RealGM

Updated 2/19 with trade with New York and trade with Philadelphia. Also updated TPEs.

Current Cap Space: None. $10,985,249.00 over
Maximum Cap Space: None. $10,985,249.00 over (if all options/guarantees were not picked up, all FAs renounced, no draft picks were to be signed this season, and all Exceptions were renounced)
Luxury Tax Space: $2,778,751.00
Tax Apron Space: $6,778,751.00
Hard Capped due to Trevor Ariza Sign & Trade
2015-2016 Maximum Cap Space: $9,919,861.00

How I got there:

Guaranteed Contracts (15): Trevor Ariza, Patrick Beverly, Corey Brewer, Clint Capela, Joey Dorsey, James Harden, Dwight Howard, Nick Johnson, Terrence Jones, K.J. McDaniels, Donatas Motiejunas, Kostas Papanikolaou, Pablo Prigioni, Josh Smith, Jason Terry

Patrial/Non-Guaranteed Contracts Kept to date (0): None

Carried Money (5): Jeff Adrien ($915,243.00), Robert Covington ($150,000.00), Francisco Garcia ($915,243.00), Akil Mitchell ($150,000.00), Ishmael Smith ($915,243.00)

FA Cap Holds (0): None

Draft Pick Holds (0): None

Current Exceptions: Non-Taxpayer Exception at $206,598.00 - partially used on Nick Johnson and Kostas Papanikolaou. No BAE - used on Josh Smith. TPEs of $816,482.00 (Isaiah Canaan), $816,482.00 (Troy Daniels), $390,089.00 (Jeremy Lin), $1,619,096.00 (Alexey Shved).

The Rockets (or any team) can add in 3m of cash a year in trade, so moving 1 of those salary seems like at least reasonably possible especially given that Asik at 12m isn't that ridiculous and Lin will generate some additional revenue anyway in most markets.

But I agree with the general premise that the main issue of the team is less personnel then that they seem to have gotten their system down poorly. their offense is very interesting (probably the only team in the league that completely abandons pick and pop plays.) but for some inexplicable reason they throw away their game plan late in games (they're a fun up and down fluid offense most of the game, then suddenly becomes a Allen Iverson Sixer offense at the very end.) Then there's their defense which is occasionally good and often bad. but at that end it's hard to say that personnel is a serious issue , unless you say James Harden but there's no way they can do anything about that except hope he improves.

You say PG, I say Beverley ranked ridiculously high in RAPM while Lin functioned just fine most of the time out there. and in the playoff when Harden was shut down they went A LOT with Lin running the offense and that ended up being the highest offensive rating team in the playoffs (ok they're lower than MIami by 0.1 points.)

You say PF, I will note that Jones' effect was not good but a stat stuff at this level at this stage of their career seem to generally suggest an above average career.


I think at the end of the day they need to get the coaching staff and player on the same page is more important than any moves they could realistically make, McHale is only a figure head coach who's there to keep player morale , they lost their head assistance (in essense their real on court head coach) before the regular season ended, and fired their defense coach. I think anyone expecting big things from Houston this summer will be sorely disappointed, at the upmost I can see something like Asik + Jones for Millsap or something along that line, but they're almost certainly not going to get that 3rd max guy this summer.

The really more interesting aspect would be to see who they hire to replace those 2 coaches and if that have a realistic effect on their end of game play and defense.

Updated OP on 6/2.

Updated OP on 6/24 to reflect Garcia opting out.

Updated OP on 6/25 with Chandler Parsons' QO (assumes Team Option is declined as has been reported).

Updated OP on 7/1 to reflect current standing.

Updated OP on 7/10 with official Cap and Tax Apron Numbers and Chandler Parsons Offer Sheet.

Updated OP on 7/12 with Lin trade.

Updated OP on 7/13 with signing of Trevor Ariza.

In addition to Parson's offer sheet being declined, wasn't Josh Powell shipped out?

Grover wrote:In addition to Parson's offer sheet being declined, wasn't Josh Powell shipped out?

He may be on the move in some sort of Asik, Ariza, other pieces deal. I think we are waiting on those details. For right now, Powell is still on the roster.

Wasn't Ariza acquired in a sign and trade using the Lin TPE?

If so, then Houston may not have technically gone under the cap to make this move, that would leave them with the mid level exception, an assumed $8.5m TPE when the Asik trade goes through, and a potential $15m TPE for Parsons.

Updated OP on 7/14 with trade details with New Orleans and Washington.

Updated OP on 7/15 with signings of Jeff Adrien, Troy Daniels, and Joey Dorsey.

Updated OP on 7/17 with official numbers for Trevor Ariza.

Updated OP on 7/20 with signing of Ishmael Smith.

Updated OP on 7/24 with signings of Clint Capela and Nick Johnson.

Updated OP on 8/10 with signing of Kostas Papanikolaou.

Updated OP on 8/24 with signing of Francisco Garcia and removal of Jordan Hamilton Cap Hold.

Updated OP on 9/4 with signing of Tarik Black.