James Harden traded to the Rockets

[Vitamin]

Will Harden extend in Houston?

[BaunceyChillups]

Can people please stop pretending Kevin Martin is any good

it's really unbecoming

[SEBAS-07]

oh c'mon, martin is nowhere near as good as afflalo. lamb is not better than vucevic and harkless combined. harkless (#15) was barely drafted 3 spots behind lamb (#12) and vucevic was the #16 pick himself the yr before.

Martin's definitely as good as Afflalo, if not better. He's just always hurt.

won't get too into it and steer this trade away from OKC/HOU talk, but i honestly don't think its even arguable. an elite permeter defender with elite shooting, martin can't compete with that. too many holes in his game.

According to Hollinger Afflalo was one of the worst defenders in the last season, and Martin is a good shooter. IMO Presti made an error in choosing Ibaka over Harden.

[Sinant]

Can OKC trade K-Mart this year?

[The J Rocka]

Then, they'll take another step back until that SG pans out just like they're doing now.

Not necessarily disagreeing with the fact that losing Harden makes them better but we won't know the final result until we see how Lamb turns out and what they can do with their money going elsewhere.

If they can put their money + assets towards a decent/all-star big, I'd say it was a move that had to be made.

Maybe some would've rather them move Westbrook or Ibaka but downgrading SG position to maybe upgrade PF/C position is what I think the plan will be. Having all that money tied up to Westbrook, Harden, KD with nothing much else inside isn't going to get you over the hump, at least in my opinion.

Ibaka is fine, but playing alongside Perk, I don't think is the answer and maybe Presti has the same vision?

[ReleaseTwill]

70 pages already?

[RatherUnique]

Then, they'll take another step back until that SG pans out just like they're doing now.

Not necessarily disagreeing with the fact that losing Harden makes them better but we won't know the final result until we see how Lamb turns out and what they can do with their money going elsewhere.

If they can put their money + assets towards a decent/all-star big, I'd say it was a move that had to be made.

Maybe some would've rather them move Westbrook or Ibaka but downgrading SG position to maybe upgrade PF/C position is what I think the plan will be. Having all that money tied up to Westbrook, Harden, KD with nothing much else inside isn't going to get you over the hump, at least in my opinion.

Ibaka is fine, but playing alongside Perk, I don't think is the answer and maybe Presti has the same vision?

Oh absolutely, if the end is result is trading Harden for a scoring big then I'll applaud Presti

[BeasleyTheBeast]

they still got Kendrick Perkins contract

[slick_watts]

Can OKC trade K-Mart this year?

Yes, but only by himself for 60 days.

[Omar CominYo]

Then, they'll take another step back until that SG pans out just like they're doing now.

Not necessarily disagreeing with the fact that losing Harden makes them better but we won't know the final result until we see how Lamb turns out and what they can do with their money going elsewhere.

If they can put their money + assets towards a decent/all-star big, I'd say it was a move that had to be made.

Maybe some would've rather them move Westbrook or Ibaka but downgrading SG position to maybe upgrade PF/C position is what I think the plan will be. Having all that money tied up to Westbrook, Harden, KD with nothing much else inside isn't going to get you over the hump, at least in my opinion.

Ibaka is fine, but playing alongside Perk, I don't think is the answer and maybe Presti has the same vision?

I doubt anyone would rather do that

[GreenWithEnvy]

I don't get why so many people are hating on Presti for the work he did...You trade a potential distraction for the upcoming year for a 20 PPG scorer and 3 lottery picks or very good picks. DOn't give me this "Kmart doesn't play defense ****"...he will fit in thedefensive scheme of OKC. No one talked about the Lakers' potential defensive woes with Nash and Kobe in the same backcourt. Thats 20X the disaster that OKC has on its hands.

[DefenseWins]

WHOOOAAAAAA this is some shocking news, damn.

Just for a few more million? REALLY HARDEN?

[Boss_]

While thunder lose in the "win now" factor...


Lets not forget, their core is still very young, and they can do something with those assets and picks down the line to net another possible big bananna.

[kakaman]

According to Woj's article, Westbrook and Perkins knew about what was going down on Friday, but yesterday KD's tweet made it seem like he had no idea. What's going on over there?

