Big expiring contracts are NOT prime trade assets. They haven't been for awhile now. If someone is hyping them as super valuable, they are wrong. That said, expiring contract do have utility to teams that are operating over the cap. They represent the only avenue for those teams to take back large salaries in trade aside from having a large enough trade exception.
Or maybe sign him and keep him until great trade is available. Need more than Tucker to defend Kawhi/PG and Lebron/Kuzma. Shump underrated because he was in MDA doghouse/injured during short time with Houston in regular season. Also was odd fit in Bzdelik switch D. Much better in man defense.
Justice Winslow to Houston would be an excellent return for a 1st rounder and Shump's contract, I just can't believe Riley parts with him or OKC wouldn't keep him to rebuild he is sign for 3 more seasons 13 mil. That is worth more than our picks. No doubt Morey would jump all over this young lefty.
This is kind of the point I was making. Teams are not trading for expiring contracts anymore. Most teams are not cutting expiring players to make room anymore either. If anything the market is the opposite, teams are taking on bad/expiring contracts to lessen other teams fees or allow them to sign free agents. The reason being so many teams are well below the cap. As of right now, with all the top free agents signed, mostly through cap space and all the teams facing the repeater tax already completed fire sales who would need to pay someone to not play. The time for trading away expiring contracts would be the before a big free agent period like the one that just passed, not after. Its hard to get updated info on team payrolls with all the action, but maybe I'm missing some teams. What teams need still need to cut salary? Who would they be cutting salary to sign/How much above the cap are they? There aren't many free agents worth blowing 12 or 13 mil for so I can't see. Also, if you were looking for expiring contracts, why not take more useful players like Dragic or Iguodala? Cutting Dwight Howard for 5 mil is one thing, but cutting someone for 13 mil hasn't happened much lately. Also not likely he would take less in a buyout than whatever he signed for.
OKC needs to get out of the tax. Justise is actually on a 2+1 player option. Justise either becomes a decent role player (opts in) or he breaks out and opts out in year 3 and commands a near max deal. If Barnes is getting 25+ plus a year, it's probably safe to say with another impending salary spike, Winslow is right there. Shumpert at 10.2 is an automatic 2.8 million less in pretax salary and maybe he's open to a buyout at a much lower number where they can actually duck the tax in this deal while getting compensated for it with picks.
OKC as it stands now, is merely 2.48 million over the tax. You can safely bet any trade they make involving Westbrook's 38million dollar salary will involve them taking back in less than 35 million. Remember the salary they send out can be 125% of the salary they take in (approx 31 million). Even without trading Westbrook, it will not be difficult for them to get under the tax. Just by giving away terrance ferguson (on his rookie contract) for nothing gets them under. Winslow's contract is a bargain at 2 year 26 million and according to spotrac, there is a TEAM option for the 3rd year also at 13 million. That's 3 year of team control at a bargain price considering what Ariza, Danny Green, Rubio & others have signed this offseason.
Getting slightly more optimistic that this is going to happen. If Shump was going to take a cheaper deal, he would have already.
I don't get Rockets fans infatuation with Winslow at all. The guy has been somewhat of a disappointment since he got drafted. His a solid defender and inconsistent three point shooter. I'd rather have Covington over Winslow. He's longer at 6'9 and his 3 pt shooting is more consistent than Winslow. Honestly, I probably would take Iggy over Winslow for his championship pedigree. Just not sure what everyone here sees in Winslow.
OKC might want to get out of the tax, but they will naturally drop below the line next year anyway to eliminate the repeater penalty. Even with the repeater tax, their bill right now would only be $5.5M for the upcoming season. Trading Grant got them into manageable luxury tax (about $40M in saving) and the chance they go back in to the tax any time soon is pretty limited so they don't have to play Fertitta games worrying about future ramifications. They aren't going to give up anything terribly useful without substantial return. Besides, they could structure any trade of Westbrook to drop total salaries just below the tax line.
He's younger at 23. Has Point Forward potential that is so valuable in today's NBA. Shooting 37.5% on threes for the past season with 256 attempts. Multiply those attempts by 2 and see what happens. Length for the 3. The ability to play the 3/4/5 in various styles. The ability to play off ball, or as the playmaker in a lineup. He's versatile. He's a Houstonian. He's been mostly healthy and his injuries have been unrelated to each other with nothing lingering from his labrum injury, wrist injury or knee injury that is too concerning. I've had enough of getting guys at the end of their prime, I want to watch someone entering their prime next to Harden. It lengthens our window and gives us a lot of options going forward. I honestly see potential in Gary Clark/Danuel House/Justise Winslow as a great small ball lineup in the short term future.
I am maybe the least optimistic person on this website, and you may very well be correct. It’s just interesting from a timing perspective at this point. If Shumpert was going to sign a lesser deal, it would have happened by now. It SEEEEEEEEMS like he is playing ball with Morey right now to benefit us and himself.
Don't do this to me. Don't Jim-Jones me. I will not drink the Kool Aid. I will not drink the Kool Aid.* *Actually, it was "Flavor Aid", but the famous saying stands, so...
I’d say it’s much more likely that nothing substantial happens and we either resign him with bird rights or just let him walk. But timing wise, it at least seems plausible.
I'm pretty much in agreement with this. I don't trust Fertitta to go over the tax unless we trade for Steph Curry; but, who knows?, maybe God did drown Pharaoh's army in the Red Sea. We can always have our own miracle. Maybe Shumpert hasn't received an offer from anyone that would better a sign-and-trade that would net him a sure-fire $13,200,000 in the first year (do I have the number right? avoiding BYC problems?), albeit nothing in subsequent years when he gets waived. But Shumpert has to be down with whatever sign-and-trade presented to him, and that's tricky.
He is young, versatile, 6'7", a good defender, good passer, good energy, and improves every year. His 3pt shooting is pretty good at this point too. Also he is a bargain. He pretty much does everything you would ask of a wing and is a Houstonian. I don't think he has been a disappointment, he was drafted on potential that he could develop a shot and has improved a lot since then. He is much better than Covington was at 23 as well.
he hasn't improved. he's pretty much the same player he was a year ago. he didn't make strides or make any significant jumps from last year compared to this year.
