Source: Rockets Expected to Pursue Carmelo Anthony

[13th Man]

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/232430/Source-Rockets-Expected-To-Pursue-Carmelo-Anthony


The Houston Rockets will pursue Carmelo Anthony this offseason, according to a source.

The Rockets won't have enough cap space to sign Anthony outright, but a sign-and-trade could be an option.

The source said that the Rockets inquired about the availability of Anthony at the deadline. The Knicks have held discussions previously with the Rockets on Omer Asik.

The Knicks could deal Asik and/or Jeremy Lin for Anthony while maintaining cap space for 2015.

With no state income taxes in Texas, Anthony could take a reduced salary while not as severely impacting his take home pay.

Via Marc Berman/New York Post

[13th Man]

Hot off the Realgm newswire. So what do you guys think of this? I'm thinking that (Asik + Lin + pick) or (Parsons + Lin/Asik) for Melo in a S&T is a real possibility if the Rockets don't make it to the conference finals at least.

The Rockets would have their 3 big that they've been clamoring for. The Knicks can have Lin back and start fresh with a new coach as well, probably Steve Kerr.

[KungFuJoe]

Make it so! Lin back on NY without Melo. Probably the best situation for Lin. NY still loves him.

Now Knicks just gotta get rid of JR.

[HarthorneWingo]

Throw in Chandler Parsons and you got a deal. You won't need him with Melo anyhow.

[Mr. E]

Way too early to be talking about this kind of wild speculation. We still have the rest of the season and the playoffs to go.

[BaYBaller]

I'm sure Morey will, but I chalk it up to just Morey doing his due diligence (e.g. his job).

Pretty doubtful it happens though because of cap space. Think about it, why would NY want to take Asik and/or Lin's salary? If they wanted cap space... THEY ALREADY HAVE IT BY LETTING MELO SIGN ELSEWHERE. And even if they wanted to target the 2015 offseason, just tank next season. And even if the Rockets throw in a bunch of picks, they are all going to be late-round picks because do you know how F-ING crazy a team of Howard, Harden, and Melo would be?!?! That's like an all-star team.

edit: Oh right I forgot about Parsons. That is a pretty nice trade chip for taking Asik and Lin's salary. But man if we could get Melo and keep Parsons, even for that one year (since we won't be able to afford resigning Parsons) that team would be brutal. Melo could play PF (where IMO he's at his best) and Parsons stay at SF. Would dominate the league IMO.

[moofs]

If this is true, I'd just have to trust Morey was right on it, cause I'm not particularly onboard with the idea.

[spolgar]

I'm sure Morey will, but I chalk it up to just Morey doing his due diligence (e.g. his job).

Pretty doubtful it happens though because of cap space. Think about it, why would NY want to take Asik and/or Lin's salary? If they wanted cap space... THEY ALREADY HAVE IT BY LETTING MELO SIGN ELSEWHERE. And even if they wanted to target the 2015 offseason, just tank next season. And even if the Rockets throw in a bunch of picks, they are all going to be late-round picks because do you know how F-ING crazy a team of Howard, Harden, and Melo would be?!?! That's like an all-star team.

edit: Oh right I forgot about Parsons. That is a pretty nice trade chip for taking Asik and Lin's salary. But man if we could get Melo and keep Parsons, even for that one year (since we won't be able to afford resigning Parsons) that team would be brutal. Melo could play PF (where IMO he's at his best) and Parsons stay at SF. Would dominate the league IMO.

I don't know anymore. Just on an eye test, we seem to score just fine against anyone in the league unless it's against the Clippers, Chicago or Oklahoma. One of the bigger reasons behind that is that when we are on offense, their bigs can help off our power forwards, especially when Jones or Motie's shot is off. Howard's offensive dominance was never all that stout as advertised, since he hid in a smaller and slower conference throughout the summer of his career. If Melo comes to Houston, he can actually play the stretch 4 well. He'll get murdered alive on the boards against the likes of Zach Randolph and Tim Duncan, but they'll have to chase him around as well.

