2009 Houston Rockets off-season plans.

Jaykoolzboy · Post #1 » by **Jaykoolzboy** » Mon May 18, 2009 1:54 am

Great season with much more to be desire next season.

This is my proposal, please post yours.

1. Sign Mike Bibby to MLE

Bibby is a proven big moment player that understands the system of Rick Adelman.

2. Trade Tracy McGrady to New Jersey for Vince Cater and filler

VC isn't the air Carter we used to know, but he is still capable of give you 20 ppg and grab 5 rebounds while with great efficiency and stay healthy. Najera is a filler that plays with energy and passion.

3. Trade Kyle Lawry and Brian Cook to Golden State for Ronny Turiaf

Spark off the bench, a great shot blocker, also he can play both 4 and 5 efficiently. Going to take some pressure out of Yao Ming. GSW think he is overpriced and they desperate need a true PG.

4. Joey Dorsey, Brent Barry + Future 2nd to New Jersey Nets for Yi Jian Lian

Nets want no part of Yi due to his attitude and lack of improvements, we give them a potential rotation player, a second rounder and exp of Brent Barry's contract.

5 Resign Ron Artest to 3 Years 29 Mil

6. Sign Von Wafer 2 years 3 Mil

2009-2010 Lineup

Arron Brooks/Mike Bibby
Vince Carter/Ron Artest/Von Wafer
Shane Battier/Ron Artest/James White
Luis Scola/Carl Landry/Yi Jianlian/
Yao Ming/Ronny Turiaf/Chuck Hayes/

HTown_TMac · Post #2 » by **HTown_TMac** » Mon May 18, 2009 2:06 am

Would be a nice team.

Doubt it really happens.

Teckon · Post #3 » by **Teckon** » Mon May 18, 2009 2:29 am

No to Yi Jian Lian. A big waste of the valuable $$ and roster spot. Horrible idea. Rockets' PF rotation is solid.

HTown_TMac · Post #4 » by **HTown_TMac** » Mon May 18, 2009 2:34 am

I wouldnt mind Yi for cheap. Les sure as hell wouldnt mind. Imagine China revenue almost doubling...

Jaykoolzboy · Post #5 » by **Jaykoolzboy** » Mon May 18, 2009 2:35 am

Teckon wrote:No to Yi Jian Lian. A big waste of the valuable $$ and roster spot. Horrible idea. Rockets' PF rotation is solid.

If we can get Yi for Dorsey and Barry, why not

1. I am afraid to say it but I dun think Luis Scola is back with us the year after, teams will overpay him in 2010, we just dun have the money to pay him 8+ million per year. Yi while sucking this year, still has the potential to be a very useful rotation player .

2. Yao + Yi , Yao can teach his little brother how to play the real game.

3. More fan for the Houston Rockets, more profit for the organazation.

YoungMoney23 · Post #6 » by **YoungMoney23** » Mon May 18, 2009 2:43 am

Barry came to Houston to retire so I doubt he goes any where.

Lowry was a steal so I say hold onto him.

Yi is selfish and we dont need another chucker next to Artest.

Teckon · Post #7 » by **Teckon** » Mon May 18, 2009 2:50 am

Yi will not help Rockets in term improving their chance to win the championship. Yi's influence on the China market is marginal when Rockets already have Yao. Rockets can have better use of the $$ and roster spot.

Roster spot is a valuable asset. Luther Head had to be waived so that Rockets can create a roster spot for Deke. Having Yi reduces Rocket's roster flexibility. A big no no.

Teckon · Post #8 » by **Teckon** » Mon May 18, 2009 3:00 am

Rockets' 2009-2010 salaries:

Tmac $ 23.2 million
Yao $ 16.4 million
Battier $ 6.9 million
Scola $ 3.4 million
Landry $ 3 million
Hayes $ 2.1 millioin
Lowry $ 2 million
Brooks $ 1.1 million
=================
Total for the above: $58 million.

Barry $ 2.1 million
Dorsey $ 0.9 million
Cook $ 3.5 million (Player option and I am sure he will exercise)
White $ unknown (salary not disclosed for 2009-10 season)
================
Possible for trade: $6.5 million

Free Agents:
Wafer
Artest

Guy986 · Post #9 » by **Guy986** » Mon May 18, 2009 3:07 am

YI SUCKS. NO.

