The Rockets waived Danuel House on Tuesday in part because they don’t need him as much now that their roster is a little healthier. However, the team had another motive for making the move, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle, who reports that the Rockets may use the open roster spot to facilitate a trade.
As Feigen explains, Houston would like to make a deal by this Friday in order to have the option of including a newly-acquired player in a second trade before this season’s February 7 deadline.
NBA rules don’t prevent an over-the-cap team from flipping a newly-acquired player immediately, but they do prohibit the team from aggregating that player’s salary with other salaries in a second trade within two months of that player being acquired. So if the Rockets were to trade for a player on Saturday, the team wouldn’t be able to include him in a larger package for salary-matching purposes later in the season.
For instance, let’s say the Rockets trade this week for a player who is earning $7MM. Then, at the trade deadline, the club wants to acquire a player making $12.75MM. A taxpaying team like Houston is permitted to take back up to 125% of the salary it sends out in a trade, so trading that $7MM player along with, say, Marquese Chriss ($3.21MM) at the deadline would allow the Rockets to take back $12.75MM. However, that $7MM player could only be packaged along with Chriss for salary-matching purposes if he’s acquired by December 7, two months before the deadline.
It’s not clear which player(s) the Rockets might be targeting at this point, but the team has long been said to be seeking wing help. If the club does make a move within the next couple days, it’s worth keeping in mind that December 7 “deadline” as an important reason why.
If the Rockets don’t make a move this week, that 15th roster spot will likely be earmarked for Gary Clark, who figures to receive a promotion from his two-way contract at some point in the not-too-distant future. Houston also figures to open up another roster slot when the team eventually waives or trades Carmelo Anthony, and House could be a candidate to re-sign at some point, Feigen notes.
I’d love to see the Suns rake them over the coals for Ariza.
6ers will get Ariza
If the 76ers were to end up trading Fultz for half a season of Trevor Ariza it would be very sad.
Fultz is a bust. I think 76ers fans need to realize that.
I hope they take kcp off our hands.
Stop having these stupid rules. Either have a salary cap or not and make teams stick to it.
Haha! I was thinking the same thing! There are way too many exceptions
I personally think the rules and trade exceptions make it more fun to follow as a fan. I also think it rewards create cap management by front offices. Am I in the minority here on this?
*creative
You get a thumbs up from me, if only for your excellent user name.
It may be fun for you but I think for the average person the NBA system is convoluted and difficult to grasp.
I would like to see a ban on trades with conditional second-round picks. The stakes are not high enough in r2 for that much complexity. Trade the pick or not, GM
Robin Lopez fits the bill
Many of us said last summer that Rocket fans underestimated how important Ariza and Mauh were to that team and now it’s obvious to EVERYONE. Harden is such a joke as a defender, he doesn’t even pretend to try. Melo was a terrible addition, another prediction made by many of us. CP3 isn’t getting any younger. Capella has regressed a ton after getting paid, this team is done. They’re tiny window closed last year after choking against the Warriors.
Called this after they let all there perimeter defense go. They are done.
Strong on the wing is all the rage in the NBA now.
6-4 to 6-8 Shooters slashers Defenders.
You got to have a couple of those guys to get anywhere today. Lack of such is one reason why Portland hasn’t/won’t go far in the playoffs.
Capela has not regressed from last year. In fact, he has probably improved some.
Odd how the Rockets rise and fall with 3rd guard Eric Gordon. He is having a terrible year and Houston is 13th! I don’t think he can bail them out anymore. Brandon Knight has just started playing again, in the Gleague.
I would move Gordon and Knight for Otto Porter and Tomas Satorinsky. The money works.
Charlotte might deal Marvin Williams or MKGilchrist for a first, a second and Knight. They don’t need Gordon. Gilchrist is 25 and having his best year, albeit off the bench.
I predict they will pry Shumpert from Sacto though I don’t know what the Kings want.