This means we give up Parsons and Lin or Asik. While he is an upgrade over Parsons offensively, he's not as good of a facilitator nor does he try as hard as a defender. Harden will have to run our offense for the starting unit? Can we get Kendall Marshall or Jordan Farmar as our backup if we lose Lin?

Man, if Thibs was our coach, we'd be on our way to 60 wins this season.

[BaYBaller]

Yeah Melo has really blossomed at the 4. I mean yeah he'd probably get murdered on the boards by Zach Randolph but Melo is really an underrated rebounder and I feel he'd hold his own vs most non-elite rebounders. For his size he has tremendous springs, and combined with his strength I bet if Melo really wanted to he could average over 10 boards a game but of course he's focused more on his offense.

I think Melo just needs to play with another superstar so the offense is not entirely reliant off him. I really do think how he played on Team USA is indicative of that. I don't think our defense would suffer all that much either since our 4's are pretty bad defensively overall.

[KungFuJoe]

Houston's offense doesn't require a PG that produces.

[rocketsballin]

so in the summer if morey does go after melo, does this mean that dwight's max contract is a waste? cuz he's not there for just rebounding and defense melo/harden/dwight = 1-2 shots a game for everyone else

i dont agree with morey on everything. we need some kind of mid range offense, but he thinks its all about 3s and layups. that tnt stat was right on the money, rockets as the last team in fgs made from midrange, 2nd to last is almost twice as much.

[ChokeFasncists]

melo/harden/dwight = 1-2 shots a game for everyone else

No kidding! And aren't Melo and Harden two of the worst defenders in the league?

i dont agree with morey on everything. we need some kind of mid range offense, but he thinks its all about 3s and layups. that tnt stat was right on the money, rockets as the last team in fgs made from midrange, 2nd to last is almost twice as much.

Just on an eye test, we seem to score just fine against anyone in the league unless it's against the Clippers, Chicago or Oklahoma.

Agreed. This Morey ball thing is easy to figure out. If the opposing team has a good defensive coach and the personnel (rim protectors and fast/disciplined perimeter defenders that aren't too old) our shots will be very low percentage. Unless someone's on fire, it'd be ugly.

I hope guys like DMo and TJ aren't just practicing the three and neglecting the two. It seems to me Harden should be a pretty capable midrange shooter and Lin is starting to shoot more. That should open up things somewhat. Otherwise it'd be even worse in the playoffs. Only teams that are elite defensively and have an unstoppable offensive player can use this kind of tactics. (D12 and Harden aren't)

Howard's offensive dominance was never all that stout as advertised, since he hid in a smaller and slower conference throughout the summer of his career.

We have to get a coach that forces Dwight to do PnRs. He might be able to score posting up against subpar/unmotivated centers, he'll have problems against good teams. In addition, the coach needs to better utilize the Deadly Combo called by Dream. (Lin+Dwight) That would also open things up for everyone.

Man, if Thibs was our coach, we'd be on our way to 60 wins this season.

Agreed. We could certainly use some tactics and discipline.

[Mr. E]

I'm not buying into this rumor, but if the Rockets were to pursue a trade for Carmelo Anthony then I'd see Houston's highest offer being Asik, Lin & the 2014 pick. Howard, Harden and Parsons would be off of the table, as would future first round picks.

Anyone else on the Rockets would not be off-limits - just off-limits for the purposes of this trade. I could see Morey moving Jones, Motie or Beverley in other deals if the price is right.

Personally, I think that this is a rumor being pushed by the Knicks to try to get Chicago to offer more than they are currently interested in giving.

