Harden Traded to the Rockets!

[MaxRider]

are we giving up too much for Harden?

Martin is good as go, don't care
Lamb was supposed to be our future starting SG
i know Harden is a better player now
but without flopping is Harden really better in 3 years? (also expect Rockets to give him the max 60M 4 years extension)
a lottery pick from Toronto -- don't really know now
late 1st round pick from Dallas -- yea don't care much
early 2nd round pick from Charlotte -- well, Morey can always buy it back

Time to scratch another name on that sig.

thanks for the reminder

[Baller 24]

the plan was suck the next 2-3 years to get high lottery picks
now we are back in the 10-14th pick range again

I hear you, but that has NEVER been the plan. They have said as much. They want to rebuild through trades and free agency. Lets hope it works. In all honesty, either way requires some luck. Look at how crappy teams with high draft picks every year still continue to suck. Clippers for a long time, the Warriors, the Raptors, the Pistons, the Kings...I can go on and on. Everybody doesn't pull an OKC. You need that true superstar in order for that plan to work and those just don't come along every year. Typically you need the 1st pick in the draft and I don't really think we were worst team in the league bad even without Harden.

I think we were bottom 5 without Harden.

Harden jeopardizes our Draft position. Only reason i'm opposed to this.

But at the same time you're taking a giant risk in *hoping* the player we would drafted comes out to be a franchise player. James Harden's showen that ability that he is ready to take on that role, he was a bench player last season and already considered the 3rd best SG in the league and it isn't even close. We got a stud for someone who's only 23. In 2 years this kid has the chance of becoming the best SG in the entire league. If you have a chance to pull that trigger you do so. Depending on how this season goes, we are in play (with cap space) for a big addition.

[suntzuballin]

what Harden brings to the Rockets is a given but what about Aldrich Montijonis front court

[Mr. E]

I just can't get my head around the idea of tanking. I can not support that.

I completely agreed with Morey's recent comments that the problem with the draft is that it rewards the most poorly managed teams. I would love the NBA to come up with a solid plan to revamp how they do the draft.

[MaxRider]

are we giving up too much for Harden?

Martin is good as go, don't care
Lamb was supposed to be our future starting SG
i know Harden is a better player now
but without flopping is Harden really better in 3 years? (also expect Rockets to give him the max 60M 4 years extension)
a lottery pick from Toronto -- don't really know now
late 1st round pick from Dallas -- yea don't care much
early 2nd round pick from Charlotte -- well, Morey can always buy it back

Time to scratch another name on that sig.

Tyler Hansbrough is next after Harden!

Get er done Morey.

curry is next

[Leaguepass]

Interesting trade. I personally don't like it all that much for you guys because I'm simply not convinced Harden will be that great. Harden strikes me more as a great third option on a contender but a first option only on weak teams. That said the Rockets have definitely gotten much more interesting with a Lin/Harden backcourt. Morey seems to have gotten a little desperate this offseason but you can hardly blame him because after stockpiling all those assets he just couldn't get a deal done for a bigtime player so he probably realized this and settled for the next best thing. I'll be keeping an eye on the Rockets for sure but am far from sold.

[Nowascki]

This was a no brainer for the Rockets. Okc **** up.

[LarsV8]

Great trade.

FIrst piece of the new core has arrived.

[Aaron Brooks]

WHEN DID MR. E BECOME A MOD? congrats

[twinthunder3]

HOU also needs to sell tickets & merchandise, and they also have to keep Lin happy. Why would Lin want to be on a crappy team tanking for top 5 pick?

[Sasaki]

Fact is what are the chances that tanking gets a player like Harden anyways?

In the 2009-11 drafts, there's only two guys out of those three drafts who I would easily take over Harden - and they're both #1 picks (Griffin and Kyrie). Rubio and Cousins, maybe, but it's hardly a given.

It's not just tanking that the complainers are advocating, it's literally praying that the lotto gods go our way and nothing more. That's just a terrible strategy, especially since even the worst team only has a 25% chance at the #1.

And Max, are you seriously insinuating Lamb will be better than Harden? That's ludicrous. Lamb is barely a top 3 SG IN THIS DRAFT. Harden is possibly a top 3 SG in the league, and is without a doubt the best young SG.

