Roster updates/discussion

[topdog]

I just don't see where they're heading. Kahn has Adelman to help while Morey has McFail. Rockets just give up too much in this trade. It's not Kevin Durant.

The Rockets may have overspent, but it's a matter of paying for known quantities. Morey has a bench full of young players to swap and develop so he probably sees himself as a big winner - didn't want Martin anymore, got a proven SG instead of a rookie and traded away some picks that he doesn't feel he needs.

Morey still is one of the GMs I don't like because I feel like people majorly overrate him. Signing Lin is questionable, Asik was a decent gamble, but this simply made sense for what they're going for even though I like the deal better for OKC.

[JeVo7]

The Rockets may have overspent, but it's a matter of paying for known quantities. Morey has a bench full of young players to swap and develop so he probably sees himself as a big winner - didn't want Martin anymore, got a proven SG instead of a rookie and traded away some picks that he doesn't feel he needs.

Morey still is one of the GMs I don't like because I feel like people majorly overrate him. Signing Lin is questionable, Asik was a decent gamble, but this simply made sense for what they're going for even though I like the deal better for OKC.

I too like the OKC's side of the deal better. They get Martin who can score and a young rookie in Lamb to grow with them plus the 2 first round pick and a second round.

[PurpleJesus]

Well, he was traded, so it wasn't up to him, but I am sure he was dying for his own team. For me personally, that would tell me something, if he was willing at the age of 23 to sacrifice winning a chip to be the man, when he could address that part of his career in 4 years, when he is in his peak.

It kind of was up to him. He got offered similar money (according to ESPN...4 years 55.5 mill compared to 4 years 60 mill)...and he rejected it.

[iamsteel]

Harden is not a #1 option

[PurpleJesus]

Harden is not a #1 option

Not sure if we can make that claim yet. He is a very young player, who has excelled this far in his career. He hasnt really had the opportunity to be the #1 guy.
I think he made a mistake though. He could have taken a miniscule pay cut to form a core of Durant, Westbrook, Ibaka and himself, for the next several years. I think this decision he made, will be one of those that he looks back on in the twilight of his career, and thinks "****, i made a mistake."

[Hawkeye15]

Harden is not a #1 option

we will see this year, and I may even extend my opinion into next, as the Rox are in a transition year with tons of new players, and literally just acquired Harden with no preseason for him in uniform.

But I have my reservations about Harden being a player who can thrive as a #1 option, meaning, a top 10 player.

[mngopher35]

Let's hope so. It just doesn't explain the chase trade, he's also still a young talent too. Oh well, their lost.

Maybe they didn't want to pay him at the end of the year? I also think I remember hearing they wanted to move up in the draft and maybe they wanted as many picks as possible to do that? I agree with you though, I am happy they made that trade with us.

I just don't see where they're heading. Kahn has Adelman to help while Morey has McFail. Rockets just give up too much in this trade. It's not Kevin Durant.

I think they are heading in the right direction. Young talent, cap space to add more, and now a possible 1st option. Id rather have morey as gm than khan as well. I will however say that if Khan could get an expert draft analyst that he would be a very good gm. The moves he has made outside of the draft (for the most part) have been pretty good and he gave us alot of flexibility. His problem is that we drafted flynn and johnson and that hurt us for sure.

[mngopher35]

add in Toronto's lottery pick they will get, and its obvious that this became more about Harden's deal completely hamstringing them (well, combining with the others), to minimum level players only after a Perkins amnesty. The Thunder are a small market team that just doesn't rake it in, so they either need stars to buy into taking reasonable deals, or keep flipping players outside who they perceive as untouchables.

Yup, its clearly about the money and flexibility. In that sense they did a really good job with this trade. They got an expiring vet who can fill in hardens scoring role and may re-sign at a discount (if they even want him). Then on top of that they get Lamb and 2 draft picks (one probably around 10th) to get solid bench players and possibly even another star on a cheap contract for 4 years.

[mngopher35]

Not sure if we can make that claim yet. He is a very young player, who has excelled this far in his career. He hasnt really had the opportunity to be the #1 guy.
I think he made a mistake though. He could have taken a miniscule pay cut to form a core of Durant, Westbrook, Ibaka and himself, for the next several years. I think this decision he made, will be one of those that he looks back on in the twilight of his career, and thinks "****, i made a mistake."

I agree with pretty much everything here. Harden is young, has improved every year, and hasnt been given the role/minutes yet. Honestly I think of it kind of like the Kevin Love situation based off the minutes etc. How many people thought Love was a 1st option after his first two years here mostly off the bench like harden? We need to give Harden time to prove himself.
If I had to guess I'd guess Harden isn't a number 1 option (at least yet), I think he is a great 2nd option. Way too early to say definitively either way though.

[xILLN355]

when is rubio expected to be back?

[Hawkeye15]

when is rubio expected to be back?

mid-December.

[xILLN355]

mid-December.

thanks, i picked him last in my fantasy draft today

[PurpleJesus]

with all these players from Rubio's draft inking new deals right now, do you guys think that we got a little lucky with the delay in Rubio coming over? Guys like Derozan and Curry just signed deals paying them about 10-11 mill per year...Brandon Jennings will get a big deal...yet, we have a player better than all those guys, and many more from that draft, who is still being paid on his rookie scale. Instead of paying Rubio something like 12 million per year next year, we will be paying him $4 million...which will make it a hell of a lot easier to sign Pekovic.

[Hawkeye15]

with all these players from Rubio's draft inking new deals right now, do you guys think that we got a little lucky with the delay in Rubio coming over? Guys like Derozan and Curry just signed deals paying them about 10-11 mill per year...Brandon Jennings will get a big deal...yet, we have a player better than all those guys, and many more from that draft, who is still being paid on his rookie scale. Instead of paying Rubio something like 12 million per year next year, we will be paying him $4 million...which will make it a hell of a lot easier to sign Pekovic.

both financially and from a development standpoint I am happy he stayed in Spain 2 extra years.

[Aleksandar]

It's crazy how all these injury prone players are getting tons of money. Amare and Eric Gordon, Granger, now Curry..