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[ClutchFans] Houston Rockets Salary Cap Update: 2019 Offseason Pre-Draft Edition

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by BimaThug, May 11, 2019.

  1. BimaThug

    BimaThug Resident Capologist
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    Yes, that’s right. Still, S&Ts are pretty rare.
     
    Deuce likes this.
  2. mac_got_this

    mac_got_this Member

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    What was the reason or benefit for that deal? Couldn’t Houston have just outright signed. Ariza that summer?
     
  3. BimaThug

    BimaThug Resident Capologist
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    Actually, that one was a pretty ingenious move by Morey and his front office.

    I believe the Rockets did NOT have a lot of cap room that summer. So, instead of using cap room or an exception to sign Ariza outright, they converted the (previously-agreed-upon) Omer Asik trade with New Orleans into a three-team deal with Washington in which the Wizards signed and traded Ariza to Houston. New Orleans (still) got Asik. Washington got a decent-sized TPE for its troubles. And Houston got Ariza, New Orleans' first rounder AND preserved its MLE (which it later used mostly on Kostas Papanikolaou). Mechanically, a great bit of strategy there.
     
  4. finsraider

    finsraider Member

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    Just an idea on Butler:

    Boston In: Capela, Nene, Jonathan Simmons (salary fully guaranteed).
    76ers In: Heyward, 1st from Boston
    Houston In: Butler

    Boston unloads Heyward, gets a starting center for the future.
    76ers have to believe Heyward can return back to his former level for this trade to work. Gets a 1st from Boston to sweeten the pot.
    Houston gets Butler & keeps Gordon.

    I feel fairly confident that Boston & Houston are on board with this. 76ers are the question mark.

    IMO, I would skip on spending at the center spot....like at all. Use minimum contracts to go sign guys like Nerlens Noel, Joakim Noah, Amir Johnson, etc. Put ALL resources into players that can help you against the Warriors, including the MLE & BAE.

    I would resign Shumpert, simply because he's a decent wing that *might* be able to give you something against the Warriors & you have his bird rights. Like a 2 year $15 million deal.

    CP3
    Harden / Gordon
    Butler / Shumpert
    Tucker
    Amir Johnson

    That still leaves them with at least the taxpayer MLE
     
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  5. basketballholic

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    Operating under a hard cap would definitely limit the luxury tax hit but that's not the reason we would do it.

    If we don't acquire a superstar we will most likely operate under the hard cap because it will be easier to compose a quality roster through sign-and-trades and use of the full mle, bae, and current traded player exceptions and future created traded player exceptions than it will be to operate in the luxury tax without sign- and-trades and the ability to use the full mle and bae.

    And even if we do acquire a superstar there's still at least a 50/50 chance that we operate with a hard cap because of the exception possibilities. Specifically with a Butler opt in and trade with his salary at 19.1 million, we are more likely than not to go hard cap.

    In the event we acquire a superstar on a big max contract (not very likely) then the hard cap scenario probably won't be viable. But that's it.

    In the event that we miss on all our targets over the summer i think we will trade Capela into another teams cap space for either a late first or some future seconds and possibly a player or two on a low salary that can fit into our existing traded player exceptions. Then we'll sign some guys using the taxpayer midlevel exception and some minimum salary guys giving us enough salary to aggregate with Gordon for a deal at the deadline along with a nice large TPE plus the remainder of the full mle and the bae to spend later giving us the flexibility to make a decision all the way to the deadline on if we want to operate without a hard cap or with a hard cap.

    In all those situations Shump's contract could be key. If we can't find an SnT to send him out on I wouldn't be surprised if we brought him back on a larger 2 or 3 season deal with partial or no guarantees on the second and third seasons. Just for a salary to trade at the deadline.
     
    #45 basketballholic, May 28, 2019
    Last edited: May 28, 2019
  6. pippendagimp

    pippendagimp Member

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    so basically more of the same bullshit with another playoff flameout
     
  7. bleedroxred79

    bleedroxred79 Member

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    Took the words straight outta my mind.
     
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  8. tc0330

    tc0330 Member

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    yall think theres anyway to flip cp to suns for 6th pick then flip 6th pick/capela and whoever to pelicans for 1st pick for zion?
     
  9. basketballholic

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    I am optimistic for now. I believe that both Harden and Morey know what needs to be done.

    I personally believe that simply moving to a 5-out pick-n-pop system without adding any major star but simply role player makes us a 60+ win team and a title contender as long as Harden stays healthy and Harden Paul and PJ are healthy for a post season run.

