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[WeekapaugGroove]

From the Twitter feed of Shams Charania - this would be a Sham Shot:

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Let the Harden to Milwaukee speculation begin

Divi and Middleton for Harden

and of course, Riles will be on line 1 knowing he can't get Giannis

I would ask for Herro and Adebayo but would probably take Herro, Nunn and Olynyk and Andre to fill the cap figures

And does Morety - if Riley is calling Houston - be more willing to trade Simmon or Embid

fascinating what will happen but my guess Harden goes EAst by Christmas

They can't trade for Harden. It's not possible with the hard cap...I saw a writeup on this. I think maybe the exception is if they include Lopez in addition to Middleton.

I know Brook Lopez shouldn't prevent you from trading for Harden, but their depth would be shallow, and Lopez is the absolute perfect C fit with Giannis.

I wouldn't include Brook Lopez for Harden. Crazy as it sounds but you are right - they need what Lopez brings next to him.

Seems like its the Heat, Sixers and Nets maybe for Harden at this point if the Rockets are going to move him

While I understand that to me if you can trade Mids and lopez for Harden you do it even if it means you have some buyout scrub playing C this year. Then you use the mle on one next summer. The opportunity to pair harden and Giannis is too much to pass up.

Now I assume Houston can get a better package elsewhere so probably a moot point.

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[bwgood77]

They can't trade for Harden. It's not possible with the hard cap...I saw a writeup on this. I think maybe the exception is if they include Lopez in addition to Middleton.

I know Brook Lopez shouldn't prevent you from trading for Harden, but their depth would be shallow, and Lopez is the absolute perfect C fit with Giannis.

I wouldn't include Brook Lopez for Harden. Crazy as it sounds but you are right - they need what Lopez brings next to him.

Seems like its the Heat, Sixers and Nets maybe for Harden at this point if the Rockets are going to move him

While I understand that to me if you can trade Mids and lopez for Harden you do it even if it means you have some buyout scrub playing C this year. Then you use the mle on one next summer. The opportunity to pair harden and Giannis is too much to pass up.

Now I assume Houston can get a better package elsewhere so probably a moot point.

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Maybe Giannis doesn't handle the ball as much as I was thinking, but they don't feel like an ideal pairing, despite their talent, though neither do Doncic and Giannis (though I think Doncic would be a better fit with him).

[WeekapaugGroove]

I wouldn't include Brook Lopez for Harden. Crazy as it sounds but you are right - they need what Lopez brings next to him.

Seems like its the Heat, Sixers and Nets maybe for Harden at this point if the Rockets are going to move him

While I understand that to me if you can trade Mids and lopez for Harden you do it even if it means you have some buyout scrub playing C this year. Then you use the mle on one next summer. The opportunity to pair harden and Giannis is too much to pass up.

Now I assume Houston can get a better package elsewhere so probably a moot point.

Sent from my SM-G986U using RealGM mobile app

Maybe Giannis doesn't handle the ball as much as I was thinking, but they don't feel like an ideal pairing, despite their talent, though neither do Doncic and Giannis (though I think Doncic would be a better fit with him).

The thing with Giannis is while you want him running some of your O he's probably a little overrated in that area and it's especially an issue late in a game against good/smart teams. A guy like harden who could score on his own down the stretch would be huge for him.

Booker is actually a perfect fit with him IMO.

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[bwgood77]

While I understand that to me if you can trade Mids and lopez for Harden you do it even if it means you have some buyout scrub playing C this year. Then you use the mle on one next summer. The opportunity to pair harden and Giannis is too much to pass up.

Now I assume Houston can get a better package elsewhere so probably a moot point.

Sent from my SM-G986U using RealGM mobile app

Maybe Giannis doesn't handle the ball as much as I was thinking, but they don't feel like an ideal pairing, despite their talent, though neither do Doncic and Giannis (though I think Doncic would be a better fit with him).

The thing with Giannis is while you want him running some of your O he's probably a little overrated in that area and it's especially an issue late in a game against good/smart teams. A guy like harden who could score on his own down the stretch would be huge for him.

Booker is actually a perfect fit with him IMO.