I dont think we sign any notable free agent this offseason. This whole team will be brought back.(along with brokeback Mac)

Post #10 » by **Young_Star11** » Mon May 18, 2009 5:48 am

Lowry - potential to be a great backup PG
Scola/Landry/Hayes - underrated PF trio
Battier - glue-guy
Yao - franchise center

TMac - done?
Brooks - long-term starter?
Artest/Wafer - FA
Dorsey/Cook/Barry - not part of our plans

Backup C is somewhere we MUST address. Don't need a star, would love a guy with good height who can play 15-20 minutes for us, alter shots and is coordinated enough to finish at the basket. Hopefully Morey buys a pick in the upcoming draft and fills this void, pronto.

A lot could hinge on Brooks' development - can he show his form for a full season, and become Tony Parker 2.0? If not, we don't have much business having him here in a starting capacity.

I'd like to see Artest return. So he takes some bad shots, but the man has a swagger and brings toughness to our squad. Wafer is not irreplaceable, but if we can bring him back from cheap, I'd be all for it. Man was given a chance and did what he could.

As an unlikely FA target, assuming Hedo opts out, if we can sign him for something reasonable, it would be great. The man can create for others and will take a little pressure of our PG, played with Adelman back in the day, and whilst inconsistent, can also be a solid scorer (as he showed in Game 7 tonight)...maybe what the Rockets need.

Aaron Brooks · Post #11 » by **Aaron Brooks** » Mon May 18, 2009 6:03 am

to the OP, yes to vince carter, no to everyone else. but i dont think we would need to take in najera, because tmac's expiring contract is enticing enough.

i will be better than mike bibby next year

ronny turiaf is overpaid and brian cook is an expiring, not to mention lowry is solid off the bench, great yin to brooks' yang

/facepalm on the yi trade

3yr 32mil is overpaying artest

von wafer is most likely going to walk, we have no playing time for him here, our 2/3 spots will be shane/ron/tmac james white is our insurance should 1 of them get injured, or if anything we could go dual poing guards with me and lowry like we did in the playoffs for some stretches

all in all your trade ideas have us taking on bigger/longer contracts, killing our chances at anyone in 2010

kam_soluusar · Post #12 » by **kam_soluusar** » Mon May 18, 2009 9:50 am

We only need to resign a decent backup C to replace Mutombo. I am assuming Barry might retire as well. So there is a bit of free cap space right there. (Don't ask me who we would sign, as I really have no idea.) I would be comfortable with Chuck picking up the minutes, so that pretty much keeps our frontline intact. I think a lot of what we dow will come down to Ron Artest. I think even he would have to concede that this team is damn close to a legit contender when all are healthy. We can hope he signs another short term deal for this year, and if (When) we move T-mac next year, resign him in 2010 on a much better contract.

You always hear talk of how winning a championship is the most important thing in Basketball. Are guys willing to take a pay cut so that this can be achieved? In short, I really can't see us doing much this offseason.

The next few months is going to be torture for me. It is Football season now, and I freakin' hate Aussie Football.

M4P · Post #13 » by **M4P** » Mon May 18, 2009 9:55 am

Doubt GSW will trade Turiaf... isn't Nelson in love with him?

MagnusPinus · Post #14 » by **MagnusPinus** » Mon May 18, 2009 11:25 am

I think the team won't change much at the beginning...(Artest must be signed), but watch out at the trade deadline, where some really nice pieces could be taken by trading the expiring contract of the big sleep

moofs · Post #15 » by **moofs** » Mon May 18, 2009 2:38 pm

Jaykoolzboy wrote:
Teckon wrote:No to Yi Jian Lian. A big waste of the valuable $$ and roster spot. Horrible idea. Rockets' PF rotation is solid.

If we can get Yi for Dorsey and Barry, why not

1. I am afraid to say it but I dun think Luis Scola is back with us the year after, teams will overpay him in 2010, we just dun have the money to pay him 8+ million per year. Yi while sucking this year, still has the potential to be a very useful rotation player .

