Nickeil Alexander-Walker instead of Capela/finney Smith

FVV signed with Bird Rights so not an impact at all in NAW not being acquired.

NAW signed for greater than MLE so could not use that.

It would have required sending salary to the Timberwolves in a sign and trade and not using MLE on DFS and not acquiring Capela.

Considering the cap situation of the Timberwolves, the Rockets are likely paying 2 FRPs to send that salary to the Nets to get NAW in a sign and trade.

Rockets would be better now based on hindsight. However if one thinks this season was lost to start, and that next season is a given lost season, the FRPs needed to move salary to get NAW would be more than the Rockets want as long term goals likely require trading for a young star or drafting one.

I think it is pretty obvious that the sign and trade for NAW was designed by the Hawks to outbid a team with the MLE. Checks notes...the best team that used the NT-MLE was the Rockets. I think it was pretty clear that if the Rockets used the NT-MLE it would have been for NAW or Ty Jerome if it wasn't on DFS.

 

I wasn't talking about the cap math, I was talking about the fact that NAW was almost certainly seeking a starting role or at least heavily featured minutes off the bench.

 

We're screwed anyways

 

lol no we’re not. Bunch of crybabies on here.

 

I looked up NAW's contract and because it dips in year 2 the overall value of the contract is actually slightly smaller than a straight max MLE contract. So the Rockets absolutely could've matched Atlanta's monetary offer without all the crap you mentioned.

The Rockets made a conscious decision to go after DFS over NAW. It felt clear at the time, and based on how in love with him Ime is right now despite near zero production, even clearer he's Ime's guy.

 

I was begging for a guard from the get go, even with a healthy FVV this team is still short quality guard play

 

3rd string players must have hero status for Clutch Fans happiness.

 

Adams and his health is a head scratcher. Anyone else surprised he is injured after he signed? Why Stone, why?

Clint as playable trade filler is a good choice. Adams makes it the right decision.

 

What we honestly should have done in hindsight is let Adams go elsewhere and brought back Jock Landale on his existing contract. He's consistently been a true stretch 5 this season, which would have allowed us to try some lineups that we just can't field right now unless the opposing team goes small and we can run Jabari at the 5.

NAW/Landale/Clint instead of DFS/Adams/Clint would have made this team a dark horse contender IMO. Right now I'm not sure if we're even at that level. Still think we're due for a first round exit.

 

I fully accept I didn't notice the dip in the NAW deal.

I am wrong that maybe the Rockets could have offered a full 4 year MLE if one ignores time value of money such that NAW still probably prefers a million today over $1.4M split over the last 3 years, the 1st apron hard cap, having to lose two above minimum salary players for minimum contract holds at the time of the deal to get below the hard cap (Rockets did shed one ultimately, but was still there at time), be willing to be paying NAW two years after DFS's guaranteed years are over, and having to assume every player (or at least NAW) will always pick the Rockets on equivalent deals.

Characterizing it as NAW versus DFS is disingenuous. There is no way NAW accepts DFS's deal or anything close to it.

 

The Rockets would be better with NAW than DFS knowing that DFS has not recovered. I get FVV and Adams got hurt.

I don't see Landale as game changer. He's fine as a backup, but Adams and Reed plus slop were mauling teams most of the time prior to Adams going down. Landale over Adams is solely hindsight.

 

I would have agreed with you. But our own GM already conceded and didn’t try and fix any holes with moves at the deadline … actually, saying it’s just not our year… weakest mindset ever. Not a fan of this team only my city and the players they are balling to the best of their ability with the Weakness and incompetence over them

 

Is it? Look at Adams’ injury history. He is a much better player than Landale. We already have Alp (getting paid) there already, how much of a player can we afford. Remember KD takes a 1/3 of the cap.
We NEED a back court. Not more bigs -> then and now

Do back up players need to move the needle or just be serviceable? A back up should eat clock not move needles. Needle movers cost cap space.