    Now.... if, after all this past 2 years, if we come back with Clint or DJ or some other nonshooting big oaf as part of our closing 5 and we're running pick-n-roll down the stretch and not 5-out/PnP because we don't have shooting 4/5s......... then at that point I'll become pessimistic. I'd take dewayne dedmon with Rivers and house Jr back at this point and be happier than this past season.
     
  10. pippendagimp

    pippendagimp Member

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    can't just run tucker at the 4 all season again. we need a true PF to split time with him there. i'm all for keeping rivers, especially as insurance for when CP3 inevitably gets hurt. i'm not sure this would all be enough though. we're just assuming that harden is not going to miss many games again, and go wilt all season again. probably still need another star to run the offense thru for stretches. CP3 is not that guy anymore. and once we get to the postseason, even with a top seed let's say, MDA is not the guy to push all the right buttons and make all the right adjustments. hence, i am not able to share your optimism.
     
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  11. Mathloom

    Mathloom Contributing Member

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    Don't think we need to worry about this. Even if you weren't happy with Tucker's size at PF, the position will shrink yet again and it will get easier for Tucker.

    Harden and Tucker at the forward positions is good imo. Harden outrebounds almost every other SF, and Tucker has no other weaknesses as a PF. Clint just has to do his job and we have to get a real full-sized SG. Can't have Harden chasing guards around now that we've seen he can be average or better when splitting assignments with Tucker. That used to be a much bigger issue for us, used to cost us 5-8 more points before (from the eye test).
     
  12. basketballholic

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    That's legit and I understand your lack of optimism. And you're right. We can't overuse PJ. We need other guys. I happen to believe they've figured it out and they're gonna finally move the needed chips around. Even if it's just a new plethora of role players i think we're going to be significantly better.

    But i am reserving the right to change my mind. If things get chaotic on the coaching front or if the organization decides to triple down on PnR play with non shooting centers for another third season... then i will disavow my current optimism.
     
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  13. pippendagimp

    pippendagimp Member

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    i meant simply from a standpoint of wearing him down over an 82game stretch (which we know he'll likely play all those games). he's already 34 now, so might as well get him some "load management". otherwise from an effectiveness standpoint i have no issue and agree to use him the same way in the postseason
     
  14. Mathloom

    Mathloom Contributing Member

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    Oh yah definitely agree there. We did the same thing with Ariza just abusing their endurance with no regard for the plain-to-see fact that they are suffering a lot from the minutes.

    I'm holding out hope that Clark will make a leap though.
     
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  15. pippendagimp

    pippendagimp Member

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    i like clark, he has great instincts on the floor. just needs to refine his 3 to win over MDA
     
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  16. ball king23

    ball king23 Member

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    @BimaThug is there any interest in maybe acquiring a second round pick in 2019 or maybe a guy they are looking at in the draft or wait and see method also is there any truth to that CP3 rumor to LA which I believe is not true
     
  17. BimaThug

    BimaThug Resident Capologist
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    The Rockets only have about $565k in remaining cash to spend in trades for the 2018-19 season, so it'll be difficult for them to acquire a 2019 pick (unless they agree to a trade using their 2019-20 cash allotment that will not go through until July). My guess is that they try (but ultimately fail) to buy a late second rounder. The most likely outcome is that they try to land one of the top undrafted guys on a two-way contract, just as they did last season with Gary Clark.

    As far as CP3 rumors (or any other rumors for that matter), I am privy to little/no inside information on anything. I just make "informed guesses" based on information that becomes publicly available.
     
  18. ball king23

    ball king23 Member

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    if I am the rockets I would try leverage deals and try one time to shoot for a star player if you do not hit there is always the next draft
     
  19. biff17

    biff17 Member

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    So getting beat by the NBA champions is a playoff flameout?
     
  20. steddinotayto

    steddinotayto Contributing Member

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    @BimaThug is it still true that trade exceptions count against the salary cap but don't count against the luxury tax? I guess the more specific question would be: If the Rockets generate a trade exception by, say, trading Capela to Atlanta this summer and only taking back a draft pick and a small salary (Taurean Prince), the player we acquire with the trade exception generated from that trade (e.g. Capela's salary minus Prince's salary) won't count towards the luxury tax? Or am I completely misreading this?

    https://basketball.realgm.com/analysis/238637/CBA-Encyclopedia-Trade-Exceptions
     

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