I guess now would be a good time for Cleveland to get a serviceable point guard.

quote:

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The offer is for three years with a fourth-year team option that could make the contract worth up to $24 million. The Cavs are using a portion of their midlevel exception to sign Lowry. The Rockets have said they intend to match reasonable contract offers for Lowry.

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http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2010/07/cleveland_cavaliers_sign_guard.html

i would like for them to keep lowry

I am torn at re-signing Lowry for that amount. I assume Brooks is the long-term starter at PG. If you sign Lowry @ $6 Mil per, then you will have to sign Brooks starting at 8 Mil + or more. That's $14 Mil or more tied up in the PG spot. I think back-up PG's can be found pretty easily for around $3Mil per year, so Morey really needs to LOVE Lowry to pay him twice that amount to back-up Brooks.

Goodbye Kyle.

It doesn't make since to pay him that much to be a backup to Brooks.

I read elsewhere that we are interested in getting Rudy Fernandez (SG) from Portland. Rudy is very good friends with Ricky Rubio (PG) who Morey coveted in last years draft. Maybe we work a deal with the Cavs to get a trade exception for Lowry. Then we trade for Rudy and the rights to Rubio. Both would be cheap trades salary wise as Rudy is making less than $2M and Rubio is not signed. That would give us a lineup of...

Brooks/Rubio
Martin/Fernandez
Ariza/Battier/Budinger
Scola/Patterson
Yao/Hill

Still need to do some work to shore up the C spot but that is a damn good 1st & 2nd unit.

I think I've read we've been looking at a Fernandez/Pryzbilla trade with Portland.

That deal for Kyle Lowry's more than I'd want to pay him. We don't really have any other options at backup point guard and to be honest there are times when I prefer him over Brooks. Solid defender, gets into the land and to the free throw line, and he's tough and smart. Our team played best last year when brooks and lowry were on the court together.

i can't imagine morey not matching that offer sheet.

morey loves flexibility and that's not an outrageous offer. keeping kyle at a reasonable number gives him the freedom to shop brooks without necessarily demanding a PG in return.

I kinda hope we do not match it. I rather us get someone else.

I would not mind getting Rubio's rights from the Twolves but I have also heard how he won't be able to get out of playing in Europe this next season.

who else are you going to get that can do what kyle does for the rockets at this price?

you better earmark the MLE for a back-up 5.

rubio may be an option, but that's a year away at best and you'd have to do that through a trade, which will be easier to accomplish the more assets you have.

kyle at this price is, in my opinion, a good asset to have.

Replacement Back-up PG's that could be had for much less than $6M per year:

Shannon Brown
Patrick Mills
Carlos Arroyo
Acie Law


Or Morey could call up Minnesota and see what the want for Sessions. I hear they are trying to move him, and his contract is $4-4.5 Mil/Yr for the next 3 years.

Another idea...

- Trade Lowry to Cleveland for a trade exception (much like Morrow to NJ). Lowry gets his $$$ and a starting gig. Houston gets a trade piece (TE).
- Trade for Fernandez (Taylor & Harris + pick(s)) or maybe Fernandez & Pryzbilla (Battier/Jeffries + pick(s)). Solid backup SG and/or C.
- Sign Shaun Livingston as a combo PG/SG. He played for $200K last season and had good numbers in limited minutes. He won't be as explosive after his knee injury but at 6'7" and shooting better than 50% I think he would be a good risk.
- Sign Acie Law as a backup PG. Solid D, pass-first PG with clutch shooting. He has been in bad situations thus far in the NBA that have prevented him from showing what he brings to the table but he has shot just under 50% in very limited minutes. Should be able to pick him up cheap and groom him behind Brooks.
- Resign Scola
- If Pryzbilla is not included in the trade with Portland look for another C option (Brad Miller, Dampier after he is cut, Gortat, etc...)

Brooks/Livingston/Law
Martin/Fernandez/Livingston
Ariza/Budinger
Scola/Patterson/Hill/Hayes
Yao/Pryzbilla(or Trade/FA)/Hill/Hayes

Very solid squad with a ton of potential. Still have some pieces that could be moved (Battier/Jeffries, Hill) if the right deal comes along.


[This message has been edited by chjoak (edited 7/14/2010 12:24p).]

