harrington, Eddie House and/or Tracy McGrady, but those players' values have diminished precipitously.

As things stand now, here is your 2010-11 opening night lineup, Knicks fans (get the tissues out):

PG: Toney Douglas, TBD.
SG: Wilson Chandler, Azubuike, Rautins.
SF: Gallinari, Bill Walker, Landry Fields.
PF: Stoudemire, Randolph.
C: Turiaf, Curry, Jerome Jordan.

This is going to be bad, Knicks fans. Worse than the Travis Knight era.

In case you missed it, while LeBron was making his announcement, ESPN.com's Chad Ford reported that New York has reached an agreement to trade Lee to the Golden State Warriors for a package of Anthony Randolph, Ronny Turiaf and Kelenna Azubuike.

I don't know: Is that worse than Patrick Ewing for Glen Rice and Luc Longley?

It's right in that neighborhood.

Maybe Charles Barkley was right: The Knicks should be forever cursed for trading Ewing exactly one decade ago.

Right now, they have a better chance of chasing the 2009-10 Nets than they do of becoming even the slightest bit relevant in this city. Oh, and let's not forget: They have no first-round draft pick in 2012, and the Rockets have the right to swap picks with them next year. So it doesn't look as though it's getting any better anytime soon.

The one saving grace: Knicks fans don't have it as bad as Cavs fans.

New Yorkers (older ones) will at least have the memories of Clyde, Willis, Dollar Bill. Cavs fans now have a signature memory all their own: the night LeBron abandoned them.

As I said, those folks in Cleveland have it worse.

But they also might have a team -- even without James -- that's better than the Knicks.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/7108115.html

The Rockets made an offer to Brad Miller.