Morey Swings A Winner: Hill, Coveted Draft Picks Traded To Houston
by Tom Martin on Feb 18, 2010 2:55 PM CST
in News
Email
PrintConsider last year's Kyle Lowry trade A New Hope, a change from old to new. That makes the Kevin Martin deal the Empire Strikes Back of the group, utter brilliance coupled with a swift punch to the gut. And to top it off, to answer any remaining questions, we have the Jordan Hill trade, the ultimately satisfying Return of the Jedi that makes the entire ordeal an absolute masterpiece. Could we think of a better pairing than George Lucas and our own general manager?
Bravo, Daryl Morey. My goodness, bravo.
This is why Landry was ultimately traded. This is why we didn't try to entice anything more out of Sacramento other than contracts. This is why Sergio Rodriguez wasn't worth it. And ultimately, this is why we took on Jared Jeffries.
It's because of Jordan Hill, and a couple of draft picks that could help solidify our place among the league's best for years to come. It's absolutely worth the bad contract in Jeffries. 100 times out of 100. Best of all, once that bad contract leaves, assuming we don't want to keep him, we're still youthful and still competitive, and able to go after even more talent in either free agency or on the trade market.
I have only two concerns for the Rockets for now - they are with the team itself, not with the trade. Because I really, really like the trade.
For one, this probably means the end of Luis Scola. When this summer approaches and Scola and Kyle Lowry are up, I can't see Morey passing on his cheaper golden boy to bring back a 30 year-old Scola, when Hill will be hopefully taking the slot in a year or two. I'll miss Scola, assuming this is the end. But it's for a good cause.
Secondly, we can't assume that this is going to work right away. Brooks, Landry, Battier, the core of yesterday's team; they all grew up together as Rockets. They learned to play together, figured out who was good at what, and developed unparalleled chemistry. And the chemistry spread throughout the locker room, forming one of the most tightly-knit, resilient rosters in recent memory.
So give it some time. But celebrate, fans. Our GM just pulled off a heist for the ages.
Update: Here is a look at our salary structure for 2010-2011, courtesy of Xiane:
David Thorpe, Kevin Martin's trainer discusses the deal at length on ESPN
107 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Morey
Should have a statue outside the Toyota Center.
by mob16151 on Feb 18, 2010 1:46 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
Let's not get greedy.
Besides the man recorded a goal tend, block, dunk and coast-to-coast last night. In a blowout, yes, but… dont’ get greedy.
Significant gravitas shortfall expected in 2010.
not try keep beating the dead horse
but 1 for 5, my mom can do better than that… :B
he personally drag down the shooting % for the whole team from 70% to 58%…. on the other hand, he did got 100% made FT…. maybe he can just teach TA instead of going on court…..
don't bully me, i am from the D(etroit)!!!
Let's not get ahead of ourselves
I don’t see any rings on his fingers. While I love what Morey does from a stat standpoint I am still waiting to see this actually work.
It's a series of moves that make a lot of sense
given each team’s goals.
Whether or not NY’s goals are realistic is another matter entirely.
Still, this is a good example for everyone about the fallacy of “winning” trades
not good for everyone.
very very good for houston.
ok for Sac and NY. NY has gutted it’s team, the chance that they will get any of the big three is very slim. they will end up overpaying for good NOT great players.
Sac now has cap room. GREAT.. None of the top free agents want to go to Sacramento..
hands down winner is Houston.
very worried Blazer fan here.
Cap room isn't always about what you get
It’s also about what you don’t have to pay when your team isn’t making money
www.TheDreamShake.com Co-Founder and Writer
It can not be overstated...In Morey We Trust!
Anyone else find it funny that the reason the trade with the Knicks was being held up last night was because the Knicks thought we were getting too much but in the end we get what we want plus an elite scorer in Martin?
