NBA Houston Rockets

Houston Rockets Must Avoid Trading For Corey Brewer

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By @JosephMCrevier

Houston Rockets

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The Minnesota Timberwolves, who are amidst a five-game losing streak and 2-7 overall record, have given indications that they are actively shopping veteran swingman Corey Brewer in an attempt to stockpile assets for the future.

Head coach and President of Basketball Operations, Flip Saunders, has displayed a proper forward-thinking mentality shipping away franchise superstar Kevin Love during the offseason, and acquiring two former No. 1 picks, Anthony Bennett and Andrew Wiggins.

Minnesota has also built a strong core of young players through recent drafts themselves, including center Gorgui Dieng, Shabazz Muhammad and the most obvious, Ricky Rubio. Though this core group is far from capturing Minny’s very first NBA title, it’s a solid foundation for the future.

Prior to Love’s departure, the Timberwolves signed a handful of veterans to hefty long-term contracts with the playoffs in mind. Now with that goal out of sight, shedding these salaries is key, primarily to allow these young players to really develop their respective games without having to sacrifice minutes for the vets.

Between Nikola Pekovic, Chase Budinger, Corey Brewer, Kevin Martin and Thaddeus Young, Minnesota has nearly $38 million of totally unnecessary salary tied up next season and $20 million beyond that. Therefore, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Saunders will begin shipping them away, with Brewer being potentially the first domino to fall.

Multiple title contenders have reportedly expressed interest in the 8th-year man out of Florida, with the Houston Rockets and Cleveland Cavaliers emerging as the top suitors. Both franchises possess trade exceptions to absorb Brewer’s contract, meaning either team would have the ability to acquire Brewer without having to shell out any players in return.

The Timberwolves would likely demand a mere draft pick just to shed themselves of Brewer’s two years and $9,607,500 remaining on his contract.

Brewer’s career stats of 10 points and three rebounds per game do not exactly jump off the page, as his game is primarily based on the defensive end. Though he has shown flashes of dominance throughout his career — notably dropping 51 points versus the Rockets late in the 2013-14 season — he’s basically a glorified role player, who provides some instant defense and energy off the bench. So Houston, a team with a fairly thin bench, is the ideal designation for Brewer, correct? Not exactly.

There’s no denying the coveted wing could provide an instant spark for Kevin McHale, who did draft Brewer back in 2007, but his contract is an issue. The NBA salary cap threshold is projected to rise to $66.5 million for the 2015-16 season, which would leave an already dangerous Houston team about $10 million to add a prominent piece next summer.

Tapping into that increasingly valuable cap space, to acquire Brewer on a lofty contract, is suicide. Houston has plenty of issues to be addressed, most importantly locking up starting point guard Patrick Beverley when his deal expires in 2015. With other players such as Iman Shumpert, Jimmy Butler and Paul Millsap all hitting the market as well, the Rockets would be foolish to invest in a player who ultimately will not suffice in pushing the team to a title.

Joseph Crevier covers the New York Knicks for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter, @JosephMCrevier, and Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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