Moving KD is just not enough to materially improve the odds in the future without making hard choices (i.e., trading young players). Amen, Reed, and/or Sengun are going to be good enough, or they aren't. I think the Rockets are going to need a trade, but that means they likely need to have a team ready for the trade at all times, or they need to tank for which they can't do with Amen, Reed, and Sengun.
man I think we are just talking past each other. I never said moving KD would be enough or that they wouldn’t have to make some tough decisions re trading some prospects. In fact the opposite. But I believe that we can and must create a package that gets us a young star to build around. Whether that’s a Halliburton type trade or a star prospect in the draft, is less important than accomplishing the task. I believe it’s our GM’s job to do so.
If I was the GM, here would be my goals for the offseason: 1. Gauge a Giannis trade, but I'm not breaking the bank and mortgaging the future the get him. Giannis, and KD alone are not winning you a title. 2. (assuming no Giannis trade) Shop Sengun for a rim running center, and a perimeter playmaker. Unlikely there's a deal that makes sense given the cost of Sengun, but I think you gotta at least kick the can for a young rim running center and young perimeter player to get players that fit your core better moving forward. 3. (assuming no Giannis trade) I certainly wouldn't make it publicly known, but would let it be known that if someone really wants KD, they can make an offer. Otherwise I'm perfectly fine keeping him to run it back. All else fails... likely .... Operation Run it back: 4. Try to get into the draft to bring in some more prospects to fill out the bench & add depth without giving up a future 1st. We have 1 second from the Bulls but I'd like to make a deal to move off of a contract or something to get another late 1st. 5. Use the MLE to add a perimeter scorer. Looking for a 6th man scorer type who you can run the offense through in short spurts to take the load off of the main guys when KD, Amen, Reed, Sengun, etc. need a rest or to come off the ball a bit. 6. Look to add another veteran assistant coach who can help with the offense 7. Be able to live with another team overpaying Tari, and letting him walk. I love Tari, but I just don't think the org can risk the future dead salary if he has more years like this one. Match his salary if you can get him back on a bargain. Long story short is I'm not looking to overhaul this roster, but there are some pretty important decisions to make regardless. I think overall this team next year is likely to look similar but there are things you can do to make a big impact. Of course if the big things happen (Giannis, Sengun trade, or KD trade) then that changes the calculus, but while I think it would be nice to make either of those 3 deals, it's highly unlikely IMO.
You fellas don't think that KD will ask out? Can't reasonate with your theories involving KD. I reckon he'll be gone. What I'm interested about is whether Ime stays. Keep hearing that he's not in hot seat. Why the hell not?
Nothing will change as long as the Fertitta family is here, Stone is a quitter, KD is a chemistry killer and Ime's a r****d.
I know someone has low bball feel when I see them saying we should build around Amen. Guy is just athletic and a good defender. Mid handles can’t dribble no bag on offense. Cut and dunk merchant. I love Amen but we have to be realistic here. Amen and Reed aren’t beating OKC or the Spurs what kind of drugs are people here smoking??
I feel sorry for those who think there's a light at the end of the tunnel as long as the Fertitta family own this team. Just like it did me, reality is going to hit them like a freight train one day.
Dude isn't even allowed to be an all world defender anymore. Like I dont even know how a supposed defensive coach can somehow make a rookie all world defender, worse defensively. But Udoka sure has done it against all odds.
just curious is it possible to trade any of our players to a team with the top draft picks next season, since the next draft is amazing according to national media, lots of corner stone guys, maybe if we get trade KD for the top pick next year
There is no one on the Rockets roster someone with a top 3 pick will trade for. Period. People want high ceiling fluid scorers like Cade Cunningham in that range, not complementary pieces. The safe option would be to shop Sengun for a talented defensive big like Donovan Clingan and a mid 1st rounder, if the Blazers would be willing to do that. Then start looking for scorers like Derozan who don't have much trade value but can score efficiently. At this point, you'd be lucky to get a 2nd rounder for Durant but more likely you'd have to give up assets to get rid of his contract. Teams know who he is and what stage of his career he's in. The Rockets are stuck with him and the expensive Udoka unless they're willing to get nothing in return. The point to trading him would be to stockpile better draft picks for a couple years while the young core develops. Thompson, Reed, Smith have trade value to varying degrees, but not for a top 3 draft pick. They are all #3-5 options so don't expect them to carry the load, don't give them big contracts. A good comparison for Thompson is a slightly better Jaden McDaniels, who received a 5 year, $136 extension. Keep thompson under $30 million a year, if he wants star money shop him.
Omg this thread is so stupid. We have only gotten blown out in a handful of games so far. We also lost like 10 or 12 games we should have won. We had some bad luck… FVV going down, Adams, and DFS sucking. I say run it back healthy and definitely add another legit 3 & D player, wouldn’t mind bringing back dillon the villain… a healthy squad with added experience Reed and rest for Alpi just might do the trick.
you don’t have to have a top 3 pick in this draft to get a star. Yes, we should do what we can to get a top 7 pick. I think we could get something for KD but it’s probably the equivalent of a mid-1st rounder. But packaging that and other player/pick assets should give us a chance to find a star in this draft. I’d also do as the other poster suggests and go after ascending plsyers like Clingan if they can be had. These are the things a good GM woukd do. It’s literally Stone’s job to take his asset accumulation and turn that into a star player. If he can’t do that he’s failed at his job. It’s magical thinking to believe that running it back with Fred and Steveo will make us a contender. Can u imagine putting all our eggs in that basket for two seasons in a row, now with even more risk of injury? That would be the height of incompetence. Not as incompetent as trying to build around kp, but still.
KD and his whole burner story plus his unfortunate gig in Phoenix probably tanked his value with middling teams a bit...... And the real contenders are not wanting to disrupt their chemistry. He is not getting any younger or better at dribbling and playing defense. The only teams I see wanting that Short cut are teams like the Bucks and maybe Lakers(they don't have assets), outsiders like the Heat.
The guy has changed teams quite a bit and he says himself he’s motivated by his legacy at this point… so I honestly would doubt it, but I mean it wouldn’t be overly shocking. If it does happen then Stone better demand that his agent work his magic to get the rockets back some assets because they were one of the few teams last summer that offered to trade for him with an extension on the table. The rockets got such a good deal for him because so few teams wanted to extend him. That should be noted by Stone to his agent that he owes them a solid. That being said I think KD will be fine running it back with a full roster as I think any star player would look at this year with only a 7 man rotation and want to see what if looks like with a full roster. The summer of 27 I do think it’s likely KD gets traded as a big expiring unless (hopefully) things go right next season and he wants to give it one last run the last season of his deal before he likely retires.
He could legitimately change it to .....I got 3-4 years left and I want to make the most money I can...... KD has lost mobility and speed ......yeah it is a fast lane league. He said his goal are the Olympics in 2028 therefore you would sure see him play until 2028/29.----- Expansion time/Barring injuries.
Well the only one that has any say so in that is his body. He’ll be 41 or 42 I think in 2028. That’s about how old I am now and I can only imagine how much harder it is to avoid injuries when you are 7 feet tall. He can have whatever goals he wants but at his age and his height, it’s a year by year thing I’m sure.