Sad to see Carl go but getting Kevin Martin makes this a good trade. Hilton Armstrong can contribute some and Jordan Hill will probably come in and be our 1st big guy off the bench. Plus we could have the # 2 pick in the 2011 draft and the #6 pick in the 2012 draft.
I love it
To all Houston sports fans, Houston is the 4th biggest city in America, there will be traffic on the way to your respective sports game. Come Early, Be Loud, Stay Late.
Knicks holding out ended up getting them Sergio, which is good considering their PG situation. Still, I am thrilled with what Morey pulled off. This is a true masterpiece.
by seanbergmanrules on Feb 18, 2010 1:55 PM CST up reply actions
My friend made a great observation
It’s like we had two T-Macs to trade separately.
How many Biletnikoffs does he have? NOT TWO!
Why do you think Scola will leave?
Other than the tax, I mean. It seems to me we have one too many SG/SF now and one of them is likely to be traded.
Sounds like you’re implying we’ll take a PF in the draft, but personally, I’d rather see us take a center to back up Yao. Or a PF/C, at least.
I thought Hill was a F/C type?
With Yao, Andersen, Hill that’s pretty respectable
Significant gravitas shortfall expected in 2010.
I don't know
He’s pretty athletic, but he’s only 6’9" without shoes and 235 pounds.
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Jordan-Hill-1222/
Granted, he does have a 7’1" wingspan, but he still seems like more of a PF to me.
He's a solid power forward
Can’t see him at center.
The Dream Shake ...on Twitter.
"I think girls are probably just better shooters." - Steve Novak
You're totally underplaying
how valuable Jeffries and Hill can be to this organization.
Hill is a top prospect who posted a 14.18 PER in limited action. He’s never been the brainest player, and big men often need time to develop. At the same time, Jeffries is already there as one of the best on-ball defenders in basketball, helped by his unique ability to match up at positions 1-5 in some Adelman lineups.
Underplaying?
I think Hill can be fantastic. Did I not make that clear?
Not as big on Jeffries, but we’ll see.
The Dream Shake ...on Twitter.
"I think girls are probably just better shooters." - Steve Novak
That and his offense
People dont understand how good his defense is though. Seriously, he is an elite defender. He can guard the 5 spot too which is something we lack. He alters shots and gets blocks too. I think he is an underrated piece in this trade as well. Next year he will have huge trade value.
So..
what is the difference between him and Hayes? Other than money.
Size
6’6" to 6’11"
I would challenge you to a battle of wits, but you appear to be unarmed.
by The Night Owl on Feb 18, 2010 10:39 PM CST up reply actions
Definitly
JJ gets more blocks. Im not gonna say I want the Rockets to resign Jeffries. And if they did it should be for under 1 mil if thats even possible. I’m pretty sure he will be part of a sign and trade this summer, probably with Battier and a couple of those draft picks.
by darwithabar on Feb 18, 2010 11:37 PM CST up reply actions
Jeffries is a top defender. Hill, well, I'd say its too early to tell, but I'll roll the dice with a top 10 pick.
The Rockets dealt from their depth to address some weaknesses. It was a great move.
Significant gravitas shortfall expected in 2010.
so, when Jeffries contract is up, will Houston keep him or let him walk? I think Morey should keep Scola, let Anderson, Cook, Taylor walk or get traded to clear space for Scola.
Not with that ridiculous contract
It’s like Cook’s contract. Overpriced and the guy just sort of seems to want to just coast through it.
Cook sucks…he takes too many stupid 3s, just like last night against the Bucks. Houston was shooting close to 75% 3s and Cook comes him and thinks he is on fire and bombs on 2 3s and at the end, their % drops down to like 68%.
Cook isn’t that good, I don’t even know why we have him. I say, trade Cook or let him go and bring in Mike Harries from the D-league, at least he is fun to watch.
Cook is terrible, but well worth it.
