Lowry talk heating up .. Kings in the mix (ESPN)

[MassachusettsKingsFan]

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/46492/rockets-set-sights-on-moving-up-in-draft

Latest stuff from Chad Ford.

Followed by a strange tweet from Lowry himself
https://twitter.com/#!/Klow7

It's been real

Are we excited yet?

If the Rockets are truly targeting Drummond like Ford suggests, Houston better deal with us because I doubt he'll be available at #8 where the Raptors pick.

And if we could get Dalembert back too .. my head might explode.

 

[Bricklayer]

Was just going to post this. Although the mentions of Portland make me worried. Earlier in the day Morey was talking baout how what they need is a franchise player, whihc is of course right. They are stuck now where we were 4 years ago after the good years. Mediocre #8 seed chasing without a star to build around. For some reason fans seem attracted to that model, but its a nightmare for a GM. So if he wants a franchise player chance, well we are probbaly his best bet, and Daly and Lowry and those #14 and #16 picks his best ammo. All of which I think works in our favor.

 

[ParniValjak]

Was just going to post this. Although the mentions of Portland make me worried. Earlier in the day Morey was talking baout how what they need is a franchise player, whihc is of course right. They are stuck now where we were 4 years ago after the good years. Mediocre #8 seed chasing without a star to build around. For some reason fans seem attracted to that model, but its a nightmare for a GM. So if he wants a franchise player chance, well we are probbaly his best bet, and Daly and Lowry and those #14 and #16 picks his best ammo. All of which I think works in our favor.

Man if we can get Lowry, Dalembert and those 2 picks in addition to shedding Hayes' and Salmon's contract along with #5 pick, I would be all over that.

We restore the Cousins - Dalembert - JT front court that has been productive in the past and we basically replace Beno with Lowry in the Beno-Reke-MT trio we had going a couple of years ago.

Not sure the Rockets would want anything to do Salmons' contract but you have pay through the nose these days if you want to get into the top 5.

 

[Andriod_KiNg]

I went to see what was going on on the Rocket's end. Most of them are convinced that the deal would be Cousins + 5 for the 14th pick and Lowery. That makes me feel a little better knowing that our fan base isn't the most delusional one out there.

 

[Bricklayer]

I went to see what was going on on the Rocket's end. Most of them are convicned that the deal would be Cousins + 5 for the 14 pick and Lowery. That makes me feel a little better knowing that our fan base isn't the most delusional one out there.

Lol.

 

[Bricklayer]

Man if we can get Lowry, Dalembert and those 2 picks in addition to shedding Hayes' and Salmon's contract along with #5 pick, I would be all over that.

We restore the Cousins - Dalembert - JT front court that has been productive in the past and we basically replace Beno with Lowry in the Beno-Reke-MT trio we had going a couple of years ago.

Not sure the Rockets would want anything to do Salmons' contract but you have pay through the nose these days if you want to get into the top 5.

Oops. Did not mean to suggest that I thought we could get it all together. Just that all of the pieces Houston is likely shopping are pieces we could use.

 

[Big Cuz 15]

Man if we can get Lowry, Dalembert and those 2 picks in addition to shedding Hayes' and Salmon's contract along with #5 pick, I would be all over that.

We restore the Cousins - Dalembert - JT front court that has been productive in the past and we basically replace Beno with Lowry in the Beno-Reke-MT trio we had going a couple of years ago.

Not sure the Rockets would want anything to do Salmons' contract but you have pay through the nose these days if you want to get into the top 5.

that would be a dream to get that deal.

get rid of the fish, hayes and bring back daly, get lowry & mid 1st rounders. hopefully the 2nd one can be jeff taylor.

 

[MassachusettsKingsFan]

A few decent posts I found over on Clutch Fans (Rockets site similar to this one). I guess they don't value Lowry as much as we do. Typical 'grass is always greener' thing. Fans usually undervalue familiarity. But if they are right.. particularly this first post I'm quoting .. sign me up.

http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=221555&page=5

Well, if Ford isn't pulling a Bill Ingram (yanking things out of his a$$), at least now we have an idea who they'd be after in the upper reaches of the draft.

I'd yield Kyle and #14 OR #16 for the #5, maybe throw in a 3rd rate future draft pick MAYBE, but we could just put that other draft pick to good use. Trade-back action with the Celtics, something.

Of course all this would be contingent on Drummond being available. Which he should be.

