As a GM I play to win plain and simple
Members who join the world of the CSL basketball league come for a variety of different reasons, some want the opportunity to manage their favourite team and enjoy the idea that they can control the franchise they have loved since a small child, and others join to share their passion for basketball with other like-minded people. But there is one GM who is here for one reason and one reason only, to win at all costs like in a ruthless game of chess he is here with one clear goal and one clear ambition to become the greatest GM the CSL has ever seen, the Houston Rockets GM KW.
So it should be no surprise that the Rockets have probably had the greatest offseason we have ever seen in the CSL and the team has one target for this coming season, to win and to continue winning big. But in a league which has seen a up and down draft, a IT glitch and a new free agency process just how has KW and his burning ambition managed to leave 29 other General Manager in his dust as we head out of the offseason exit and into the highway of the regular season?
The Draft
If we cast our minds back to the pre-draft KW and the Houston Rockets did not hold a single first round pick this year. Through a variety of past trades to land the likes of Kemba Walker and KAT the Rockets were heading into the draft with limited opportunity to pick up any top talent this year, which for 29 other GM’s who if in the Rockets position would of thought that was fine considering Houston had just come off a Conference Finals defeat. But when you are driven to succeed and win at all costs KW will of looked at previous models of success such as Phoenix, Sacramento, Detroit and Miami and realised that one key to winning is to consistently be in and around the lottery every single year. If you can pick up a top player on that cheap rookie deal it will make your life so much easier, even better if the guy you can pick up oozes potential as a trade asset.
Like an eagle searching high above the sky for possible prey KW found his option to jump into the draft early at pick 6, the Lakers and Indiana had struck a deal early in the offseason to switch picks 3 and 6 along with Emannuel Mudiay and DeMar DeRozan, sensing that the Pacers would likely not of scouted that well as the Indiana GM was new to the league and still getting a feel for the player profiles. There was a great opportunity to get in and switch some future assets and a young starter in Justin Patton’s 2 year remaining rookie years to get in at pick 6 and possibly grab Michael Porter, a guy who many expected to drop due to his raw talent but huge potential. A nice possible asset to flip later down the line like a Kevin Knox or stash and keep like and Isaiah Cousins. Regardless of dealing a few future picks and Patton the main goal was a achieved, in order to win you need to take bold decisions to keep on the right side of younger talent, KW and the Rockets has achieved this here.
The Trade
Post draft is also another great time to strike and get a deal over the line. When you are a team looking to win you often have to seek out deals and attach yourself to them to squeeze out as much value as you can, because if you can do this then you are continually keeping yourself ahead of the game and making sure that whilst others are improving themselves you are limiting this as much as possible whilst still remaining at the top. KW and the Rockets managed to achieve this in 2 deals, attaching Aminu to the Spurs/Toronto trade for 2 2nd round picks and attaching Troy Daniels a controversial 3 point gunner with no defence to a larger Memphis, Indiana, San Antonio trade. Getting back 4 2nd prund picks 2 of which are Memphis 2nd round picks which could be helpful for future transactions is nice but the real kicker here is that this salary saved from Aminu and Troy Daniels which enabled the Rockets to get a maximum slot open for the free agency period, which meant there would be a very small window of opportunity for the Rockets to chase a big name star to add to Monk, Walker and KAT before KAT’s RFA status was enforced and the Rockets would need to match any offer. Often to be one of the very best teams in the league it is deals like this which help the elite teams stay ahead of the rest seeking that opportunity and recognising what could happen 2/3 moves down the line. To achieve something like this takes real skill and the ability to understand just how the trade market and financials are moving to be able to capitalise on the chase for shooting ahead of DDS19 and be able to get the best value possible from this demand.
Free agency
Every single GM in the league knew that this season’s free agency period would be one of ups and down and generate a large amount of interest. For one it is probably the best free agency class we have ever seen in the CSL, with big name RFA’s Winslow, Herzonja and KAT hitting free agency for the first time but also some huge CSL stars entering the market, Marcus Smart, Dante Exum, Paul George and James Harden to name a few, all of which have the ability to transform a franchise overnight. This combine with the changes to the free agency process had a recipe to create some fascinating opportunities. Yes in hindsight we can all sit here and say that we should of cleared the cap space and really chased a big name or two but there is only one elite GM and team which grabbed the opportunity by the horns and forced the issue causing a league-wide meltdown as other GM’s gasped in shock as to how the Rockets pulled off the swoop to net one of the league’s biggest stars in James Harden. KW and his drive and ambition to go all in for the tiniest opportunity meant that with Troy Daniel’s salary off the books and KAT sitting pretty in RFA and its minimal cap hold he could chase every top free agent on the market with maximum money (or close to maximum). The Rockets through previous deals had an exciting roster for any top free agent looking to win now and the money to bring in a star player. KW had even managed to outsmart some of the leagues very best GM’s in this move with other elite teams so focused on retaining their players they did not recognise the opportunity this change in free agency process presented. GM’s complained that Houston were throwing around cash like a 21 year old in Vegas for the first time with little care for the impact this was having, but when you as a GM are here with one clear purpose if the rules are not in place limiting this why not do this? Houston had beaten everyone at the new game and simply outsmarted 29 other GM’s. Like with most first movers in a market other Gm’s cottoned on to the strategy and landed their own all-stars (Washington) but before this occurred the Rocket had landed Harden to form what is the greatest starting roster since the Dallas Maverick All-Stars and will be hoping that talent, fit and elite GMing will be enough to bring them the crown this year.
Until the rest of the league recognises the strategy and ability to stay one step ahead with some fantastic offseason moves the Houston Rockets GM KW will continue to be a revolutionary in maximising opportunities, be it through targeted trading, drafting value or great financial management to bring in the every best free agents it could be a long time before we see another Western Conference franchise assemble this much talent in such a short space of time.
2028