[90sAllDecade]

I like this trade a lot. we're building a nice solid nucleus of youth with room to sign another max player. Lin needs to develop into at least a 17 and 7 guy over his time here and Harden will most likely be a top flight all star SG as Wade, Kobe and Manu age and eventually decline. He could possibly put up 19 - 25+ points a game with the right system and 18-20 shots a night. He already gets to the FT line like a star, can put up assists and rebound along with solid defense that could improve under Mchale. Asik might also become a true rebounding and defensive monster to be a game changer on that end of the court.

With another superstar potential player move, we could actually do some damage in the future. I'm excited.

[slick_watts]

OKC fan here. Just wanted to congratulate you guys and wish my man James Harden luck in his new digs. Harden was my favorite player on the Thunder, probably because I spent the first two years of his career ardently defending him on RealGM to those who labelled him a bust. I'll miss him a lot and I will be keeping an eye on the Rockets to monitor his progress. Some say that Harden's game is efficient because he restricts his shot selection too much - some say it's because he plays with two other stars who steal possessions from him. Guess we'll find out which it is, but I hope it's the former because that's what I've been spouting off for the last year and half.

[moofs]

Fact is what are the chances that tanking gets a player like Harden anyways?

In the 2009-11 drafts, there's only two guys out of those three drafts who I would easily take over Harden - and they're both #1 picks (Griffin and Kyrie). Rubio and Cousins, maybe, but it's hardly a given.

It's not just tanking that the complainers are advocating, it's literally praying that the lotto gods go our way and nothing more. That's just a terrible strategy, especially since even the worst team only has a 25% chance at the #1.

And Max, are you seriously insinuating Lamb will be better than Harden? That's ludicrous. Lamb is barely a top 3 SG IN THIS DRAFT. Harden is possibly a top 3 SG in the league, and is without a doubt the best young SG.

This.

[MaxRider]

Fact is what are the chances that tanking gets a player like Harden anyways?

In the 2009-11 drafts, there's only two guys out of those three drafts who I would easily take over Harden - and they're both #1 picks (Griffin and Kyrie). Rubio and Cousins, maybe, but it's hardly a given.

It's not just tanking that the complainers are advocating, it's literally praying that the lotto gods go our way and nothing more. That's just a terrible strategy, especially since even the worst team only has a 25% chance at the #1.

And Max, are you seriously insinuating Lamb will be better than Harden? That's ludicrous. Lamb is barely a top 3 SG IN THIS DRAFT. Harden is possibly a top 3 SG in the league, and is without a doubt the best young SG.

i didn't say Lamb is better than Harden
you need to understand this trade
this trade also mean Rockets is going to give Harden the max contract
most guys criticized Joe Johnson getting max being the 3rd best SG
and now you guys are happy Harden getting max being the 3rd best SG?
he may be the 3rd best SG behind Kobe and Wade but he is not top 20 players
Erick Dampier was once 2nd best center behind Shaq

[Zubby]

I agree with Max... but I guess Im also looking at it from another view...

We pretty much traded everyone for one not quite star.

Lowry, Martin, Dalembert, Lee, Hill?... might as well add Scola

for Harden...




Martin is gonna be awesome for OKC, an amazing 3rd option.

[Sasaki]

Fact is what are the chances that tanking gets a player like Harden anyways?

In the 2009-11 drafts, there's only two guys out of those three drafts who I would easily take over Harden - and they're both #1 picks (Griffin and Kyrie). Rubio and Cousins, maybe, but it's hardly a given.

It's not just tanking that the complainers are advocating, it's literally praying that the lotto gods go our way and nothing more. That's just a terrible strategy, especially since even the worst team only has a 25% chance at the #1.