He’s the reason why the lowry trade finally happened. It seems like we had to take him in order to get lowry.
by typhoon.infamous on Feb 18, 2010 11:30 PM CST up reply actions
Who is he going to get PT from? Especially if we bring Scola back. We’ll have Yao, Scola (if we re-sign him), Hayes, Hill, and Andersen, plus whoever we draft, which will probably also be a PF or C, considering what’s available this year.
I’m betting he only gets garbage time minutes. This season, he will get some time at C, but when Yao comes back he’s benched.
I hope you are wrong. I really like both of them and would much rather see them on the team getting PT than Jeffries.
Scola yeah I wanna keep him around
As for Hayes while I appreciate all he’s done for the Rox. I cant help but feel that we can do better than a 6 foot 4 center in the future. But I do thibk he would have value to someone else as trade bait.
And if you want to say he can start at the 3, well: Martin, Battier, Ariza, Budinger, Taylor. We also run with two PG (Brooks and Lowry) some of the time…
Jeffries will get PT
Probably spell Yao as long as he is on the team. I doubt he gets 25 mins a game or anything but 8-10 mins isnt out of the question.
not sure this is bad for Scola
Let’s take a few variables into account…
most NBA teams are broke.
those that aren’t broke will be going for LeBron and Wade. Not Scola.
we can re-sign Scola for more than the cap… Bird rights and such.
we don’t have to give Scola more than 2 years at $5M per year.
Who else has the resources to steal Scola way this year/!??!
I agree about Scola
Landry, although I love the guy, will more than likely get some stupid money thrown his way this off season. Lets keep in mind he has had 1 break through season. Scola on the other hand has proved to be a very consistent pro player, not as explosive as Landry, but more consistent. He will end up being the bargain of the two in the upcoming free agent market. Morey is building two teams, one defensive and one offensive. The O will come from Brooks, K-Mart, Lowery, Bud, Taylor and Ming. The D Shane, Ariza, Hill, Jefferies and Ming. Scola has a all around good game and so do many of the Rockets. Hill will be on his rookie contract for several more years and Jefferies will be gone after next year, maybe before. The possibilities are endless! Great move by “The GM”.
This trade should be named... Oceans 14
Looking forward to the next couple of games. Hopefully the 2011 draft is talented…
It is
Jon Henson, Harrison Barnes are going to be good. Hassan and Solomon make up a pretty good C class as well. I wouldnt mind getting Cole Aldrich this year though.
Cole Aldrich is not an NBA player
Sorry, just not. He’s every other Kansas big guy that’s been a top 10 pick and has sucked
www.TheDreamShake.com Co-Founder and Writer
Bill simmons says it all:
http://twitter.com/sportsguy33
Serious question for @dmorey – were you wearing a black ski mask and holding a gun when you made that Knicks trade?
The Crawfish Boxes, Astros blogging at its finest.
by Evan Hochschild on Feb 18, 2010 2:06 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
I usually dont like Simmons
But he hit it on the head there.
To all Houston sports fans, Houston is the 4th biggest city in America, there will be traffic on the way to your respective sports game. Come Early, Be Loud, Stay Late.
by TexasHoosier on Feb 18, 2010 2:39 PM CST up reply actions
The Sting of Landry
is now a little bit more to handle after this one…I still will miss him, but I finally have some comfort knowing that we just stole a great deal!! WOOHOO!
I guess Kenny Thomas got lost in the mix
Is he staying in Sac then?
by Carlos_HoustonSportsFanatic on Feb 18, 2010 2:33 PM CST reply actions
All the reports im seeing dont include him
So I guess thats a yes
To all Houston sports fans, Houston is the 4th biggest city in America, there will be traffic on the way to your respective sports game. Come Early, Be Loud, Stay Late.
by TexasHoosier on Feb 18, 2010 2:43 PM CST up reply actions
Ok then the deal earlier this morning with the Kings was not inked
Cause this seems more like the NY trade but us re-routing Larry Hughes to the Kings and Sergio Rodriguez to NY and trading Landry + Dorsey for Hilton Armstrong (ignoring salaries of course)
by Carlos_HoustonSportsFanatic on Feb 18, 2010 3:42 PM CST up reply actions
goodness
He actually pulled it off. Bravo. And the Bulls had to give someone two second rounders to get rid of a productive SG.