Sent from my SM-G986U using RealGM mobile app

One reason Harden got so good and so effective and MVP caliber was because he mostly started playing with 4 shooters though. So with Giannis he'd probably have to rely on more step back 3s and that sort of thing which would allow fewer drives, etc.

[WeekapaugGroove]

Maybe Giannis doesn't handle the ball as much as I was thinking, but they don't feel like an ideal pairing, despite their talent, though neither do Doncic and Giannis (though I think Doncic would be a better fit with him).

The thing with Giannis is while you want him running some of your O he's probably a little overrated in that area and it's especially an issue late in a game against good/smart teams. A guy like harden who could score on his own down the stretch would be huge for him.

Booker is actually a perfect fit with him IMO.

Sent from my SM-G986U using RealGM mobile app

One reason Harden got so good and so effective and MVP caliber was because he mostly started playing with 4 shooters though. So with Giannis he'd probably have to rely on more step back 3s and that sort of thing which would allow fewer drives, etc.

That's kind of an issue except you really can't leave Giannis like a normal non shooter because if he gets the ball with space he'll go directly at the rim with one giant step.

Where they could be deadly would be Giannis as the roll man with Harden. Good luck defending that.

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[Revived]

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Geez the Spurs are gonna turn him into the next Kawhi Leonard aren’t they?

[Mulhollanddrive]

Harden to the East would really create conference parity:

Top 6
------
Milwaukee - Lakers
Brooklyn - Clippers
Boston - Denver
Miami - Utah
Toronto - Dallas
Philadelphia - Portland

I might even prefer to try crack those teams in the West for a guaranteed playoff spot.

[Kerrsed]

Pretty scathing report about Harden:

Spoiler:

THE HOUSTON ROCKETS' culture in the James Harden era, which bridges two owners and now four head coaches, might be best summed up by a former staffer's three words:

"Whatever James wants."

Unless they were on the front end of a back-to-back set, it was essentially a sure thing that the Rockets stayed overnight -- or even an extra day -- after games in Los Angeles, Phoenix and other road cities that rank among Harden's favorite stops.

If the Rockets had two or three days between games, it was a good bet Harden would call for an off day and charter a private jet to party in Las Vegas or another city. He always gets an excused absence from the first practice after the All-Star break for the same reason.

"Just James being James," those currently within the franchise say. But these circumstances are drastically different than at any previous point of the perennial All-Star's eight-year Houston tenure.

Harden has pushed the Rockets to upgrade every offseason, saying he would want to be traded if they couldn't contend, sources said. And he had final say on things beyond just travel and practice schedules as well. He could call the shots on personnel moves, both on the roster and the coaching staff, a power he flexed to push for the firing of head coach Kevin McHale and departures of co-stars Dwight Howard and Chris Paul, sources said.

And the Rockets considered it good business to do what Harden wanted to keep a historically elite player happy. But when Harden tried to rush the Rockets to trade him in recent weeks despite the lack of an offer that they considered fair value, it wasn't the annual ultimatum for improvement. It was something more.

By leaving the Rockets twisting in the wind while camp opened with little communication, Harden made his absence the focus of rookie head coach Stephen Silas' first days of practice. And by blowing off the NBA's COVID-19 protocols, partying maskless during the pandemic and boasting about it on Instagram, Harden revealed what could come if he doesn't get his way.

"Yeah, he's going to act up," a former Rockets staffer said.

"He's never heard 'no' before."

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30528130/james-harden-houston-rockets-breaking-point

Makes him sound like the leagues worst prima donna , but also interesting to see Phoenix listed as one of his favorite stops (My Guess is its actually Scottsdale and not Phoenix).

[bwgood77]

Makes him sound like the leagues worst prima donna , but also interesting to see Phoenix listed as one of his favorite stops (My Guess is its actually Scottsdale and not Phoenix).

Well he went to ASU, so I'm sure he partied a lot in Scottsdale while there.

[matt131]

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[BobbieL]

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I just saw this from Shams about Morey willing to include Simmons for James "kendrickperkins" Harden. It was only a matter of time before Morey decided to include Simmons for Harden.