And Max, are you seriously insinuating Lamb will be better than Harden? That's ludicrous. Lamb is barely a top 3 SG IN THIS DRAFT. Harden is possibly a top 3 SG in the league, and is without a doubt the best young SG.

i didn't say Lamb is better than Harden
you need to understand this trade
this trade also mean Rockets is going to give Harden the max contract
most guys criticized Joe Johnson getting max being the 3rd best SG
and now you guys are happy Harden getting max being the 3rd best SG?
he may be the 3rd best SG behind Kobe and Wade but he is not top 20 players
Erick Dampier was once 2nd best center behind Shaq

You're forgetting that not all maxes are created equal. Harden's max is 5 years 80 million ( and let's not forget that we have him for one more year for just 5 million or so), but Joe's was 6 years 120 million. Huge difference. If Joe had resigned with Atlanta for 5 years 80 million, I don't think that would have been that bad a deal - and that's ignoring the fact that Joe Johnson was 29 when he resigned and Harden is 23.

I have zero problems handing Harden a max deal off a rookie contract. Absolutely none. At the end of the day, Houston's rotation was too cramped and we needed to consolidate. This does it magnificently, and even makes it more consistent since while I liked Martin and hope him the best unlike most of this board, he was too injury-prone to be reliable.

[MaxRider]

if Harden do get the max; and Lin and Asik are still on the team, that mean Harden+Lin+Asik = $45 million in 2014-15 season

[MilBucksBackOnTop06]

I hate this deal...this sucks that we gave up Lamb....why couldn't we give them a PF!

I agree...but the Thunder wanted Lamb and Parsons. You better be glad you did not give up Parsons. He is a glue guy and a hustler.Love the energy he brings.

But with Harden you don't need Lamb. One thing I will say and I do not mean to be negative. I did not like your team letting Coutney Lee go nor Goran Dragic or Scola for that matter....but it is what it is. You got great guys in the draft and in trades. Big time intriguing team.

You lost Lee but but you made that up drafting Lamb. And then then you turned Lamb a rookie and KMartin into an Olympian in James Harden, Deaquan Cook and Lazar Hayward and got a back up Center no less! Not darn bad people in Houston, not bad at all.

You replaced Lee/Martin [expiring contract] who I liked with Harden the Olympian and a top 2-3 SG at 23 in the entire NBA. No Rocket fan should really be complaining about this deal. The guy that should be worried is James Harden himself leaving a title contender over $4 mil dollars at this stage of his life. That was dumb, but that is another topic for another day perhaps...

You are worried about losing Lamb. JLamb is good and could be special one day but I am here in Milwaukee and I personally know Lazar Hayward from Marquette just a GREAT YOUNG MAN...you will love him. Lazar will and can be better then Jeremy Lamb.

Hear me clearly...I am serious. I saw him for 4 years in college closely every day. In fact, I have maybe seen him more then the Morey has. And you might look back and say, Lazar Hayward might be the steal of this deal. Mark my words.

Zar' is 6'6 220lbs NBA body and practice habits, leadership qualities, high b-ball IQ, team player, and as good a shooter as Steve Novak on his set. All he needs is time. Don't sweat Jeremy Lamb. He abused Lamb here at MU when we played UConn. Just be glad you kept Parsons.

Lazar has high character will work his tail off and has a nice shot and will be the first guy off the bench helping a teammate up and cheering them on and is a very well spoken, polite, and courteous young cat and he gets after it on the court but just as not gotten the playing time he needs.

He will have you forgetting about Jeremy Lamb if he gets some burn and finds a niche in the league and if McHale likes him which he should. Very unsung piece in this deal. I do not mean to troll....I just thought I would come and encourage you with this take on the deal.

Relax. You will like Lazar...

[Sasaki]

if Harden do get the max; and Lin and Asik are still on the team, that mean Harden+Lin+Asik = $45 million in 2014-15 season

...
...
...
Seriously?

I mean, Jesus Christ, I thought it was stupid enough when Adande was still spouting this off yesterday, but I expected anyone who actually posts in this particular subforum to know better. I swear to God, I think this board needs a giant neon sign at the top spouting,

"THE CAP HIT FOR JEREMY LIN AND OMER ASIK IS NOT 30 MILLION DOLLARS. IT IS 16.9MILLION. FOR THE LAST TIME, THE AMOUNT WE ARE PAYING THEM /= CAP HIT."

My God, how can Rockets fans NOT know this at this point?