Official Speculation Thread (Pt. XLVII "Training Camp" Ed.)

[ChosenSavior]

Ewing still sitting on the couch.

well he did get an offer to coach the knicks.......D-league affiliate team.....turned down the offer i guess he's too good for the D-league...he must be still getting that Snickers Patrick Chewing commercial money.....

[trebone]

^^ I think Ewing is going to be in for a big surprise when he is left off a staff for a few years, especially if Stan gets the ESPN gig. IMO Stan had Ewing to be his middle man to Dwight hoping Howard would at least respect Ewing enough to listen to what he had to say. Ewing doesnt have the chops to be an NBA HC

[trebone]

so how about them Bucs!

[J the Drafter]

Howard did have Hakeem give him lessons.

[Noonskadoodle]

Nothing ground breaking, but:

Report: James Harden wants the max

According to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com, James Harden wants a max extension. Which is kind of sort of relevant considering not only has Harden indicated he’d be willing to make future sacrifices to stay with in Oklahoma City, a place he’s said over and over he wants to be, but also because most feel that the Thunder can’t handle giving him that level of a deal.

It’s pretty darn obvious that Harden is a max level kind of player and that if he were to reach restricted free agency, he’s certainly warrant a max offer sheet from somewhere.

If OKC were to give Harden what he wants — reportedly — that would be a four-year, $63 million deal. Which would put OKC’s luxury tax payment in 2014 at around $23 million, assuming the NBA’s salary cap remains the same. For contrast, an extension like Ibaka signed (four years, $48 million), would pull that number down to $15.6 million in 2014. And if the Thunder signed Harden to the discounted deal and amnestied Kendrick Perkins, the payment is only about $1.7 million. So you can see what’s at stake here.

The Thunder know what they’re willing to spend. Harden has the number in his head of what he wants. And he can absolutely get it somewhere else. The Thunder may be willing to hit that number themselves and are trying to string this out hoping Harden bites like Serge Ibaka did, or they really and truly aren’t comfortable dropping another max deal. Anything less than the max for Harden is him giving up money and an obvious declaration that he values playing in OKC more than he does money.

So either there’s a compromise and Harden stays, or things complicate even more with him hitting the market next summer. There are teams waiting to bite — Phoenix, Houston, Dallas — knowing that the Thunder would have great difficulty in matching.

http://www.dailythunder.com/2012/09/jam ... s-the-max/

[BadMofoPimp]

Many superstar players "ask" for the max. It is all a part of the negotiation. But, I reckon if they came back with $50 or 55 mil deal, he may take it.

[OrlandoMagic]

Harden is not worth MAX Money and he is NOT a franchise star to build around. He is a 3rd option on a playoff team, with best potential the teams 2nd go to guy.

[ChosenSavior]

Harden is not worth MAX Money and he is NOT a franchise star to build around. He is a 3rd option on a playoff team, with best potential the teams 2nd go to guy.

Agreed.

[ChildishGambino]

Harden will get the max somewhere.....Brook Lopez got a ridiculous deal and he's quite a bit less talented than Harden....although that comparison is a bit skewed with Lopez being a big.....

[OrlandoMajinBuu]

Harden is not worth MAX Money and he is NOT a franchise star to build around. He is a 3rd option on a playoff team, with best potential the teams 2nd go to guy.

He's right.

[OrlandoMajinBuu]

Harden is a younger and shorter version of Lamar Odom.

[MagicTownBaller]

Harden is not worth MAX Money and he is NOT a franchise star to build around. He is a 3rd option on a playoff team, with best potential the teams 2nd go to guy.

if we're talking about the old max, then yeah, I agree. But, the new max contracts are a lot better and he's worth 4 years $58M.

[JarethCutestory]

Harden is a younger and shorter version of Lamar Odom.

In no universe is this an accurate opinion.

[arkknight1988]

would love to add harden along with a top 3 pick. Afflalo would fit in with OKC

top3 pick/harden/harkless/nicholson/vucevic

[Def Swami]

Harden is not worth MAX Money and he is NOT a franchise star to build around. He is a 3rd option on a playoff team, with best potential the teams 2nd go to guy.

Agreed.

I agree, but some team will dish it out.

[Noonskadoodle]

Harden is not worth MAX Money and he is NOT a franchise star to build around. He is a 3rd option on a playoff team, with best potential the teams 2nd go to guy.

Agreed.

I agree, but some team will dish it out.

No doubt about it.

[thelead]

Harden is a younger and shorter version of Lamar Odom.

In no universe is this an accurate opinion.

In no universe are you ever positive and not putting others down. Get off the high horse.

[Noonskadoodle]

Off topic but I FREAKING HATE that stupid rollover video thing in the top right of the realgm site.

/minirant

[magicman123]

Off topic but I FREAKING HATE that stupid rollover video thing in the top right of the realgm site.

/minirant

I don't have a rollover video, but i dislike the magic twitter section right now...i have no interest in seeing dwights tweets up there, along with jrich and the other ex magic players, time to update

[KingRobb02]

Harden is a younger and shorter version of Lamar Odom.

In no universe is this an accurate opinion.

In no universe are you ever positive and not putting others down. Get off the high horse.

It was the truth. Harden and Odom have nothing in common.