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i'm telling y'all. daryl's not done. no way losing a guy as valuable as ariza catches him unawares, without several backup plans in the hopper.
this would be a pretty intriguing move, taken in conjunction with the presumptive melo addition.
https://hoopshype.com/2018/07/30/houston-rockets-nicolas-batum-trade-rumors-ryan-anderson/
Nicolas Batum could make a lot of sense in a trade to the Rockets By Bryan Kalbrosky | 12:05 am
The Houston Rockets are reportedly interested in trading for a defensive-minded player, especially after losing Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute.
@BenDuBose Brian Windhorst on ESPN regarding potential #Rockets moves beyond Carmelo Anthony: "They are active in the trade market."
Says Houston is showing some willingness to take long-term money back for Ryan Anderson. "They have been talking to teams about adding defenders."
10:37 PM - Jul 27, 2018
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Rockets would be willing to move forward Ryan Anderson in exchange for a long-term contract. Anderson, 30, is owed $20.4 million next season but will come off the books after next year.
Anderson has been mentioned quite a bit in trade rumors because he does not add tremendous value on either side of the ball yet will be one of the highest-paid players on their roster.
If the the Rockets were able to add someone like Charlotte Hornets forward Nicolas Batum, it could make sense for both sides. Houston would get a significant contributor on the perimeter, while Charlotte would get to dump Batum’s big contract (potentially without surrendering an asset like a future first-round pick). Batum is one of four targets recently linked to the Rockets in such a deal, though not at all by Windhorst.
@CountingBaskets If the Rockets grab Batum for Anderson, I think they're back to being as legit a threat as they would've been with Ariza and LMM.
5:37 PM - Jul 29, 2018
Assuming Batum opts into the final year of his contract, he will make $76.7 million until he is a free agent again in 2021. It may be tough for Houston to pay Batum north of $24 million per season over the next three years, especially if they are a luxury-tax team.
But considering the franchise is in win-now mode, Batum might be more appealing than paying Anderson without him playing in a featured role.
Batum has averaged 1.6 three-pointers per game during his career and has also had success as a distributor. He has averaged 5.7 assists per game over his last three years in Charlotte. The forward has also contributed 5.8 rebounds per game during his time with the Hornets as well.
@PaulHeadleyNBA Batum could easily match or exceed Ariza's 3 point shooting in Houston. He's a better, more versatile defender (in my opinion anyway).
He averaged 5.5 assists a game last season.
I'll be buzzing if the Rockets get him. Make the playoffs much more interesting.
10:24 AM - Jul 29, 2018
Batum is three years younger than Ariza, who left the Rockets to sign a lucrative one-year deal with the Phoenix Suns this offseason.
Batum’s assist percentage has been in the 90th percentile or above for his position during six-straight seasons, per Cleaning the Glass. But even though he can still help a team, Charlotte would likely be enthusiastic about moving off his deal since they’re in no position to contend going forward.
It’s possible that the Rockets could even obtain a future draft pick in such a trade with the Hornets. If and when Houston adds Carmelo Anthony, it may not be the last of their moves this offseason. Perhaps trading Anderson for a player like Batum would be next on their to-do list.
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it is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. - sherlock holmes
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