2. Yao + Yi , Yao can teach his little brother how to play the real game.

3. More fan for the Houston Rockets, more profit for the organazation.

Signing Artest for 11m because you don't think you can get Scola for 8m in another year is a silly notion.
We don't pull off this years playoffs without Scola. Artest is just a replaceable name. I'd rather overpay Scola by 2m than Artest by 4m any day of the week. At least Scola can earn it.
viewtopic.php?f=16&t=905708&p=19528284#p19528284

No to Yi from a basketball standpoint, but he could possibly drive revenue. Wouldn't expect it him to be acquired at all though. If he drives revenue, why would NJ give him up for a soon-to-be-retired 6'7" 3rd string PG and undersized nobody d-league center? We can still use Barry as cheap insurance anyway.

MaxRider · Post #16 » by **MaxRider** » Mon May 18, 2009 4:48 pm

McGrady $23,239,261
Yao $16,378,325
Battier $6,864,200
Cook $3,500,000 (Player option - he will be really stupid not to exercise it)
Scola $3,375,600
Landry $3,000,000
Hayes $2,111,750
Barry $2,062,800
Lowry $2,034,996
Brooks $1,118,520
Dorsey $881,000
Artest FA
Wafer FA

Total $64,566,452

Got approx $10-14M to spend on FA before we hit the luxury tax.
Plan is the same. Keep everyone healthy. Make trade(s) that will benefit the team but will not break this team up, while at the same time building for the future. Time to re-invite Brad Newley and Lior Eliyahu to the summer league. Hopefully Newley can be the designated 3-pts shooter Barry was supposed to be.

Priority 1: Re-sign Artest. As long as he's not asking for more than $11M/year, give it to him
Priority 2: Get a true PF that can play some C who's taller than 6'10". I'm saying true PF here, so that put someone like Steve Novak out of the equation. Same for Carlos Boozer.
Priority 3: Look into T-Mac's knee problem. To see to include him in our next year plan or not. We are better keeping him. No one is going to give us someone valuable for him.
Priority 4: Re-sign Wafer. Only if he's demanding less than $1.5M/year.

tisbee · Post #17 » by **tisbee** » Tue May 19, 2009 12:59 am

MaxRider,
The Lux Tax will kick in around $70mil. The Rockets are only some $5mil below as is. They are going into the Lux Tax,the question is how deep.

Teckon · Post #18 » by **Teckon** » Tue May 19, 2009 3:37 am

Generally agree with Max but as tisbee pointed out, the luxury tax will kick in since the cap will be less than this season. One way for the Rockets to go around is to trade some players way:

Assuming the cap will be around $70 million (is around $74-75 million this year)

Cook $3,500,000 (Player option - he will be really stupid not to exercise it)
Barry $2,062,800
Trading these 2 will save around $5.5 million max but would be tough. If somehow Morey is able to do it then Artest can be resigned in the range of 8-10 million. Wafer will take whatever is left over before hitting the Luxury Tax ($1-2 million)

And if a reasonable deal come, Tmac might be traded too ($23,239,261) which will be a major change and anything could happen.

Teckon · Post #19 » by **Teckon** » Tue May 19, 2009 4:08 am

http://www.nba.com/bulls/news/smith_090 ... l?rss=true
Sam Smith wrote this:
There’s another way to do that: Trade for Tracy McGrady. You know with this wonderful Rockets run they won’t want McGrady back. But they’ll want to be careful not to say so. Coming off microfracture surgery, he hardly can defend. Not that he tried much before. And even healthy he was a slowdown, walk it up player. What if the Rockets could get someone like Hinrich? And you give them an expiring deal to help Houston’s financial situation also to match salaries. McGrady’s deal ends after next season as well. Maybe he plays a little. Who knows. He’s been rehabbing in Chicago already. Maybe the Rockets throw in a pick as well.

MaxRider · Post #20 » by **MaxRider** » Tue May 19, 2009 4:32 am

tisbee wrote:MaxRider,
The Lux Tax will kick in around $70mil. The Rockets are only some $5mil below as is. They are going into the Lux Tax,the question is how deep.

2009 luxury tax is 71.15M
it should be around 73M for next year
within 1M over shouldn't be a problem
we can always do trade to cut down salary
just like we traded Francis this year