Whether you think that returning to relevance can be a quick process or this is going to be a decade long rebuild, I think everyone agrees that the Summer of 2023 is vitally important to the Rocket's future. That Summer Wall, Wood, Gordon, KPJ and Tate are each free agents leaving the Rockets with significant cap space. They hold 2 first round picks in the 2023 draft too but beginning the following year those are either likely to be conveyed to OKC or subject to swaps until 2027. All of this brings me to next season. I think the Rockets need to be primed to take a step toward respectability next season such that they might be able to sell a free agent or 2 on the prospects of coming on board in the Summer of 2023. To that end I ask you Rockets fanatics, what do you think the Rockets should do for next year to position themselves best in 2023? Me first: Trade Wood + Brooklyn frp (currently 16) to Portland for Bledsoe (nonguaranteed) and their frp (currently 9) Free agency I would kick the tires on Jalen Smith using the Theis savings (in actuality it would be NT MLE). At worst he would be insurance for Garuba as a backup 5 but Id like to see what he could do with an opportunity playing the 4 next to Sengun. He is the type of long and rangy guy the Rockets should be looking for up front. Not sold on him long term but think he has potential and would just be a lottery ticket honestly. Draft In this scenario I want the Rockets to walk out of the draft with either Paolo and Kendall Brown if they keep a top 3 pick or if they fall to 4, 5, or 6 I would want AJ Griffin and Tari Eason. In the first scenario I love the offensive fit of Banchero with Green and Sengun and Brown can cover for some defense deficiencies between Paolo and Green. I might actually prefer to get Griffin and Eason (who I view as having Patrick Williams type potential). KPJ, Green and Sengun would need to carry the offense for the most part but Eason and Griffin would be nice defensively and cover for Sengun and Green. 2022/2023 Roster 1 - KPJ/Nix 2 - Green/Christopher/Gordon (traded at deadline) 3 - Griffin/Tate/Mathews 4 - Smith/Eason/Martin 5 - Sengun/Garuba
At some point we have to consolidate some of our young talent. And I agree that we have to look like a team that’s on the rise next year. I am very worried that won’t happen absent some strong moves from Stone THIS offseason. Tate is my favorite active rocket but if he can’t develop a 3 pts shot we may want to think about trading him. We do have some flexibility cause he’s an RFA and no one is likely to come over the top of us. Wood has actually damaged our team development and is in the last year of his deal; he needs to be moved this offseason. EG is also an expiring contract who most agree needs to be moved this offseason. We have a little more time to see if KPJ is worth a big contract, If the rockets don’t feel like its working and that he’s gonna be too expensive, we need to trade him this offseason as well. I think KPJ might be worth holding onto because he actually has made some progress. So I’m hoping Stone gets aggressive dealing some vets and picks, and lands a young building block this offseason. He also needs to consolidate our young talent for additional assets. And he needs to knock our first draft pick out of the park.
agree with almost everything . I think its a question how many teams will give KPJ big money too ? can we give him enough , but not too much ( both from a risk standpoint and from a helping KPJ standpoint ... if he has negative thoughts the smaller contract is less pressure, it could still be enough money )
Portland deal is not farfetched considering that they are going to continue building around Dame. Wood playing with Nurkic would probably fair a lot better. I think there is definitely a deal to be had with Portland since they aren't trying to rebuild.
Yeah, Portland and Washington are the 2 teams I'd like to see a deal with. Each team has a pick I'd like (in exchange for the Brooklyn pick) and each is trying to keep their star guard happy with win now players. I think Wood, Tate and, to a lesser extent, Gordon make sense going out.