As far as Henson or Harkless (is that how it's spelled?), the latter would be available, but Henson looks like he'll be gone by 10. (Big ole maybe.)

Things are getting interesting.

Of course, any little tidbit about the draft is interesting to me. I'm like a drunk sailor in a Phillipines bar. Ain't real picky.

As far as flipping Drummond for Howard: PLEASE GOD NO.

Orlando wants to stay competitive. I'd think they'd try to keep Howard first or trade for (an) established veteran(s) first.

Lowry + 14 + 16 for Drummond pick

Martin for one of Boston's low first round picks. Use that pick to stash Fournier.

 

[ParniValjak]

Oops. Did not mean to suggest that I thought we could get it all together. Just that all of the pieces Houston is likely shopping are pieces we could use.

I know but this is probably my dream scenario type thing!

Cousins
Dalembert
whoever
Evans
Lowry

IT
MT
JT

VERY solid 8 man rotation. However, as you previously mentioned, I would be increasingly apprehensive with Smart at the helm as he would not be able to resist the IT-Lowry-MT-Reke-Outlaw line ups

But with a coach who likes length and clear structure, that team would be a heck of a lot better than what we have now and would be a play off team

 

[Big Cuz 15]

A few decent posts I found over on Clutch Fans (Rockets site similar to this one). I guess they don't value Lowry as much as we do. Typical 'grass is always greener' thing. Fans usually undervalue familiarity. But if they are right.. particularly this first post I'm quoting .. sign me up.

http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=221555&page=5

undervalue? they're asking for alot if its lowry + mid 1st rounder for the 5th pick. lowry's nice but not that nice

 

[funkykingston]

Dalembert, Lowry and either #14 or #16 for #5, Hayes and Jimmer would be a coup.

Between the two I'd rather have Dally than Lowry but I'd love both.

Add a SF like Harkless or Taylor in the draft and that is a solid and deep team with good balance and great defensive potential.

Sounds too good to be true. Probably because it is.

And yes, no fan base does delusional quite like the Rockets. #5 And Cousins for Lowry and #14? Wow.

 

[MassachusettsKingsFan]

undervalue? they're asking for alot if its lowry + mid 1st rounder for the 5th pick. lowry's nice but not that nice

I think that is a great trade for us. And I'm sure they would GIVE us Dalembert in that one too if Geoff wants him.

My personal issue with a deal like this is that it BETTER mean we're keeping Tyreke Evans. I want no part of Lowry if he's starting long term next to Isaiah Thomas or Marcus Thornton. No thank you.

I'm doing this deal because Lowry and Evans, together, will be one of the toughest guard combinations in the league. Potentially elite defensively, and can absolutely abuse smaller/weaker guards. Punishing. I want to watch that.

I have no issue giving up #5 if MKG and Davis are off the board. None. We know Davis will be gone, and I've been saying for weeks now that I think MKG has a chance to be there at #5. But if Gilchrist is gone, and we are staring Harrison Barnes in right in the face, then yes .. I think Lowry + #14 is a very good deal for the Kings.

 

[Vitamin K]

UPDATE (12:48 a.m. ET): Upon hearing of Sunday night's developments, one rival general manager told ESPN.com that he believes Houston's real aim is acquiring two top-10 picks this week to turn around quickly and offer both to the Orlando Magic as part of a considerable trade offer for Dwight Howard.

The Rockets' willingness to trade for Howard -- even without the All-Star center's signature on a contract extension -- is an open secret around the league. But it's believed that two top-eight picks, assuming Houston managed to complete trades with both Sacramento and Toronto, would seriously pique the interest of new Magic general manager Rob Hennigan, who could then quickly start following the same sort of roster-building blueprint relied on by his previous employers in Oklahoma City.

Acquiring those early lottery picks, though, only represents half of Houston's challenge if Howard is indeed the Rockets' target. The other hurdle is convincing Hennigan, who hasn't even been on the job for a week in Central Florida, to part with Howard so quickly. As much as he's been schooled in building through the draft while working alongside Thunder GM Sam Presti, Hennigan could opt to take a more measured approach, make one more run at trying to convince Howard to sign an extension before entering the final year of his contract and then trade him later in the summer if those efforts go nowhere.

 

[ParniValjak]

I think a lot of people are undervaluing a top 5 pick. You generally have to trade a bloody good player or take on a super ugly contract to get your hands on that pick.