Law has been a very poor defensive player in the NBA.

I understand wanting an Aggie great on your hometown team, but come on...

Morey is keeping Lowry.

http://twitter.com/dmorey/status/18539833098

I would prefer not to match. That is overpaying.

I'm feeling pretty good now about getting Fisher for 3.5 per and Blake for 4...6 mil for a back-up PG? Ouch.

Somewhere in Jersey, Jordan Farmar should be crying...

Actually from what I read the deal is actually closer to $4-5M/yr for 3 yrs with the 4th being a team option for the remainder. Not a great deal but not horrible. I have a feeling that Morey pulled the trigger because he sees Lowery as a potential replacement for Brooks in a year or 2. That deal for a starter will be quite good. Worst case if he continues playing well he should be a very movable contract for someone that does see him as a starter.

[This message has been edited by chjoak (edited 7/14/2010 2:40p).]

Well that's quite a blow to Dan Gilbert's guarantee to win a title before the Heat do.

Up next: TMac and A.I.

I guess this is how Morey plans to approach all RFA's. See what their market value is and then match. That way you don't bid against yourself for the player, and you always pay at the market rate, instead of above it. He did the same thing with Landry.

Now the question becomes, what happens when someone out there truly overpays for a Rockets RFA (like Scola). How will Morey react?

quote:

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See what their market value is and then match. That way you don't bid against yourself for the player, and you always pay at the market rate, instead of above it. He did the same thing with Landry.

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The open market in the NBA netted:
Gilbert Arenas 6y/111mm
Joe Johnson 6y/123mm
Elton Brand 5y/80mm
Rashard Lewis 6y/111mm
Hedo Turkeyglue 5y/53mm
Darius Miles 6y/48mm
Antwan Jamison 4y/50mm
Bobby Simmons 4y/47mm
Peja 5y/64mm
Eddy Curry 6y/60mm
Ben Wallace 4y/60mm
Raef LaFrenz 7y/70mm
Jermaine ONeal 7y/126mm
Tracy McGrady 7y/126mm
Brian Grant 7y/86mm
Juwan Howard 7y/105mm
Vin Baker 7y/86mm
Allan Houston 6y/100mm
Kenyon Martin 6y/90mm
Austin Croshere 7y/60mm
Jerome James 6y/30mm
Stephon Marbury 4y/76mm
Keith Van Horn 6y/76mm
Bryant Reeves 6y/64mm

You want the guys that did that to set the market rate for Rockets free agents?

The Rockets matched the contract:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/7108115.html

quote:

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You want the guys that did that to set the market rate for Rockets free agents?

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Morey did the same thing with Carl Landry a few years ago, and it worked out fine. Until he gives me a reason to not trust him, I'll stick to the thought that he knows what he's doing.

Scola is just going to take any numbers we offered and run to the other teams to get a more lucrative offer sheet anyway, so why not let them come up with the numbers and maybe you save some money in the end? I don't see how waiting to offer him hurts us one bit.

If some team is willing to vastly overpay, we wouldn't be able to match. Morey waiting doesn't effect that. All these guys were going to wait until the big time free agents signed to do anything anyway, and then they make their move when the dust settles and it's apparent who has money left to spend.

The deal there is that all those players listed were young guys in their prime and had 'upside' or where established go to guys on their team.

Scola is a bit different. He is a solid hard working type A blue collar player. He is about to be 30. He is great rotation player but is not skilled enough to be a go too offensive guy on any consistent basis and his defensive ability is suspect.

I love the guy, he's great locker room guy, a pros pro. Gets the most out of his talent, he just not the type of splash FA that is going get you over the top or put backsides in the seats and he is about to be 30.

I see him getting a 3 to 4 year deal at around 28-30 mil from the Rocks.

quote:

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The deal there is that all those players listed were young guys in their prime and had 'upside' or where established go to guys on their team.

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Bullllllllllllllllsheet.

Peja wasn't in his prime when he signed with New Orleans. Elton Brand wasn't in his prime when he signed with Philly. Ben Wallace wasn't in his prime when he signed with Chicago. Jamison wasn't in his prime when he signed with Washington....

Good deal for the now-starting PG for the Rockets.

Good find in the archives

what a snag