Seems like he will be another teams headache - but worth the risk I guess for Philly. I still think the Heat will offer Herro too

[bwgood77]

Mavs beat the Bucks twice. Grizzlies beat the TWolves twice.

TWolves start Rubio in 3rd game while DLo doesn't play. TWolves beating Dallas.

I think Rubio makes a team better than DLo does. I know many were very disappointed when we didn't get DLo last summer and ended up with Rubio, but he really does make a difference. I think many saw that last year despite not having a very good record. We were just so much more competitive.

Seems like people forgot exactly how bad we were and how we got blown out so bad as much as they complain about players in preseason losses with the roster and depth we have compared to lineups we had not only last year but especially in years past where we were absolutely blown out routinely.

[MrMiyagi]

Mavs beat the Bucks twice. Grizzlies beat the TWolves twice.

TWolves start Rubio in 3rd game while DLo doesn't play. TWolves beating Dallas.

I think Rubio makes a team better than DLo does. I know many were very disappointed when we didn't get DLo last summer and ended up with Rubio, but he really does make a difference. I think many saw that last year despite not having a very good record. We were just so much more competitive.

Seems like people forgot exactly how bad we were and how we got blown out so bad as much as they complain about players in preseason losses with the roster and depth we have compared to lineups we had not only last year but especially in years past where we were absolutely blown out routinely.

I'm still waiting to see how CP3 makes us better over Rubio. I think we underrated Rubio's leadership.

[bwoolf2]

Mavs beat the Bucks twice. Grizzlies beat the TWolves twice.

TWolves start Rubio in 3rd game while DLo doesn't play. TWolves beating Dallas.

I think Rubio makes a team better than DLo does. I know many were very disappointed when we didn't get DLo last summer and ended up with Rubio, but he really does make a difference. I think many saw that last year despite not having a very good record. We were just so much more competitive.

Seems like people forgot exactly how bad we were and how we got blown out so bad as much as they complain about players in preseason losses with the roster and depth we have compared to lineups we had not only last year but especially in years past where we were absolutely blown out routinely.

I'm still waiting to see how CP3 makes us better over Rubio. I think we underrated Rubio's leadership.

Rubio is a nice player and certainly better than what we had the past number of years but he isnt in chris pauls league and its not really that close. I like Rubio but he isn't an all star player Paul is a sure fire 1st ballot hall of fame you can't compare the two.

[nevetsov]

Mavs beat the Bucks twice. Grizzlies beat the TWolves twice.

TWolves start Rubio in 3rd game while DLo doesn't play. TWolves beating Dallas.

I think Rubio makes a team better than DLo does. I know many were very disappointed when we didn't get DLo last summer and ended up with Rubio, but he really does make a difference. I think many saw that last year despite not having a very good record. We were just so much more competitive.

Seems like people forgot exactly how bad we were and how we got blown out so bad as much as they complain about players in preseason losses with the roster and depth we have compared to lineups we had not only last year but especially in years past where we were absolutely blown out routinely.

I'm still waiting to see how CP3 makes us better over Rubio. I think we underrated Rubio's leadership.

Rubio is a nice player and certainly better than what we had the past number of years but he isnt in chris pauls league and its not really that close. I like Rubio but he isn't an all star player Paul is a sure fire 1st ballot hall of fame you can't compare the two.

Depends on how much Paul drops off this season. Rubio still has his best years ahead of him (if in the right situation).

[MrMiyagi]

Mavs beat the Bucks twice. Grizzlies beat the TWolves twice.

TWolves start Rubio in 3rd game while DLo doesn't play. TWolves beating Dallas.

I think Rubio makes a team better than DLo does. I know many were very disappointed when we didn't get DLo last summer and ended up with Rubio, but he really does make a difference. I think many saw that last year despite not having a very good record. We were just so much more competitive.

Seems like people forgot exactly how bad we were and how we got blown out so bad as much as they complain about players in preseason losses with the roster and depth we have compared to lineups we had not only last year but especially in years past where we were absolutely blown out routinely.

I'm still waiting to see how CP3 makes us better over Rubio. I think we underrated Rubio's leadership.

