Kings to acquire Carl Landry for Kevin Martin

[benji]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4923777

The Houston Rockets, in an abrupt late twist to their long-running efforts to trade Tracy McGrady, have reached an agreement in principal with the Sacramento Kings to acquire coveted guard Kevin Martin, ESPN.com has learned.

Martin was pulled from the second half of the Kings' game Wednesday night at Golden State in anticipation of the trade, sources said.

Although the details of the complete construction of the trade could not immediately be confirmed, sources said that it's possible that the deal could be expanded into a three-way trade that lands Rockets guard Tracy McGrady with the New York Knicks before Thursday's 3 p.m. trading deadline.

EDIT:

Kenny Thomas, Hilton Armstrong and Sergio Rodriguez will also come to Houston, while McGrady, Carl Landry and Joey Dorsey will be outgoing, according to Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski.

WTF?

[J@3]

LOL

[Brave Sir Rubin]

Holy shit.

[benji]

"If T-Mac gets buy out with Kings, he privately hopes to sign with Lakers or Cavaliers for the playoffs, source close to him tells Y!"

Rich get richer!

[Modifly]

Goddamnit. If the Rockets are going to trade for Kevin Martin they might as well play T-Mac in the first place. Martin is an injury prone player who gets injured about as often as T-Mac. I dont understand why Morey would want to trade an injury prone player for another injury prone player who's not even as good as T-Mac. Martin is a poor man's T-Mac and his game is very one dimensional. T-Mac on the other hand can create plays for others when he's not scoring, unlike Martin.

What I hate even more about this trade is that Landry's involved. I understand that Landry is included because he has nearly reach his ceiling, his value is really high because of the way he's been playing this season and so he must be trade while his value is high, but the players the Rockets are getting in return isn't worth Landry's value. Kenny Thomas? Hilton Armstrong? I know the Rockets badly need a center but come on.

I'll be really interested to find out how this trade will shape up and whether it will be expanded to include the Knicks or not. I guess at the end of the day it all comes down to whether Martin can stay healthy or not.

Maybe there will be more trades coming up. Maybe this trade is just a bridge to go on to a larger trade.

Damn I'll really miss Landry. Screw you Morey.


EDIT:

From Ric Bucher's twitter:

If Sac and Hou can pull Knicks into 3-team deal, Sergio Rodriguez + TMac would go to NY, a source says. Told Sac-Hou two-way deal not done.

http://twitter.com/RicBucher/status/9273278146

[benji]

I dont understand why Morey would want to trade an injury prone player for another injury prone player who's not even as good as T-Mac. Martin is a poor man's T-Mac and his game is very one dimensional. T-Mac on the other hand can create plays for others when he's not scoring, unlike Martin.

One is 30 and hasn't been a good offensive player in half a decade. The other is 26 and one year removed from being a 23 point 60% scorer.

[Modifly]

The other is 26 and one year removed from being a 23 point 60% scorer.

I dont understand the 23 point 60% scorer. What does that mean? As far as I'm aware, Martin has always been shooting an ineffective 40% from the field.

[benji]

So "always" doesn't include 2005-09?

Let's look at his three best seasons: 25-33% of shots during this period come from three and he shoots 38-42% from there. He also gets to the line at an insane rate netting him 7-10 free throws a game which he hits at over 85%. He's basically the SG version of Chauncey Billups in terms of scoring.

Free Throw Attempts

2007-08 NBA 578 (9)
2008-09 NBA 527 (9)

True Shooting Pct

2005-06 NBA .604 (3)
2006-07 NBA .614 (5)
2007-08 NBA .618 (9)
Active .600 (4)

[Abctest123]

Wtf? Sure Houston had a void at SG I suppose but Carl Landry has been great for them. I guess they're content with just Scola then. For the Kings, one of their best players in Jason Thompson plays the same position but I guess he's gonna be their big weapon off the bench.

[Lamrock]

Daryl Morey screwed the pooch on this one. T-Mac's expiring for Kevin Martin, an excellent player but an extremely injury prone one, and at this point not a good fit with 'Reke, should have been enough. Giving up by far their best player as well is pretty ridiculous. Martin at his best, is about as good as Landry, but he may never even revert to his old self. This deal will likely help Trevor Ariza, but Geoff Petrie won here.

[kevC]

I would like to hear more of your opinion on this trade benji.

For me, losing Landry really hurts but he probably was gonna get a big paycheck down the line... I'm not sure yet.

[Stress Fracture]

Damn I'll really miss Landry. Screw you Morey.

Yeah, screw you Morey.

From Ric Bucher's twitter:

If Sac and Hou can pull Knicks into 3-team deal, Sergio Rodriguez + TMac would go to NY, a source says. Told Sac-Hou two-way deal not done.

http://twitter.com/RicBucher/status/9273278146

So if New York is involved, will Houston get the players in the trading block of the Knicks?

[Lamrock]

I'm a Blazers fan, but I do like the Rockets. Really hope the three-deal changes things, and the Knicks send some guys (Nate?) to Sac-Town so they can keep Landry.

[Stress Fracture]

Yeah, I wish the Knicks will be involved in this trade. At least the Rockets can keep Landry. I can live with that.

[benji]

I would like to hear more of your opinion on this trade benji.

For me, losing Landry really hurts but he probably was gonna get a big paycheck down the line... I'm not sure yet.

He's 26 and makes $3 million next year. At 28 if he gets a major offer you can let him go.

Dorsey getting traded was mildly surprising as well considering how often he tweets about him.

Might be an attempt to nip any playoff birth in the bud so the team can get started adding more assets from the lottery.

