Ryan Anderson will be a trade candidate once again this offseason, according to Kelly Iko of Rockets Wire, who hears from two sources with knowledge of the Rockets’ thinking that GM Daryl Morey is “intent on moving” Anderson. One source told Iko that the club could explore a buyout if no viable trade options arise.
Anderson, 30, signed a four-year, $80MM contract with the Rockets as a free agent in 2016. In two seasons with the Rockets, Anderson has delivered the kind of outside shooting the club sought from him, averaging 2.4 3PG with a .396 3PT%. However, the floor spacing and three-pointers provided by the veteran forward have been offset by his struggles on the defensive end of the floor.
The Rockets’ defensive rating with Anderson on the court in 2017/18 was approximately five points worse than the team’s rating when he sat. The former Pelican even fell out of Houston’s rotation during the postseason last month, playing less than 29 minutes over the course of the Rockets’ seven-game series against Golden State.
Anderson has been on the trade block in the past and the Rockets have struggled to find a taker. For instance, his inclusion in a potential package was a sticking point when Houston and New York discussed a Carmelo Anthony trade last summer. The Rockets will likely have to include at least two future first-round picks in order to incentivize a team to take on Anderson’s contract, and even that might not do the trick.
Still, finding a way to reduce their commitment to Anderson figures to be a top priority this offseason as the Rockets look to re-sign Chris Paul and Clint Capela. New deals for those key free agents would send team salary skyrocketing over the tax line, so moving on from Anderson wouldn’t just get Houston out from under his salary — it would also greatly reduce the team’s projected tax bill.
In other news, oxygen is breathable to humans.
Lol yeah coming up next: Lakers looking at all avenues to trade Luol Deng
i wonder if the sixers have or will think about getting rid of jerryd bayless
That one may actually happen. Expiring contract
I feel as though Morey gets a lot more praise the he deserves .. no one talks about his horrible contracts that were big set backs ..
Scola,Lin,Asik and Anderson and many wasted picks so idk all about the in morey we trust.BUT he is way better a GM then dawson.
Yeah, but let’s just forget about the trade for Harden and the ability to create the team her has now.
Oh did I miss when the Rockets won something this millennium?
Rockets have acquired a bunch of ex pelicans. Wow, brilliant.
yeah I know he likes to hang his hat on the harden trade BUT don’t forget he also gave away first rounders for guys like ty Lawson and Jordan hill.. and I mean he gave away way to much for chris paul I mean the clippers had no choice but to take what the rockets would give they could of held on to assets.
Morey is as good as it gets, and maybe the best in collecting and managing assets under the rules. He inherited a uniquely bad situation, i.e., a team with most of its resources tied up in a few players, and the two best and highest paid, McGrady and Ming, both become unable to play the back half of their contracts. Little talent, missing picks, no cap space and right on or about the tax line. As a Knick fan I know this situation well. Unlike anyone who’s ever run the Knicks, though, he’s been creative and relentless in building his teams year to year to win currently (never had a losing season), while accumulating the future assets needed to eventually get to a true championship contender. He’s been read, on short notice, to make the bigger deals, unlike most. Almost all the assets used to acquire Harden and CP3 came out of a few mid to low picks, some 2nds and guys he picked up for little to nothing. His team wins, so it hasn’t under his watch ever generated a 1st rounder higher than #14. But he still has a 65-win team with 2 HOF players. On short notice, he was able to also clear space for D.Howard (signed) and later C.Bosh (reneged on deal, and resigned in Miami). I imagine you’d be really upset if Bosh had signed, as it would be such a horrible contract. In the tanking era, the Process may be all the rage, but what Morey did was many times more impressive.
And yet no trophy. Not impressive enough. For each good move he’s made, he’s countered it with a bad one. Let’s just call him ‘even Steven.’
You can call him whatever you like. Doesn’t make it so.
Rockets are stuck with him just like Thunder are stuck with Anthony.
Well, technically Anthony hasn’t opted in yet to my knowledge. But he most likely will…
(Westbrook sobbing mournfully)
Will Melo most likely opt in? All I’ve been hearing is that he seems very disgruntled with his role for OKC and his numbers took a big drop this year. First year in his career he didn’t average 20 points per game (he had 16.2 a game)
The only thing Melo cares about more than his stats, is his money. He’s opting in
It’ll be the last time he makes $27M, when he does opt in.
The bigger issue is that he was great/terrible at home vs. the road (or was it the other way round?) Inconsistency is the worst thing an NBA player can succumb to
Rockets give him a stupid contract and now expect someone else to take him. Anderson laughing all the way to Wells Fargo.
U were stupid enough to give him 5 years 80 million. Now ur stock with him
its like who were the outbidding for him ? no one was going to give him that money.
Worse than that– 4/$80MM. Summer of ’16, a very good year to be a FA.
He will have to be waived & stretched to get very much cap space from him. Save maybe $11MM for this year if they need it.
I’m sure the Hawks will take him for 2-3 first rounders.
I still believe Anderson and Melo should switch teams. Anderson is a better suit for OKC – a big who can just catch and shoot, compared to a pure ISO player.
Good one. Bad contracts are not traded for each other enough.
That is not a bad idea at this time.
Except Melo only has one year left.
I think Houston might need to wait 1 more year, until he is an expiring, cannot see anyone taking him.
I don’t know what position the Nets are in at present. Could the Nets and the Rockets do a trade for Anderson. With the Nets getting a player plus 2 #1 draft picks and 2 #2 draft picks while giving up dead contracts to make money work. Or is there another team that can do this?
Anderson for Ibaka