Reading the title you might think that is hyperbole, but it isn’t.
They are literally ready to send their entire team and future draft picks to the Magic with no assurances that Dwight Howard says with them for more than one year.
Could be the biggest gamble in NBA history.
On Friday the Rockets are expected to amnesty Luis Scola, clearing out more cap space. Chad Ford at ESPN lays out the offerthe Rockets can then make the Magic.
Sources told ESPN.com that the Rockets, should they go ahead with their widely reported plans to release starting power forward Luis Scola via the NBA’s amnesty clause, are prepared to absorb the contracts of Jason Richardson, Glen Davis and Chris Duhon — in addition to sending Orlando multiple future first-round picks and recent draftees — to give the Magic an opportunity to wipe their payroll virtually clean for their post-Howard rebuilding effort….
Sources say that the Rockets would have to send Kevin Martin, Patrick Patterson, Marcus Morris and Chandler Parsons to the Magic from their current roster to make the salary-cap math work, as well the draft rights to Jeremy Lamb, Royce White and Terrence Jones, all selected in last month’s first round.
The Rockets, in addition, would also have to waive a handful of players with non-guaranteed contracts (Shaun Livingston, Courtney Fortson, Josh Harrellson, Jerome Jordan, Jon Leuer, Diamon Simpson and Greg Smith) to clear sufficient cap space. But Houston, sources say, is also offering multiple first-round picks to the Magic, including a potential lottery pick acquired this week from Toronto in the Kyle Lowry deal.
I like that the Rockets aren’t just comfortable with just being OK. Do I think Howard is worth all these moves? Not at all, while he is the best Center in the league, he isn’t the type that is going to carry a team to a NBA Championship by himself.
But, at least for one year it would make the Rockets interesting again and you never know what can happen during that year.
If you are the Magic this is the best deal you are going to get that doesn’t include Andrew Bynum, so you should pull the trigger sooner than later.