If I am giving away pick5 then we better get some real nice assets and/or major cap space in return.

I have long loved the idea of Tyreke - Lowry backcourt. Both can handle and defend. Lowry can also play off the ball and is a genuine threat from 3. If you manage to add Dalembert to that mix and a decent defensive SF, the team should improve significantly at the defensive end. Its a nice balance in the starting line up and you have major 6th man in Thornton who can come on and light it up.

The last thing this team needs is another shot munching star type player. This team is in desperate need of complementary role players and some structure both offensively and defensively. In this case, sometimes is better to address more needs by trading the pick (or trading down) than sitting pat and selecting another young player looking for his shots.

 

[hrdboild]

We've been talking about Lowry here for awhile so it's nice to see a rumor which places him and the Kings together. As I mentioned in other topics, Lowry is a great fit for us at PG so I like any deal for him in principle. We already know Dalembert plays well with Cousins (signing Hayes instead was a mistake) Swapping the 5th for the 14th is risky though. If we're passing on MKG or Barnes and picking Zeller or Henson I don't like it. Too big of a talent drop off for one year of Dalembert and two years of Lowry. If Moe Harkless is still on the board at 14 (and there's no guarantee he will be -- he's actually getting a lot of buzz now) then I love the trade. He's not as NBA ready, but talentwise he's in the same class as the top 2 SFs in this draft, or at least close to it.

If nothing else a Lowry/Evans/Harkless combo is a killer rebounding team. They're all good individual defenders too. Add in Cousins and it doesn't even matter who we have at PF, we should dominate everybody on the boards. If we keep Thornton as our sixth man we should have plenty of scoring still but a much-improved defense from day one.

 

[hiero]

ya if we got lowry I really think it better be for both of their first round picks. Lowry Evans backcourt would be amazing, I just hope we stick to that starting lineup it'd be one of the best most physical backcourts in the league. Lowry can play off the ball and shoot the 3, that would be amazing. adding Harkless would be a great fit and just give us a huge physical lineup.

 

[Gary]

undervalue? they're asking for alot if its lowry + mid 1st rounder for the 5th pick. lowry's nice but not that nice

And with those mid picks we take Melo and Marshall. Or Melo and Ross.

So we get Lowry, Melo and Marshall/Ross for our #5 and perhaps Hayes.

 

[Heuge]

I dont completely get the Lowry love. He is a 41% shooter. A bit undersized.

Tough as can be. A good ballhandler.

Next to Tyreke, I want bigger guard who can shoot and play nice D.

 

[cuad]

I think the proposed deal is the 14th and 16th for the 5th. The Rockets want to trade Lowry to the Raptors for #8.

 

[ParniValjak]

I dont completely get the Lowry love. He is a 41% shooter. A bit undersized.

Tough as can be. A good ballhandler.

Next to Tyreke, I want bigger guard who can shoot and play nice D.

Lowry is a very good shooter from 3 which is what we need to space the floor and he is one of the best defensive PG in the league and despite his height, he can match up on a lot of SGs. I think we gain a great deal defensively with Lowry at PG.

Not to mention he can get to the hoop as well.

 

[sterö]

It would suck if we traded the pick and MKG or T-Rob would be available at #5 on draft night.

 

[sdballer]

I think the proposed deal is the 14th and 16th for the 5th. The Rockets want to trade Lowry to the Raptors for #8.

Which isn't a good value deal. Why do I get that Geoff Petrie trade bad feeling that we are somehow going to be on the bad end of the stick if a deal goes down.

 

[rainmaker]

I know but this is probably my dream scenario type thing!

Cousins
Dalembert
whoever
Evans
Lowry

IT
MT
JT

VERY solid 8 man rotation. However, as you previously mentioned, I would be increasingly apprehensive with Smart at the helm as he would not be able to resist the IT-Lowry-MT-Reke-Outlaw line ups

But with a coach who likes length and clear structure, that team would be a heck of a lot better than what we have now and would be a play off team

I like that lineup a lot. What I don't like is the idea of Smart managing minutes or anything resembling a normal sub pattern. We cannot leave Smart with a guard rotation consisting of Reke/Lowry/MT/IT/Jimmer. He'd have no idea what to do.

 

[rainmaker]

Dalembert, Lowry and either #14 or #16 for #5, Hayes and Jimmer would be a coup.