Rubio is a nice player and certainly better than what we had the past number of years but he isnt in chris pauls league and its not really that close. I like Rubio but he isn't an all star player Paul is a sure fire 1st ballot hall of fame you can't compare the two.

Chris Paul is 35. I'm not sure he's that much of an improvement over Rubio player for player anymore, but then you also have to consider that we gave up Oubre too. All I'm saying is CP3 better prove he's worth it, because we looked great in The Bubble. And I'm waiting to actually see it on the floor once the season starts. Just because he's talking a lot, doesn't mean he's resonating with our guys.

[matt131]

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[Revived]

Mavs beat the Bucks twice. Grizzlies beat the TWolves twice.

TWolves start Rubio in 3rd game while DLo doesn't play. TWolves beating Dallas.

I think Rubio makes a team better than DLo does. I know many were very disappointed when we didn't get DLo last summer and ended up with Rubio, but he really does make a difference. I think many saw that last year despite not having a very good record. We were just so much more competitive.

Seems like people forgot exactly how bad we were and how we got blown out so bad as much as they complain about players in preseason losses with the roster and depth we have compared to lineups we had not only last year but especially in years past where we were absolutely blown out routinely.

I'm still waiting to see how CP3 makes us better over Rubio. I think we underrated Rubio's leadership.

Same. Hopefully CP3 puts up better numbers than Rubio did last season when he averaged 13 and 9 on 36% shooting from 3 and 53% TS shooting. Rubio really shined playing in Monty Williams system and alongside Booker.

I was definitely one of the ones who thought we shouldn’t have made the trade and should’ve ran the bubble team back (bringing back Ricky, Oubre and Baynes) to give it a shot in a season where Ayton doesn’t suspended for the first 25 games. I didn’t think the Rubio swap was worth it due to CP3’s age and injury concerns.

I hope I’m wrong though and CP3 is able to do better than Rubio did last season. I’m already pleased with all the leadership and talking CP3 is doing with Ayton, hopefully that continues plus good production on the court.

[sunskerr]

Not really relevant but I just want to say it's sort of an incredible coincidence that a player named Udoka Azubuike is in the league after we've already seen players named Ime Udoka and Kelenna Azubuike.

[Saberestar]

Mavs beat the Bucks twice. Grizzlies beat the TWolves twice.

TWolves start Rubio in 3rd game while DLo doesn't play. TWolves beating Dallas.

I think Rubio makes a team better than DLo does. I know many were very disappointed when we didn't get DLo last summer and ended up with Rubio, but he really does make a difference. I think many saw that last year despite not having a very good record. We were just so much more competitive.

Seems like people forgot exactly how bad we were and how we got blown out so bad as much as they complain about players in preseason losses with the roster and depth we have compared to lineups we had not only last year but especially in years past where we were absolutely blown out routinely.

I'm still waiting to see how CP3 makes us better over Rubio. I think we underrated Rubio's leadership.

Same. Hopefully CP3 puts up better numbers than Rubio did last season when he averaged 13 and 9 on 36% shooting from 3 and 53% TS shooting. Rubio really shined playing in Monty Williams system and alongside Booker.

I was definitely one of the ones who thought we shouldn’t have made the trade and should’ve ran the bubble team back (bringing back Ricky, Oubre and Baynes) to give it a shot in a season where Ayton doesn’t suspended for the first 25 games. I didn’t think the Rubio swap was worth it due to CP3’s age and injury concerns.

I hope I’m wrong though and CP3 is able to do better than Rubio did last season. I’m already pleased with all the leadership and talking CP3 is doing with Ayton, hopefully that continues plus good production on the court.

Rubio is a good player but we got a great one to replace him. No need to overthink it.

In this era thera are so many great players at PG/SG, and that is why being good can not guarantee you an starting spot in the league anymore.

Everyone knows already who is Rubio and what he brings to a team and we saw that his value around the league is really low (he was traded basically for free to the Wolves) because of the high competition at his position. Not his fault, but it is what it is.

CP3 give us much more possibilities on offense, his pull up jumper will be huge for us. Just the threat of it puts a lot of pressure on defenders.

Our ceiling as a team is much higher now and in the next future.