It's really, like we've been reading from Woj, Stein, etc, Morey wouldn't move Lin unless a big name commits. Lebron leaves, and like we've read, Bosh would go to Houston. Lebron leaves, we think it's going our way. Then Morey trades Lin, and we know it's just a matter of time. Go back to Woj's timeline, and everything points to Bosh coming to Houston. Even discussing financial terms. Then all of a sudden it's Miami is back in the mix and not long, not long at all after that tweet, Woj tweets Bosh will return to Miami for the max.
It's not like Morey traded Lin and Asik and hoped for the best. We can agree trading Asik was a good move, considering the pick they got in return. To trade Lin, for all his faults, was a capable backup point. Who was capable of starting.
It's not a matter of letting these players go for cap space. It's more, nobody saw Riley throwing Bosh the max. It really came out of nowhere.
After signing Ariza, and really looking back at it, yeah, don't match Parsons. What would we be paying for? A maxed out SF and an 8M on average a year backup SF?
Match Parsons, with Ariza on board, ties the Rockets down long term. Instead, Ariza can play SF at half the cost.
Of course everything sucks, and 'what's the point of cap space if we're in win now mode/what FA's can they even trade for/want to sign to Houston,' is a valid counter point, but, it all got messed up when Bosh left us at the altar. Again.
Match Parsons, and Howard, Parsons, Harden and Ariza is nothing more than a 4-5 seed like the Rockets been, been. Since Yao and TMac. Don't sign Ariza, and match Parsons, and it's the same thing. That core wouldn't get through the rugged West.
It was all in this offseason, and it was a calculated risk. Dirk was a FA. Melo's Knicks stunk. FA. Lebron just lost the Finals with an aging roster. Maybe he'd survey the field. If Bron left, wouldn't it make sense for Bosh to leave?
Pretty much had a crack at the best player in the league, and a bunch of players who had the clout to be a 3rd star. Had to swing for the fences this offseason.
Did, and instead of hitting a grand slam, hit into a triple play. Game goes on, though.
Rockets will still be a 4-5 seed most likely (they either live beyond expectations, fighting for an 8 spot and ending up with a 14th pick when everybody doubts em, or live down to expectations, see Yao and Mac, Howard and Harden, and end up as a 4-5 seed)
On paper we seem worst off, but they'll be ok. Just won't make any noise in the playoffs. As usual. Like we've endured for the past decade plus.
So it goes.