Will the salary cap allow $70 million a year players by then? What kind of cap is that? Sounds more like no limits baby!
Very good question. Which is why I didnt put Sengun and Green in my "For Sure column." Im not sold that the Rockets will offer them both maximum salaries. Maybe Green because he's a top level scorer but I cant see Sengun as of yet.
Definites: Green - I think he emerges as a top 10 scorer in the league over the next 2 years. He probably never gets better than competent/average on defense, but I think he plays hard regardless of lack of ability there and reverts to the hard working kid he was touted as since before the draft. Might not actually be the most impactful player on the squad but will probably be seen as the star because of flashy scoring numbers. Smith - I think he's got the second most offensive potential after Jalen (you can see he's going to be able to drive and throw it down on people, and his body is great. He's not going to struggle inside and projects to be a lethal midrange shooter with a solid 3 ball) and the most defensive potential period of anybody currently on the roster. I think he becomes our most impactful player at some point but will be less flashy than either Sengun, Amen or Jalen so won't be seen as the star. Sengun - I think he probably becomes passable from 3 and long range mid but he mostly makes his living in closer, with lots more playmaking and solid/average defense. I don't think he'll ever have the consistent scoring potential of Bari or Jalen, but he'll have games where his inside scoring will go off and he'll put up the occasional monster game. I think with Amen featuring big as a playmaker he probably averages 7-10 assists earlier on and then levelling out to more in the 6-8 assist range the more Amen emerges. I think his extra height and more coaching will mean he's never a defensive monster, but he probably becomes serviceable in drop coverage especially. Thompson - I think he emerges as a top-tier defensive PG who scores a lot of transition buckets and racks up assists. 6'7 Westbrook with better D seems like a pretty fair comp tbh. Could see him being the leader of the team and able to go off as a high flyer but not quite the ceiling of Green or Bari who could be scoring monsters. I think he'll be a closer by shutting down the opposition more than making the insane shots which will be where Jalen and Bari excel. Tari - I think he's somewhere inbetween a young Rodman-lite and Artest. He'll be our glue guy, probably one of Ime's favourite players overall and probably a bigtime fan favourite Maybes: KPJ - Depends on where he goes from here. I'm rooting for him, I think the organisation really does mean a lot to him and I'd love for him to be a long-term Rockets roleplayer like an Eric Gordon or a Luis Scola type rather than him going the journeyman route or out of the league. It's just too unknown now because of his past. He's got a lot to offer though, so if he buys in then great. Whitmore - He's a truck. Nice looking shot too to be fair to him. Needs to learn to play team ball, but he's got the body where I could see him becoming what Stone wanted Christopher to be. Actually looks like he has the potential to be more than that, we'll see how that goes because he's brand new so it's too early to tell definitively.
New TV deal is supposed to shoot it to 170Ms+ after next season. Yes you will see a 70M annual salary soon.
Your list is disgustingly bad but if Green can't become a +35% shooter from behind the arc and can't become an overally efficient bber we should move on from him. If it comes to that point yes i'd keep KPJ instead because he's an extremely reliable shooter and we need shooters.
