James Harden rejects OKC Offer / *Traded* to Rockets

[bigfoot5415]

Re: James Harden rejects 4 year/ $52 Million OKC Offer

Do you even watch Trailblazer basketball? If so, how can you justify that Batum is a bum? He's a rising star and has a raw skill set that is improving. I'd love to be a 6'8 bum who run the floor, knock the 3 ball down at a high clip, play tough perimeter D, and rebound well.

Well he is solid but for someone who is 23 and his career high in pts is 13.9 ppg i would say he got over paid. While the talent is there, i highly doubt he averages more than 17 ppg more than one season. Last year was a contract year for him and he played his tail off. That combined with his given talent forces Portland to give him a big deal. I wouldnt have gone more than 8 mil a year. Despite rumors no one would have offered him more than that. More power to him for getting that deal.

Look at gee, few years older and not as good but he is solid at sf. Look what we paid him. Id say for the slight difference in play (batum is maybe a tier 2 sf with gee being a tier 3) we did a damn good job getting fair value.

 

[Triumph36]

They can swap offense for defense around at the SG spot with Sefalosha and Martin. They can entertain re-signing Martin with the money they didn't spend on Harden. They can trade Martin as a big expiring. They can use the draft picks to continue to improve, or throw them in to a deal with Martin to bring in someone else.

Lamb may become the cornerstone of the deal, but they don't have all their eggs in that nest.

It's all good for OKC, compared to letting Harden walk because they can't afford to pay him a max deal.

But all that adds up. They want to justify moving Harden by blaming it on the new CBA, fine. But Martin's new contract/player they get in return for him, Lamb, Toronto's pick, etc all carry salaries too. The total would obv be less than paying Harden, but the team is also downgraded too.

Though B Mac mentioning Aldridge piqued my interest about another potential trade they could have explored. Harden, Ibaka, and whatever filler for Aldridge, Matthews, a protected pick, and whatever filler. OKC gets a little older but much more well-rounded and is in a better financial situation.

Westbrook/Maynor
Sefolosha/Matthews
Durant/PJ3
Aldridge/Collision/PJ3
Perk/Collison/Thabeet

I like that a lot more than what they have now. Love it, actually. Don't think Portland could say no, either.

 

[Simon]

What's funny is that the Thunder got more for Harden than Orlando got for Howard.

 

[mhi]

What's funny is that the Thunder got more for Harden than Orlando got for Howard.

Cuz Howard was UFA while Harden is RFA.

 

[Hydroponic3385]

Cuz Howard was UFA while Harden is RFA.

And Howard's situation became an ongoing debacle. The longer it went on the worse it got for Orlando.

 

[Tornicade]

no guts no glory. The rockets are rebuilding with flair and taking gambles. The rockets still have royce white, Terrence jones, Chandler parsons, donatas,
Omar Asik plays stellar defense and is an excellent rebounder.

They are picking up the players other team cant afford

 

[kookoo]

Let's just hope Toronto ends up surprising people next year and not sucking.

 

[beefstew]

Everyone keeps harping about us making a splash in a trade now, let me ask you this: who's left?

 

[Gimme Some Mo]

Don't like the deal for either team. Houston ruined their team this offseason. They should have been going full rebuild. Instead they spend on their money on Jeremy Lin, Asik, and Harden.... Good luck ever making it out of the 1st round the next 5 years. Houston could have had an awesome youth movement/rebuild with all the picks and cap space they had.

They aleady had a head start getting 3 rookies with good potential in Lamb, Jones, and White. They would have had their pick, TOR pick, and DAL pick this season as well. They blew it. I'd be pissed if I was a Rockets fan..... and I really like Harden too.


For OKC... Look, I don't think Harden is a max player. But they were willing to offer him 5 mil less than the max, so why not just pony up another 5 mil? If they were an average team or a bad team, OK... I could see not paying it. But they are a top 4 team.... You have to pay the extra money and keep that team together.

They did get a lot for him, but I still don't like it. They will miss Harden's playmaking ability. Westbrook is now their only player that can create for others. I just don't get how you can let that happen over 1 million a season. I'd be very pissed off if I was an OKC fan right now.

 

[MirORich]

Nothing for now.

The thought is that after the season(or even at the deadline) we will have an ideal combo of young players, future draft picks, and mega salary space to pull of a similar deal if it's the right fit.

Everyone keeps harping about us making a splash in a trade now, let me ask you this: who's left?

 

[Walter White]

Thunders starting 5 got stronger. Their bench got stronger by moving Thabo and Lamb to the bench. Great trade for OKC. But I think its a good trade for Houston as well, because Kevin Martin wasn't taking Houston anywhere, and definitely isn't number one option material (you can argue that Harden isn't either if you want, but he is more than Martin). Harden gets to become a number one option and help shake up a Rockets team that desperately needs it. A Jeremy Lin-Harden backcourt is intriguing. I know Harden was sub par this playoffs, but normally when I see him play, I see he has about as much talent as Westbrook and Durant, so say what you want but I think he is going to suprise alot of you as a number one option.

He has a ton of talent. Probably not worth the price tag that Houston is willing to pay, but that is there problem. It will be interesting to see how Harden does. With a starting role, extra minutes, and alot of extra shots without worrying as much about sharing the ball, expect his numbers to go up big time. In my opinion, this will put him strongly in the Most Improved Player race. I think his ultimate role would to be a number 2 option on a team, but I think this helps Houston. Good trade for both.

 

[Triumph36]

Nothing for now.

The thought is that after the season(or even at the deadline) we will have an ideal combo of young players, future draft picks, and mega salary space to pull of a similar deal if it's the right fit.

But the question still remains - exactly who is a realistic target? Now, at the deadline, next off-season, doesn't really matter.

I said before I think Josh Smith, Al Jefferson, and Paul Millsap would probably be the most realistic.

 

[Ohio]

Everyone keeps harping about us making a splash in a trade now, let me ask you this: who's left?

Thats the point I made earlier lol. Everyone has already been traded for minus Josh Smith. If they all stay with their new teams we're fucked.

Unless we trade Varejao for Rudy Gay or something

 

[bigfoot5415]

Thats the point I made earlier lol. Everyone has already been traded for minus Josh Smith. If they all stay with their new teams we're fucked.

Unless we trade Varejao for Rudy Gay or something

Gay, Smith, Horford & Aldridge will all hit the market sometime within the next 12 months. Their respective teams will wait and see how the season pans out.

I fully expect Port & ATL to blow it up.

 

[Ohio]

Gay, Smith, Horford & Aldridge will all hit the market sometime within the next 12 months. Their respective teams will wait and see how the season pans out.

I fully expect Port & ATL to blow it up.

Lets hope so.