[Lamrock]

I doubt I'll ever be seeing "In Morey We Trust" again. Kevin Martin is a good player, but he is just as injury prone as Knee-Mac or Yao. Unless this turns out to be a crazy three-team trade netting them Anthony Randolph, its ridiculous. Carl Landry is a stud and by far their best player. Its not like they didn't have another expendable PF with decent trade value.

[yosifun]

I like this trade for both teams

Sac unloads Martin, reversing the team chemistry to the time of his injury and more importantly receiving a stud in Landry who can play the 4-5 positions with great hustle. Receiving T-Mac is a plus because he CAN play and the Kings could give him the opportunity to return to his good days.

Houston finally gets a decent SG in Martin, making their starting lineup more balanced along side Brooks, Ariza and Scola. Giving up Landry is a shame because of his great year but they could find an even better C in the summer to replace/complete Yao.

[Lamrock]

McGrady is going to be waived. Considering all of the cap space they surrender with this deal, the only way they managed to replace an all-star caliber big like Landry is if Yao retires and Bosh decides to sign with Houston.

[benji]

If Yao retires, he's still on the cap until his contract expires. They can sign Bosh with the cap space they have coming up even with Martin depending on a couple factors.

[Lamrock]

I meant that the Rockets pulled off what the Blazers attempted with Darius Miles's contract. What factors do you speak of though?

[benji]

Depends on when/if they re-sign Scola and Lowry along with what the salary cap will be. They could potentially still be able to fit a max contract in. (There's also the outside chance of Bosh taking a slight short-term pay cut to come back home.)

Yao could also not pick up his option and re-sign at a lower contract to help add another star like Duncan and KG did a few years back. Especially if it looks like his career might be short-lived.

[Modifly]

I doubt I'll ever be seeing "In Morey We Trust" again. Kevin Martin is a good player, but he is just as injury prone as Knee-Mac or Yao. Unless this turns out to be a crazy three-team trade netting them Anthony Randolph, its ridiculous. Carl Landry is a stud and by far their best player. Its not like they didn't have another expendable PF with decent trade value.

At least you wont be seeing that from me again. I have been skeptical about Morey for quite sometimes now, and trading away Landry at his prime doesn't help me lose my skepticism. Morey have made some excellent moves in the past and this deal may turn out to be another excellent move - we'll have to wait and see. The only two things that bothers me about this deal is why Landry and not Scola and why Kevin Martin. Scola had pretty much reached his peak, his game wont get any better. Landry on the other hand is approaching his own ceiling too but he's still younger than Scola and still has room to grow. As for Martin, it's basically a case of trading away an injury prone player for an injury prone player.

So the Rockets loses a PF who scores 17 points a game for 80 games a season and gets a SG who scores 20 points a game for 50 games a season. Like I said, they might as well play T-Mac in the first place. Unless Martin manages to stay healthy then I dont think this deal is necessary for the Rockets.

[jonthefon]

I think Landry already hit his ceiling and he's being sold high (developed his face-up game and jumpshot, free throw shooting), especially with his pending free agency and knee injuries in college. I'm surprised Morey didn't try and send Scola instead of Martin but hey, I'm no GM and I suppose Sacramento demanded Landry because of age, etc.

Isn't Kevin Martin an extremely efficient scorer though? Even if he does shoot low-to-mid 40s, he knocks down the three and gets to the line a lot.

If (and that's a massive, massive if) Yao come backs at somewhere near his previous form in 2011, I wonder how the Rockets shape up in the West. Yao/Scola/Ariza/Martin/Brooks and Battier/Lowry/others I forget off the bench (EDIT: CHUCK HAYES! DAVID ANDERSEN! BRIAN COOK!!!!1!!!), with your 1 to 3 all young guys looks pretty solid and I have a feeling Morey will be fine in stockpiling his role players again.

Is it just me or Sacramento's frontcourt looks loaded...without all that much D? Thompson/Landry/Hawes? Their cap situation will be interesting with Knee-Mac coming off the books too.

[hova-]

I don't see Landry as an All-Star, he might have a chance to prove me wrong at Sac-Town. The Rockets are building on Yao being like his old self when he comes back. If he can do that, they have a really nice squad around him. Martin brings the scoring and star power they were lacking of with T-Mac being Knee-Mac. The other guys on the Rockets roster are perfect role players, like Ariza, Battier or Scola who give you just what you need to win games. An addition I personally like but that does not really make this deal a better one is the Sergio Rodriguez. Kid can play.

And some seem to forget that the Rockets at least got Kenny Thomas and Hilton Armstrong, giving them 10M$ coming off the books next year and thus not reaching the luxury tax, which they had to pay this season if I'm right. (only 2M$ though)

[Modifly]

I think Landry already hit his ceiling and he's being sold high (developed his face-up game and jumpshot, free throw shooting), especially with his pending free agency and knee injuries in college. I'm surprised Morey didn't try and send Scola instead of Martin but hey, I'm no GM and I suppose Sacramento demanded Landry because of age, etc.

Isn't Kevin Martin an extremely efficient scorer though? Even if he does shoot low-to-mid 40s, he knocks down the three and gets to the line a lot.

If (and that's a massive, massive if) Yao come backs at somewhere near his previous form in 2011, I wonder how the Rockets shape up in the West. Yao/Scola/Ariza/Martin/Brooks and Battier/Lowry/others I forget off the bench (EDIT: CHUCK HAYES! DAVID ANDERSEN! BRIAN COOK!!!!1!!!), with your 1 to 3 all young guys looks pretty solid and I have a feeling Morey will be fine in stockpiling his role players again.

Is it just me or Sacramento's frontcourt looks loaded...without all that much D? Thompson/Landry/Hawes? Their cap situation will be interesting with Knee-Mac coming off the books too.

Great post. I felt better after reading that.