Well, bravo Morey. :)
Go Rockets/Nets[CDR]/Bucks[Jennings]!
morey is gm of the year for this move.
i don’t know how he is this good.
Rockets>>>>>>Jazz
Texans>>>>>>>Titans
Super Mario>>>>>>>Vince Young
No,I think it makes Jeffries an Ewok
Something to put up w/for the rest of the film.
BTW,Hill is going to take some time. Started playing ball at a late age,needs alot of work on fundamentals and skillsets. But is supposed to be very coachable,willing to learn,and has most of tools.
I rather think it’s more likely this means Scola re-signs. Hill will not be ready for starters minutes next yr. Sign Scola to a 3-yr deal near MLE money looks doable. Gives him a yr or two while Hill learns,then Scola shifts to 3rd big off bench. After all if Scola leaves,the Rockets will still need to sign someone.
Lololololololololol
Apparently the Jazz don’t think they can contend….they traded Ronnie Brewer to the Grizz for a protected first round pick
Check out nickandroll.blogspot.com
wow that is sad.
Rockets>>>>>>Jazz
Texans>>>>>>>Titans
Super Mario>>>>>>>Vince Young
by Rockets 4 Life on Feb 18, 2010 3:19 PM CST up reply actions
Some other possibilities
There’s supposed to be a very,very good SG in this draft.(At work,so not looking him up.)
Just what Minn needs-could we end up seeing the pick traded for Rubio?
Yes,but I screwed the pooch
NY doesn’t have a First this Summer,it’s next summer.
Utah has their 2010 1st round pick
on that note, FUCK UTAH
I would challenge you to a battle of wits, but you appear to be unarmed.
by The Night Owl on Feb 18, 2010 10:42 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
anyone know if we are going to try playing hill first? or send him down to the d-league?
Rockets>>>>>>Jazz
Texans>>>>>>>Titans
Super Mario>>>>>>>Vince Young
It sounds like
he’s very raw, so I would imagine Adelman will try him out at the NBA level, but if he struggles will send him down to the D League.
"I am from one of the top 15 cities in the world. Buffalo, New York." - TrentEdwardsHoF2018
Link from 2009 NBA Draft Jordan Hill
Jordan Hill played with Air-Bud, they may have some chemistry, coming off the bench?
http://www.nba.com/video/channels/nba_tv/2009/06/26/nba_20090626_draft_review_knicks.nba/
Jefferies figure is $2 million off
Because J Jefferies was traded he receives a $2million increase in his salary for next year. That being said I still like the trade.
We're also getting Hilton Armstrong
to make salaries work, Xiane did not include on there
by Carlos_HoustonSportsFanatic on Feb 18, 2010 3:44 PM CST up reply actions
Do me a favor:
When Yao comes back, try to win a ring.
I hope you guys will love K-Mart as much as I did.
I don't see what's wrong with giving Bobby a little experience before he starts to practise law.
Yea, I'm excited to see him in red
I think the media is underrating how good of a piece you guys just got in Landry though. The guy can play.
My name is David Carr
And I approve of this trade.
Kevin Martin + Two benchwarmers + swapping draft positions + NY’s 1st pick in the 2011 draft. Wow.
In Morey we trust.
Im sorry I doubted you good sir!
by Jordann on Feb 18, 2010 4:46 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
That's a swap in the 2011 Draft & the 1st round pick in the 2012 Draft
I would challenge you to a battle of wits, but you appear to be unarmed.
by The Night Owl on Feb 18, 2010 7:25 PM CST up reply actions
draft picks?