Between the two I'd rather have Dally than Lowry but I'd love both.

Add a SF like Harkless or Taylor in the draft and that is a solid and deep team with good balance and great defensive potential.

Sounds too good to be true. Probably because it is.

And yes, no fan base does delusional quite like the Rockets. #5 And Cousins for Lowry and #14? Wow.

Reke for Augustin?

Reke for Por's #6?

The delusional don't only reside in Houston my friend.

 

[ParniValjak]

I like that lineup a lot. What I don't like is the idea of Smart managing minutes or anything resembling a normal sub pattern. We cannot leave Smart with a guard rotation consisting of Reke/Lowry/MT/IT/Jimmer. He'd have no idea what to do.

That is definitely the downside. Give that roster to Pop and you are in the play offs. Give it to Smart and it can turn sour very quickly. I am still intrigued as I don't think Smart lasts as a coach of the Kings next season. I am confident he will be sacked during the season.

 

[Tyndel]

That is definitely the downside. Give that roster to Pop and you are in the play offs. Give it to Smart and it can turn sour very quickly. I am still intrigued as I don't think Smart lasts as a coach of the Kings next season. I am confident he will be sacked during the season.

Could make an interesting Poll question based on the last several years. How long does he last?

 

[Gary]

Which isn't a good value deal. Why do I get that Geoff Petrie trade bad feeling that we are somehow going to be on the bad end of the stick if a deal goes down.

I think it is.. Who would we take? Drummond? Melo/Marshall >>>Drummond.

 

[rainmaker]

That is definitely the downside. Give that roster to Pop and you are in the play offs. Give it to Smart and it can turn sour very quickly. I am still intrigued as I don't think Smart lasts as a coach of the Kings next season. I am confident he will be sacked during the season.

But....there's a number of good SF's available. I listed them about a week back, but they're quite a few top 15 SF's available either as FA's or on the trade block. I'd assume if we did a deal like this, then we'd look to trade MT for a SF this summer, and I wonder if Chi would be interested for Deng. MT would be a better deal for them obviously, money wise, but they also get that scoring punch in the future next to Rose they sorely have needed ever since Gordon left for Det. Chi really misses him next to Rose, and MT is a pretty similar player to Gordon.

ESPN:

The tipoff that the Kings are likely to deal the No. 5 pick between now and Thursday night, sources say, is the handful of players they’ve brought in who are expected to be drafted in the middle of the first round. Sources say two of those players in particular -- North Carolina’s John Henson and St. John’s Moe Harkless -- are high on the Kings’ draft board.

Twitter:

Alex Kennedy ‏@AlexKennedyNBA
Has Kyle Lowry been traded? He sent out this cryptic tweet... RT @Klow7 It's been real

Bill Ingram ‏@TheRocketGuy
@AlexKennedyNBA @Klow7 I was told by a well-placed Houston source that he was "likely" to be traded on or before draft day . . .

 

[ParniValjak]

But....there's a number of good SF's available. I listed them about a week back, but they're quite a few top 15 SF's available either as FA's or on the trade block. I'd assume if we did a deal like this, then we'd look to trade MT for a SF this summer, and I wonder if Chi would be interested for Deng. MT would be a better deal for them obviously, money wise, but they also get that scoring punch in the future next to Rose they sorely have needed ever since Gordon left for Det. Chi really misses him next to Rose, and MT is a pretty similar player to Gordon.

But Kings won't be able to afford Deng's contract. He is getting some major coin over the next 2 years (over $13M and $14M respectively) and he will likely miss the start of the season recovering from surgery. Those are the things we might not be comfortable taking on. With Maloofs of 10 years ago its a no brainer. This version of penny pinching Maloofs, there is no chance we do that trade.

From a basketball perspective, it makes a lot of sense for us but I am not sure we have the finances to pull it off.

 

[Peter_Gibbons]

Is everybody on crazy pills? Or at least the ones that are way overvaluing Lowry.

This is the same situation as the Ramon Sessions scenario for the lakers. Their fans and local media kept saying how Sessions is so great and with him they would be able to match up with the likes of Westbrook, Rose etc. Come playoff time, they bash him saying how he is not that great. Man, no sane bball fan ever said Sessions was anything more than a good role player. Same thing with Lowry. That all he is, a role player and a 3/4th option starter on certain contender teams. If we give up the 5th pick for just Lowry + either of the Rockets first round, than GP really has lost it.