 

Eh, I definitely agree there's a large dose of "hindsight is 20/20" with Jock's jump shooting in particular. But as far as the decision to re-sign Adams instead of a different center... as much as I love the dude, him getting hurt again was very predictable.

 

We were never going for it all this season. The board complains both that we don’t have a seasoned vet and don’t play Reed, Amen, or Sengun enough.

The FO wanted to see what we have in the young core and playmaking. Right or wrong.

 

As pointed out, NAW instead of DFS wasn't really an option. To go back to comments I had earlier in the thread, with Reed's emergence you can see why this was a difficult line to thread. Say instead of DFS we signed Davion Mitchell. We'd be a better team and bigger playoff threat, but if FVV hadn't gotten injured that basically means Reed isn't playing again this year. The organization really needed to figure out if Reed was a long term key piece. I still don't think we 100% have that answer but it looks like he could end up being a high-end player so these reps were needed.

I didn't really understand signing Capela but turns out we needed him.

 

I don't disagree with that .... but I still believe they needed a guard even with FVV as a backup plan and in case of injury.

Prior to the FVV injury they had 3 guards in Fred, Reed and Holiday. After Fred's injury it's Reed and Holiday.

Contrast that with the forward spots - KD, Jabari, Tari, Amen, Okogie, Tate, Green and in the double big lineups Sengun as a 4 and they add DFS to what is already half the roster and 3 of those dudes average 35 minutes per game and a 4th getting 26.5 (not including Sengun in that)

It's pretty clear that going into the season with only 3 guards that you can't afford for any of them to get injured and injuries are just part of the game.

Fred had missed 22 games the year before. 9,13, and 17 the three previous years. Remember how bad last year's offense was without Fred?

Another guard was the prudent decision.

 

Now you are just making excuses for the front office for things that even fans with cursory understanding of the CBA would have no problem getting around. The timing of how money is given in an NBA contract is up to the player and the team.If the Rockets want to front load the actual cash given to NAW they can do that. So the $1.4mil that he technically gest a bit earlier is not a practical issue. Also the straight up MLE deal would ensure his his next extension comes from a higher point in case he wish to extend off the original contract. Which is an extra benefit compared to his Hawks contract.

Also I don't know why you care about number of years. DFS is 32. NAW is 27. Unless you are someone who believed that the Rockets gave Sengun or Jabari too long of contracts, I am quite sure you shouldn't be mad at NAW having more years than DFS. That's just common sense in the NBA that you want younger players on longer contracts during their prime years.

Finally on the "having to lose two above minimum salary players" it's clear this is not true. The Rockets in addition to DFS signed 3 non-minimum players, Adams, Capela, and FVV. None of them would be unsignable by giving NAW $2mil extra more than DFS. Even if in hindsight you still somehow believe that the $110mil combined contract they gave FVV, Adams, and Capela was good use of money, you can still give a guaranteed $110mil to those 3 players with NAW's contract. You just have to restructure their contracts slightly.

Nothing you said change the fact that it is incredibly easy for a cap guru the level of Rafael Stone to fit in NAW's contract into the offseason. I may dislike many Stone does, but the man knows contracts and the cap. Just look at how many smartly structured contracts the Rockets had under Morey will attest to that. The man has been doing NBA contacts for two decades. If I think a contract is doable, then he definitely knows how to make it even more palatable.

 

A prudent decision if the goal was to purely win.

You are using “guard” but Rockets would probably say “playmaker”. I always argued Harden was a point forward because of who he can guard and his size/strength, but not trying to get into a semantics argument.

My main point is that the Rockets wanted to see how Reed, Amen, and Sengun can play “guard” or more accurately play point “guard”.

 

But the Rockets clearly didn’t want NAW….. or to add another point guard.

What’s so hard to understand that we are still developing and figuring out what we have in the young core; specifically, see how the combo of Reed, Amen, and Sengun can playmake.