Why does everyone keep saying the Rockets got two draft picks? The Rockets got the right to switch picks in 2011 and they got the 2012 NY pick. So they got ONE PICK, not two. And there is not much of a guarantee that the 2011 Knicks’ pick will be better than the 2011 Rockets’ pick, is there? It isnt like the Rockets are much higher in the standings than the Knicks. Kevin Martin does score but he shoots a lot too. His shooting % is almost as bad as Trevor Ariza. To me, the key is Hill, whether he can develop into a good player. Rockets fans get too excited over nothing. Kevin Martin is no Tmac, never was, never will be. Martin is no Joe Johnson, no Dwayne Wade. Martin is okay … better than Ariza at least. Martin sure aint no Ron Artest.
obviously Martin has not been shooting too well this year
but historically he’s been a very efficient scorer. Trust me, you’ll like what you see. I was fortunate enough to see him play in person for Sacramento vs us last year and he’s a great player.
"I am from one of the top 15 cities in the world. Buffalo, New York." - TrentEdwardsHoF2018
1. Yes, we’re swapping draft picks in 2011, not getting theirs. But with the team the Rockets are fielding now, I seriously doubt the Knicks will outperform us. Do you really think they’re going to get LeBron/Wade/Bosh? The media is playing it up, but I don’t see them as having much of a chance. I consider it more likely for them to get a couple guys along the lines of Johnson/Stoudemire/Gay. They’ll be scraping to get into the playoffs, not dominating and winding up at the end of the first round of the draft.
2. Kevin Martin is shooting much, much better than Ariza. Compare their 3P% this year—that lone is a significant difference. Also, remember that he’s coming off a broken wrist, and that he shoots a much higher volume than Ariza. Finally, look at his career numbers and remember that he’s only 27. If Morey thinks he still has it, I think so too.
Oh, and by the way—Martin’s career field goal percentage, three-point percentage, and free-throw percentage are all significantly better than McGrady’s. So I respectfully disagree with you when you say he is “no Tmac, never was, never will be”. By the way, his numbers are also better than Joe Johnson’s, and saying “he’s not as good as Dwyane Wade” is no insult, considering Wade is arguably one of the three best players in the game today.
You must be a Ksick's fan.
Hey Spike you homer get off our board. You know that the Ksick’s will stink over the next several years, they always do! Stop hating, this was a great deal for the Rockets, when no one comes to NY next year good luck winning with the rest of those bones you have left.
To be honest
We might not even get that 2011 pick. Im anticipating the Knicks to get the 1st pick. LOL
The view from Sacramento -
You are going to loooooooove Kevin Martin. He is insanely efficient on the offensive end without being ball dominant. The stories of Evans and Martin not co-existing have been wildly overstated. They actually have not played together all that much due to Martin’s wrist injury.
If Martin can stay healthy, you obtained a great scorer, as well as a solid teammate and community guy. Dude is a gym rat, too. I’m sure that he will flourish under Adelman again.
Good luck to Kevin, the Rockets and their fans.
SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!
I heard
that landry has an opt out clause this coming year so he can opt out of SAC if he wants too (Though the young core of Evans, Casspi, Landry, Hawes, and Thompson is not that bad)….maybe Landry comes back next year and we let scola walk…just talking there no source…
LOVE THE TRADE!!!
by EveryHoustonTeamRox! on Feb 18, 2010 6:23 PM CST reply actions
So now there's only one question left
Where do we build the shrine to Daryl Morey so that we may come & worship his brilliance?
I would challenge you to a battle of wits, but you appear to be unarmed.
I think I might have a good idea for that shrine
We aren’t using the Astrodome for anything right now. That could work
I would challenge you to a battle of wits, but you appear to be unarmed.
by The Night Owl on Feb 18, 2010 10:46 PM CST up reply actions
Not the Astrodome. I have plans for it.
But a suitable bronze next to the Hakeem statue would be a good start. He can be on the dome when we get a title.
Significant gravitas shortfall expected in 2010.
