Once again, Daryl Morey proves that we are all stupid for speculating.
The Sacramento Kings have reached an agreement in principle with the Houston Rockets on a trade that will swap Kevin Martin for Tracy McGrady, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.
Along with Martin, the Kings will send Sergio Rodriguez, Hilton Armstrong and Kenny Thomas to the Rockets. Joey Dorsey and Carl Landry will go to the Kings.
Okay, I took some time, and came up with a few thoughts.
1. Kevin Martin Is No Joke
I think we know how good Martin is. He's a helluva shooter, is an incredibly efficient wing, and just turned 27. This is the best single player that the Rockets could have acquired, now and in free agency. He'll be the perfect complement to Yao once he returns. Martin's only shortcomings lie in defense, where he's pretty average. Then again, this is a team featuring Trevor Ariza and Shane Battier, so we should be fine nonetheless. It's not as if we gave up any defense in the first place.
And for everyone who wanted Iguodala, not only do we get a better player in Martin, but we also do it free of a contract like Sam Dalembert's.
2. Are We Selling High On Carl Landry?
I love Carl Landry. If you hadn't noticed, he's the only person I've been writing about lately. He's finally hitting his potential. But the question remains: can he improve any further? Was he really ever going to be a legitimate second option? Probably not. But either way, he's my boy, and I hate to see him go. At the same time, I can't help but feel that Morey traded him at his peak in value.
3. The Prodigal Son Returns
Welcome back, Kenny Thomas!
(had to give myself a laugh)
4. We Are Under The Luxury Tax Line
Hooray.
5. What Happens Next?
This is a pretty strong indicator that we will be matching whatever offer is made to Luis Scola next season. Same goes for Kyle Lowry. I don't see any major moves coming after this for quite a while.
6. The Future Is Now
With the Knicks trade, it was all about the future, all about preserving a solid team for the next five to seven years. With this trade, there's a little bit of both. Assuming Yao returns at full strength, the Rockets will be in the title hunt in 2011, and will be able to boast Martin for many years after.
Overall... I'm happy. Getting over Landry and even Dorsey will take time, but I like this. Nice move by Morey to look at all of the available options.