[rocketsballin]

melo/harden/dwight = 1-2 shots a game for everyone else

No kidding! And aren't Melo and Harden two of the worst defenders in the league?

judging from the article, morey thinks dwight, in the last years of his prime, can play the center and power forward positions, and defend the 2, 3, 4 and 5! based on some numbers he and his nerds analyzed to death, hell and back

[13th Man]

I'm not buying into this rumor, but if the Rockets were to pursue a trade for Carmelo Anthony then I'd see Houston's highest offer being Asik, Lin & the 2014 pick. Howard, Harden and Parsons would be off of the table, as would future first round picks.

Anyone else on the Rockets would not be off-limits - just off-limits for the purposes of this trade. I could see Morey moving Jones, Motie or Beverley in other deals if the price is right.

Personally, I think that this is a rumor being pushed by the Knicks to try to get Chicago to offer more than they are currently interested in giving.

I agree about Parsons, they like him too much next year he will still be a steal in terms of value so why get rid of him if they're gunning for it all. I can see them doing away with Asik + Lin + (bench player or 2nd rnd pick). NYC covets Lin, something that Houston doesn't really.

If Morey can get away with a trade without sacrificing Parsons, he'd be a fool not to, assuming that Melo willing to be a bit flexible with his salary if needed. Ultimately, it will be up to Melo more than anyone, he's going to have some leverage as he's ready to walk away and the Knicks will have to try to satisfy his needs via a S&T.

[BaYBaller]

I'm not buying into this rumor, but if the Rockets were to pursue a trade for Carmelo Anthony then I'd see Houston's highest offer being Asik, Lin & the 2014 pick. Howard, Harden and Parsons would be off of the table, as would future first round picks.

Anyone else on the Rockets would not be off-limits - just off-limits for the purposes of this trade. I could see Morey moving Jones, Motie or Beverley in other deals if the price is right.

Personally, I think that this is a rumor being pushed by the Knicks to try to get Chicago to offer more than they are currently interested in giving.

I agree about Parsons, they like him too much next year he will still be a steal in terms of value so why get rid of him if they're gunning for it all. I can see them doing away with Asik + Lin + (bench player or 2nd rnd pick). NYC covets Lin, something that Houston doesn't really.

If Morey can get away with a trade without sacrificing Parsons, he'd be a fool not to, assuming that Melo willing to be a bit flexible with his salary if needed. Ultimately, it will be up to Melo more than anyone, he's going to have some leverage as he's ready to walk away and the Knicks will have to try to satisfy his needs via a S&T.

The thing is they won't be able to afford to resign Parsons the year after next anyway though. Parsons is the logical trade chip, otherwise there is really no incentive for NYK. They aren't going to pay Lin and Asik $30M next year for a late 1st round pick.

[13th Man]

I'm not buying into this rumor, but if the Rockets were to pursue a trade for Carmelo Anthony then I'd see Houston's highest offer being Asik, Lin & the 2014 pick. Howard, Harden and Parsons would be off of the table, as would future first round picks.

Anyone else on the Rockets would not be off-limits - just off-limits for the purposes of this trade. I could see Morey moving Jones, Motie or Beverley in other deals if the price is right.

Personally, I think that this is a rumor being pushed by the Knicks to try to get Chicago to offer more than they are currently interested in giving.

I agree about Parsons, they like him too much next year he will still be a steal in terms of value so why get rid of him if they're gunning for it all. I can see them doing away with Asik + Lin + (bench player or 2nd rnd pick). NYC covets Lin, something that Houston doesn't really.

If Morey can get away with a trade without sacrificing Parsons, he'd be a fool not to, assuming that Melo willing to be a bit flexible with his salary if needed. Ultimately, it will be up to Melo more than anyone, he's going to have some leverage as he's ready to walk away and the Knicks will have to try to satisfy his needs via a S&T.

The thing is they won't be able to afford to resign Parsons the year after next anyway though. Parsons is the logical trade chip, otherwise there is really no incentive for NYK. They aren't going to pay Lin and Asik $30M next year for a late 1st round pick.