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--inside-look-at-james-harden-s-trade-to-rockets-28301609.html

Woj's article has some interesting insights, if they are to be believed. That Presti set the line for negotiations and ownership may have been willing to pay more. That Harden may not have been the type to handle the season well with RFA status looming. That that trade talks with Morey were set in motion days ago.

I slept on it and still don't like the trade for Harden - the value isn't horrible, but it's not the kind of trade a team on the door step of a title makes. I don't like low lotto picks, and we got one in Lamb, and probably another pick in that range from Toronto. You hope for solid role players out of those guys. I think Martin is gone after this season, and in effect OKC traded James for a couple low lotto picks, a junk first rounder, and a second rounder. Again, not a terrible haul, but hard to imagine Presti couldn't do better if he waited some.

If that is all the Thunder get, sometimes low lottery picks and late firsts turn out to be great players. Jae Crowder looks to me to be this year's surprise, like Kenneth Faried was last season. Players like Paul Millsap seem to slip in drafts all the time. There are ways to predict these sleepers even before the draft. Could be that this works out well in the long run.

(I love your posts, Slick Watts. I feel your pain on this trade. FWIW, I think Mike Moser, Andre Roberson, Gorgui Dieng, Doug McDermott, and Jack Cooley each have the potential to be really good pros.)

[FlipTSO]

We'll see now about the myth that Harden only came off the bench because he balanced the roster. Because if Martin starts, that will pretty much end that myth.

[The J Rocka]

Then, they'll take another step back until that SG pans out just like they're doing now.

Not necessarily disagreeing with the fact that losing Harden makes them better but we won't know the final result until we see how Lamb turns out and what they can do with their money going elsewhere.

If they can put their money + assets towards a decent/all-star big, I'd say it was a move that had to be made.

Maybe some would've rather them move Westbrook or Ibaka but downgrading SG position to maybe upgrade PF/C position is what I think the plan will be. Having all that money tied up to Westbrook, Harden, KD with nothing much else inside isn't going to get you over the hump, at least in my opinion.

Ibaka is fine, but playing alongside Perk, I don't think is the answer and maybe Presti has the same vision?

I doubt anyone would rather do that

Which is my point. It had to be done.

[deNIEd]

I don't get why so many people are hating on Presti for the work he did...You trade a potential distraction for the upcoming year for a 20 PPG scorer and 3 lottery picks or very good picks. DOn't give me this "Kmart doesn't play defense ****"...he will fit in thedefensive scheme of OKC. No one talked about the Lakers' potential defensive woes with Nash and Kobe in the same backcourt. Thats 20X the disaster that OKC has on its hands.

This trade also quite frankly allows OKC to keep Perkins. If LAL didn't acquire Dwight, I don't think this trade would have been made...but they did.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--inside-look-at-james-harden-s-trade-to-rockets-28301609.html

Woj's article has some interesting insights, if they are to be believed. That Presti set the line for negotiations and ownership may have been willing to pay more. That Harden may not have been the type to handle the season well with RFA status looming. That that trade talks with Morey were set in motion days ago.

I slept on it and still don't like the trade for Harden - the value isn't horrible, but it's not the kind of trade a team on the door step of a title makes. I don't like low lotto picks, and we got one in Lamb, and probably another pick in that range from Toronto. You hope for solid role players out of those guys. I think Martin is gone after this season, and in effect OKC traded James for a couple low lotto picks, a junk first rounder, and a second rounder. Again, not a terrible haul, but hard to imagine Presti couldn't do better if he waited some.

Or they take tho assets and flip them again

We are talking about one of the best GM's in the biz

I think OKC will make another move.

[tiderulz]

oh c'mon, martin is nowhere near as good as afflalo. lamb is not better than vucevic and harkless combined. harkless (#15) was barely drafted 3 spots behind lamb (#12) and vucevic was the #16 pick himself the yr before.

Martin's definitely as good as Afflalo, if not better. He's just always hurt.

no he isnt. he cant defend and when they changed the swing thru rules to stop FTs, that hurt his game even more. and then add in the fact he is always hurt. You cant do anything for your team on the bench, except eat up salary cap