***Official 2009 Houston Rockets Off-Season Thread***

Originally posted by sarpp:

Originally posted by AB83Rules:
2010 offseason will be a interesting one for the rox.

with the only guys under contract;

YAO(Has Player option)
Battier(Last yr of his contract)
Landry(Last yr as well)
Brooks(Team Option)
Dorsey(Team Option)
Hayes(Team Option)
Lowry(RFA Offer)
Budinger(Rookie Deals)
Taylor(Rookie Deals)

and we would be at about 37.5M in commited salaries before any other moves for 2009, most likely Artest signed in 2009.

Then we could trade a few for Amare, maybe a 1st, TMAC, Landry and a filler like hayes or one of the draftees.

Then still have some cash, to sign a vet.

I have to admit I love our team for next year...great starting lineup, plus good youthful depth off the bench.

PG-Brooks/Lowry
SG-T-Mac/Battier/White/Taylor
SF-Artest/Landry/Budinger
PF-Scola/Hayes/Cook
C-Yao/FA Signing/Dorsey

Doubt Taylor makes the team, Yaos out and Whit meh. Artest might not resign Wafer might not resign we could be in trouble guys

Artest Wants To Remain In Houston, With Or Without Yao
Jun 30, 2009 9:08 PM EST

Ron Artest's agent David Bauman said Yao Ming's condition has not changed his clients desire to return to the Rockets next season.

"Our first choice is to do a deal with Houston, Bauman said. Yao's situation doesn't change that. It has not affected us one way or another.

"He's concerned more for Yao than anything."

Bauman said that he and Artest are confident that if Yao does miss much or all of next season, the Rockets have the depth and roster flexibility to make moves without stepping back to rebuild.

"The beauty of what Daryl (Morey, the Rockets general manager) has done, is the Rockets are not just Yao Ming," Bauman said. "They are Ron. They are Aaron (Brooks). They are Shane (Battier) And they are (Luis) Scola. That's the great thing about this team. They can fire on five or six different cylinders."

Morey just tweeted or twatted or whatever that he's set to meet w/Gortat.

Originally posted by LA9erFan:
Morey just tweeted or twatted or whatever that he's set to meet w/Gortat.

To Tweet or not to tweet...

Originally posted by LA9erFan:
Morey just tweeted or twatted or whatever that he's set to meet w/Gortat.

Originally posted by LA9erFan:
Morey just tweeted or twatted or whatever that he's set to meet w/Gortat.

Sweet, id love Gortat in Houston.

Originally posted by AB83Rules:

Originally posted by LA9erFan:
Morey just tweeted or twatted or whatever that he's set to meet w/Gortat.

Sweet, id love Gortat in Houston.

Better dump that T-Mac contract!

Originally posted by AB83Rules:

Originally posted by LA9erFan:
Morey just tweeted or twatted or whatever that he's set to meet w/Gortat.

Sweet, id love Gortat in Houston.

I guess, if there's nothing else out there. I'm not a fan of Euro big men, still think they're all pretty soft, but I haven't seen this Borat guy play enough, just going off history. I certainly wouldn't break the bank for him.

bye bye Artest, Hello Ariza

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4303862

So with today's moves, what is the Rockets lineup looking like?

Brooks-Battier-Ariza-Scola-....

Originally posted by SacRock14:
So with today's moves, what is the Rockets lineup looking like?

Brooks-Battier-Ariza-Scola-....

yeah, not scary at all, lol.

this would be our roster IMO.

Brooks
Lowry
TMAC
Battier
Ariza
Scola
Hayes
Landry
YAO
Taylor
Budinger
Dorsey

Do you like the Ariza signing for your team? I'm looking at it, and I'm not sure that he was your best option.

He's young and maybe he develops a more complete offensive game, but for the time being, he seems somewhat similar to Battier's role on the team. And right now, you need offensive firepower.

As a Laker fan, I can tell you that you guys overpayed for Ariza. Besides shooting some 3's and a fastbreak offense, he doesn't offer too much else, you will be lucky if he will average 15ppg.

He's more of an energizer player; you need to have a good cast around him, which obviously the Rockets don't have anymore...but thanks for Artest

i look at it as this, Artest screwed us IMO, and ariza was the best choice after losing artest, no one else was worth the money, Hedo wasnt coming for the MLE, he is heading to POR for 7-9m a yr. While Odom IMO is old and wants to return to LA, so this was the best choice.

Yeah, the 33.5m over 5 yrs is alot, but he is a good young player, plus we have now like 42m in commited salaries for 09-10 season/offseason, meaning we can add a big name, and if Yao is done, and we get his contract off the books, then we could be looking at 2 big name guys, maybe Amare Stoudemire and a Guard.

as of now with Ariza's deal, we have 71m in commited salaries for 09 season.

after this year, the following come off the books,

McGrady- $23.3m
Cook- $3.5m
Scola- $3.375m
Barry- $2.062m

while we can always turn down Hayes($2.301M) and Landry($3M) Team Options.

as of now and after projecting Ariza's terms, at just over $6.4m for 2010, we have 43.7m in commited salaries, and the cap should rise to 60-62m in 2010.

Leaving us around $16.3m-$18.3m under the 2010 cap. Then if YAO opts out, we save 17m there, the salaries look like this.

YAO- $17M Team Option
Battier- $7.354m
Ariza- $6.4m
Landry- $3m Team Option
Hayes- $2.301m Team Option
Lowry- $2.975M RFA Offer
Brooks- $2.016m Team Option
Dorsey- $946k Team Option
White- $1.016m Team Option

if Taylor and Budinger survive, then they would have salaries in the neighborhood of $780k each.