While Jimmy Butler is the Rockets‘ “dream addition,” the team has its eye on a number of other potential targets in free agency, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic.
[RELATED: Rockets to pursue sign-and-trade for Jimmy Butler]
A source with knowledge of the Rockets’ plans tells Amick that Danny Green, Jeremy Lamb, Al-Farouq Aminu, DeAndre Jordan, Brook Lopez, and Kevon Looney are among the veteran free agents that have piqued the club’s interest.
General manager Daryl Morey has indicated that the Rockets would like to add a third star to complement James Harden and Chris Paul, whose supposedly “unsalvageable” relationship was referred to as “fake news” by P.J. Tucker within Amick’s story. Multiple reports have identified Butler as the team’s most likely target.
However, there are a number of roadblocks standing in the way of acquiring Butler — the Sixers would have to agree to a sign-and-trade, a third team would likely have to be involved due to Base Year Compensation rules, and Houston’s ability to fill out a roster around Harden, Paul, and Butler would be extremely limited due to a hard cap. And, of course, Butler would have to want to go to Houston badly enough to try to make it all work.
If the Rockets strike out on Butler, they’re more likely to simply operate as an over-the-cap team and make use of the mid-level exception to add another rotation player to their core. Depending on the club’s proximity to the tax apron, that mid-level could either be worth about $9.25MM (full) or $5.71MM (taxpayer).
That’s where the free agents listed above would come in to play, though even some of those guys – including Green, Lamb, and Lopez – may be out of reach with the mid-level (especially the taxpayer MLE) unless they’re willing to take a bit of a discount. All the players named by Amick will be unrestricted free agents this summer.
Why take a discount to go to rockets feud? Playing with harden can’t be fun…especially in the 4th quarter.
There is no feud. the dude for Yahoo is a hack.
Yes, it was all made up. No story there. Chris Paul isn’t overpaid. James Harden doesn’t take too many shots. Mike D’Antoni is not a gimmicky clown coach. Daryl Morey really thinks about all the moves he tries to make and is not impulsive. Keep the faith.
Go read Shams report. and then waste more time backing up a hack like a clown.
Why would that story be made up? The Rockets aren’t that interesting and they really aren’t a contending team. I could see a made up story about GSW, because of the players they have or a made up story about one of the the large market darlings like LAL, NYK, or BOS. Is a has been like Paul so interesting that stories need to be made up about him or Houston for that matter. Houston is a joke. Look how Morey runs your front office. If you ran your personal finances like Houston runs their franchise, you’d be on the street. Look at successful NBA franchises and then look at Houston. Note the differences.
Rockets won’t strike out with JB. To strike out you have to be at bat. They need size/length on the wing, I get it, but they don’t have the $$ to shop in that aisle.
Jeremy Lamb back to Houston, DLo back to LA, what’s next? Melo back to NY?
They could not live with their own failure.
I don’t think they need a drastic change with their biggest (GS)obstacle out of the way. Add some depth and give it another shot.
This team is done. Chris Paul is done and they’re capped out for three years. Bye bye Rockets.
The west is wide open this year. There not done yet.
They’re not a good team, They’re done
Yeah that’s ridiculous.
Your team is ridiculous.
no mention of PJ Tucker calling out the fakenews propaganda? convenient to omit that fun story
Houston,
Does the word and/or concept of “fit” mean anything to you? Every year, Houston’s huckster GM is interested in every free agent. Notice the teams that constantly chase free agents every offseason as opposed to grooming some of their own talent seldom ever win.