Dejounte Murray Dejounte Murray Dejounte Murray He is the young vet floor leader this team needs for so many reasons After flirting with a triple-double in his breakout season, I assumed this ship had sailed ... Until the deadline firesale Now it looks as though SAS are finally committed to the overdue full rebuild Murray is the prize that could fetch a haul to really jumpstart those efforts If I'm Stone, this is the guy I go all-in to accelerate the youth development and teach the pups how to compete Outside of Green, Sengun and our top pick this draft, every player and pick is on the table Can't see how Wood, KPJ or Tate appeal to them Nor Gary EGo's expiring is a perfect match, and he could be flipped again at the deadline to add more picks Garuba or Josh (or both if they insist) Really like KMJ as our backup 4, but I won't pass on Dejounte over him Love Kendall Brown too with later FRP, but I'm sure they would insist on this pick Add another FFRP or swap from Nets after 2023 We'd have to eat some light filler to match $'s So, my final best offer for Dejounte this summer: - EGo - 2 from Garuba / Josh / KMJ (all 3 if they really squeeze) - 22 later FRP - 24-26 Nets pick or swap Is that an overpay? I don't think so This guy is a 2way superstar, well-schooled in the 'Spurs Way', on a bargain contract, and just entering his prime As a bonus, this move also allows us to move KPJ back out to the wing, and hand him the keys to the bench unit (the role I believe he is best-suited for long-term) Finding a taker for Wood would be great too Maybe rekindle those PJ Wash talks this summer? Draft your new star PF, in this order of preference: Jabari Chet Paulo For the cherry on top, work out a S&T deal with ORL for RFA Mo Bamba Sengun / Bamba Jabari / PJ Tate / KPJ Green / Gary Dejounte / Nix That's a squad that can take a huge leap forward next year ... Assuming they have a new, competent head coach to lead them Then, in 2023, with Wall off the books, we go big game hunting with a Max slot for the final centerpiece to complete the rebuild, and vault into contender status for 2024 playoffs Maybe the murcurial Kawhi Leonard has soured on his homecoming by then ..? Or Jimmy Butler wants to finally come home ..? Either would push this team over the top as a legit championship threat
I'd like to see them fill some holes and try to even out the roster next year and really make some strides. I'd like to see some moves like these in order to eliminate some of the chaos out on the court. Using the Tankathon mock draft, the Rockets are currently projected to draft Paolo Banchero and Nikola Jovic, so I will work under that assumption. Trade 1: Christian Wood + David Nwaba for John Collins Atlanta's offseason moves did not work out so well, so this gives them some very good players that may work a little better with the others they already have in place without completely blowing it up. Collins did not seem happy with his role, so the Hawks may see getting rid of his contract a dodged bullet. Very similar production here, but the Rockets get a little younger and get that production at a consistent price for the next few years. Contract would end at the same time as Banchero's rookie deal. Trade 2: Garuba + pick (any of the futures) for Daniel Gafford Gafford has an extension that kicks in after next year, but it is still pretty reasonable. This is strictly to add length and get some rim protection (he's never attempted a 3). Should still be a moveable contract down the road, and if not, it would expire when it's time to extend Sengun. I like the idea of Dejounte Murray, but I'm sure the Spurs rebuild will be done around him, not include him. I'd like to get a PG upgrade, but I'm not sure who it would be, though there are still plenty of assets at out disposal. Until they figure it out, I think they should give the starting job to Wall for the season until they can find a team willing to bake a chance due to injury or desperation. Trade him at the first opportunity and buy him out if necessary after the deadline. Or go with the Westbrook trade and extract a pick or two from LA. Wall/Nix Green/Christopher EGO/KPJ Collins/Banchero Gafford/Sengun
Hopefully we can extend Schroder because we don't have enough tiny guards. We need to make sure he gets at least 25 mins per game, and if that means that Christopher doesn't get to play or that Green gets the ball less, then that is A-OK because Schroder is our future and it makes total sense to be giving him big minutes. Anyway, yeah, no way we're getting Murray. Like..non. I haven't made up my mind on who I want to draft, but it will probably be whoever I think is BPA. Not worried about fit with Green/Sengun/KPJ yet because none of those guys have shown they should be a franchise guy. I also hope we trade EGo and Wood this off-season, and I expect those deals to be for role players and picks - not for a young, good player like Collins.