If the Rockets figure that they can afford to have Harden, Howard, Parsons and Melo for even 1 year that might be enough for them to go for it, then figure things out afterwards. If they win the championship in this 1 year, all would be worth it.

As for NYC, they would pay Asik + Lin both 15M each, however I believe that the cap hit would only be 8M. The remaining 14M that Dolan has to pay out of his pocket I'm pretty sure could be recouped by Linsanity money at MSG

[Mush Man]

NYK fan coming in peace (even though Morey takes advantage of us on the regular). Posted this on the Knicks board. Thought I would drop it in this discussion. With one big assumption, Houston is actually really well set-up for this.

Assuming (and this is a really big assumption) that Melo tells Houston he wants to come first, no need to Houston to give up Parsons. Offer Lin + Asik plus pick to NY. If NY says no, do what Golden State did last year to get Iggy,

Give Asik, Motiejunas and Garcia to Phi for free. Phi is under the minimum salary.
Offer Lin and Jones to either LA or Utah for free. Both teams will have enough cap space to absorb them. If LA is not getting Melo they can't do much till '15 anyway, so might as well get Lin on a one year deal if is free

That frees up 21M to sign Melo outright

Beverly/Harden/Parsons/Melo/Dwight
Canaan/FA/Casspi/Smith/FA
bench is weak, but one hell of a first team, and with all five starters being scorers, it gives you tons of options to have a starter or two always staggered on the floor with the 2nd team for punch

GS had to kick in picks to get Utah to take their salaries, but I think Houston's players have way more value that what GS was peddling.

Again, all of this only works if Melo says he wants Houston, but if he does, I don't think you need to give up Parsons to get it done. If NY does not want what you are offering, there is a good chance a team way under the cap will (if it's free)


PLUS - this maxes you out before Parsons hits free agency with Bird rights. If you had an owner that did not care about the luxury tax, you could in theory have your whole starting five locked in long term.

[BaYBaller]

I agree about Parsons, they like him too much next year he will still be a steal in terms of value so why get rid of him if they're gunning for it all. I can see them doing away with Asik + Lin + (bench player or 2nd rnd pick). NYC covets Lin, something that Houston doesn't really.

If Morey can get away with a trade without sacrificing Parsons, he'd be a fool not to, assuming that Melo willing to be a bit flexible with his salary if needed. Ultimately, it will be up to Melo more than anyone, he's going to have some leverage as he's ready to walk away and the Knicks will have to try to satisfy his needs via a S&T.

The thing is they won't be able to afford to resign Parsons the year after next anyway though. Parsons is the logical trade chip, otherwise there is really no incentive for NYK. They aren't going to pay Lin and Asik $30M next year for a late 1st round pick.

If the Rockets figure that they can afford to have Harden, Howard, Parsons and Melo for even 1 year that might be enough for them to go for it, then figure things out afterwards. If they win the championship in this 1 year, all would be worth it.

As for NYC, they would pay Asik + Lin both 15M each, however I believe that the cap hit would only be 8M. The remaining 14M that Dolan has to pay out of his pocket I'm pretty sure could be recouped by Linsanity money at MSG

I still don't see what the incentive is for NYK at all. They're not going to pay $30M for a late first round pick or two, regardless of cap hit. That's ridiculous. NYK does not need expirings.

The poster above me is on the right track. If Morey wanted to keep Parsons and get Melo to make that one year run, he would unload Asik and Lin (probably would have to include a pick) to other teams that actually have needs at those positions, and try to just sign Melo outright as he's unrestricted. But I still think the whole thing is very far fetched.

[texasholdem]

Beverly/Harden/Parsons/Melo/Dwight
Canaan/FA/Casspi/Smith/FA
bench is weak, but one hell of a first team, and with all five starters being scorers

Beverley is a scorer? 9.6 ppg on 40% shooting? That's the same as Raymond Felton except Felton averages twice the number of assists as 1Pat. Yeah he shot well vs Miami last week but has been awful in the 5 games since offensively and his defense is overrated now.