Still holding out hope that it becomes a casino
And that they move the World Series of Texas Hold’em to Texas
www.TheDreamShake.com Co-Founder and Writer
That would be nice
I would challenge you to a battle of wits, but you appear to be unarmed.
by The Night Owl on Feb 19, 2010 11:57 AM CST up reply actions
Let's all turn into lemmings and rush off a cliff morey
Morey essentially gave up Artest for Ariza. Do you want to worship that piece of brilliance? And now Tmac for Martin (two shooters that both get injured too much). And he gave up Landry for essentially a bunch of duds. This whole thing hinges on the outcome of those draft picks and a lot of that will have more to do with luck that genius. You have people saying that Morey robbed the Knicks but the Knicks got exactly what they wanted. They have enough $ to sign to max contract free agents. Will they? I dont know but they can and that is the only thing they wanted right now. The best thing about this trade is that it will be interesting to see how it all turns out.
You are wrong on every single point you are making
I wish there was a different way of saying it nicer, but there isn’t.
Do you seriously not see that McGrady was the nothing in this trade? He doesn’t count. You traded Landry and Dorsey for one of the top 5 most efficient scorers in the league, a number 8 pick that wasn’t allowed to play because his coach was showing his GM who was boss and 2 potential top 10 picks (obviously at the risk of losing your number 23ish pick). What exactly is not great about that?
Regardless of the Knicks getting what they wanted, they paid an enormous price to do it. They got what they wanted but the Rockets fleeced them so they could get their way.
And Artest is not playing well this year. Ariza makes next to nothing in the scheme of the NBA and was extremely low risk. He’s not a number one, DM has stated that repeatedly. As a number 3 he is one of the best in the league and yet we are paying him like a number 4.
www.TheDreamShake.com Co-Founder and Writer
McGrady obviously had value, but none to us.
We got value for a guy that was going to turn into a puff of smoke in 30 games. What on earth is there to complain about?
Significant gravitas shortfall expected in 2010.
Why didnt McGrady have value to Houston?
What was the obvious value Tmac had to other teams that was not valuable to the Rockets? As a player, we never really got a chance to see if Tmac could play because Tmac and Adleman were having a pissing contest. So we did not know his value as a player (I mean “we” as in the fans out here watching.) Adelman should have know Tmac’s value as a player but he chose not to play him so he could show everyone who was boss. Bosses like that are everywhere, not just in basketball. And how about Tmac’s expiring contract? Why does that not have value for the Rockets? Do you mean that the Rockets would not try to get one of the top FA’s? Do you mean the Rockets only go after dogs like Ariza and Martin?
3-team trade
How can you say that McGrady was nothing in the trade? McGrady was the key player the Rockets traded away. The single item the Rockets had that was most coveted by other teams was McGrady’s expiring contract. That expiring contract was also valuable to the Rockets assuming they might want to get a major FA next summer. And you say that Hill was not playing because a coach wanted to show a GM who was boss. Well, Tmac was not playing because a coach wanted to show everyone who was boss. That NY coach let Tmac play last night and you saw the result. The Houston coach did not let Hill play … is he still trying to show somebody who is boss or is Hill just not worth a crap? And Artest is having an excellent year.
Just... stop.
The Dream Shake ...on Twitter.
"I think girls are probably just better shooters." - Steve Novak
Hope it works better than Ariza deal
I like K Martin. He will be a big improvement over Ariza. But does that make D Morey a genius? This is a trade that might work out okay … not some stroke of genius. It might work out .. depends on those draft picks more than anything else. Was Ariza really an improvement over Artest? No. Ask the Lakers if you dont believe me. Will Martin be an improvement over Tmac? Unlikely. I just dont see it happening (but Martin will be an improvement over Ariza). And how about all those other duds we got? Will the sum total of them replace Carl Landry? I dont think so. I just dont see it happening. I hope it does .. but it doesnt look good to me. At least it will be interesting to see what happens.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
