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Of course you can build around Harden. But doing that with the Rockets in their current state could take at least 2 years and possibly longer. We'll get nothing from the draft this summer barring a sleeper pick in the 2nd round. We've got too many holes to fill to reload via free agency in just one offseason. Hell, we don't even have a coach yet and have already missed out on some of the best ones available. My take is not that we can't build around him. It's that it may take a few years and we only have 2 more seasons til Harden is a free agent. Clearly the Rockets cannot risk losing him for nothing. So basically they have 1 1/2 seasons til the February 2018 trade deadline when they'll be forced to deal him(and have far less leverage) should they be nowhere close to title contention.
sometimes i would rather team chemistry than stars, but that wouldn't get people in the seats...but maybe at this point it would... I hate what sports have become... all about the stars and not the fans... the james hardens', bryce harpers, camelo anthony's....
We traded MOSES MALONE. Moses was the best player in the league, and we traded him. Even with Malone the Rockets weren't good enough to beat the Celtics or the Lakers, and the Rockets knew this. The Rockets didn't want to pay Malone if they weren't a true contender, so he was traded and the rebuild began. The next year we drafted Ralph Sampson and Rodney Mcray with the first and third pick. The next year the young Rockets improved, but we're still a lottery team. The Rockets drafted Hakeem and they then had the nucleus of young players that would take them to the NBA finals. I hated it when Moses was traded. But, in the end, it was the right decision in my opinion. We all know that the Ralph and Hakeem twin towers team didn't last long because of injuries and off the court problems of key role players. But, the rebuild of the team was a success following the trade of Moses Malone. Can we build a team around Harden that can compete with the Warriors and the Spurs in the next 24 months? If the answer is probably no, then the Rockets need to see what they can get for Harden. I'm not afraid of the Rockets rebuilding. I'm only afraid of Harden playing on a .500 Rockets team for the next two years and then watching him walk away for nothing in return. Let's see who wants to come play with Harden this summer, that should be a big determining factor to what the Rockets do moving forward.
It may turn out that Harden himself was not the best trade Morey made. It may be that the return we get for Harden (i think he may be traded at THIS seasons' deadline if we're not a top 4 team) is what puts us in contention. We need to build a contender the right way - through the draft. 2 years with 3 Top 5 lottery picks ought to be the goal. "Oh no, we'll be the 6ers and suck forever". Nah. The 6ers could be a competitive team if they'd bring in veterans, hold on to/develop their talent, and not draft broken down players.
There's nothing that says those picks makes houston an immediate contender. the 76ers are no where near competitive
I don't care if we trade Harden or not. But, I have to object to the idea that the Warriors and Spurs are superteams that will be taking all the trophies for the foreseeable future. Superteams seem to never be as super as we thought they'd be. The Lakers after getting Pau, Lebron James, the Miami Superfriends, Penny & Shaq, Durant/Westbrook/Harden/Ibaka -- sure they were great teams and some won some championships but their reigns were never as dominant or as long as they looked like they could or should be. Guys leave in free agency, guys get injured, guys choke, chemistry fizzles. I don't believe you should time your contention window to dodge a superteam. If you can contend, contend; your opponent is as human as you are.
I think too many people assume the Warriors and/or Spurs will be the top team(s) for the foreseeable future. The future is hard to predict as it will be an interesting offseason to see how many of the Warriors players and staff gets poached or scooped up. Duncan and Pop may both end up retiring together after the season. The best plan forward is to retool around Harden. The Spurs and Mavs both try and compete every year in order to give themselves as many chances to win. I have no doubt Morey fields offers for Harden all the time as Morey is constantly probing the league to determine value of our players and others.
If we do not sign notable free agents this offseason, we need to trade Harden while he still has value with two years left on his deal. The Rockets aren't competing for anything unless at least two of the following players are signed: Durant (with good role players is enough), Horford, Whiteside, or Conley. If we aren't contenders by 2018, Harden goes to the Lakers for nothing in return. Better to expedite the process than to be left with our dicks in our hands like the Cavs in 2010 or LA in 2013.
Moses Malone led the Rockets to the NBA Finals in 1981, when we lost to the Boston Celtics. Ralph Sampson and Hakeem Olajuwon led the Rockets to the NBA Finals in 1986, when we lost to the Boston Celtics. Sure, the "Twin Towers" era Rockets were limited by drug use and injuries. There was an ESPN article awhile ago called "The Greatest Team That Never Was" about the Rockets from that era. It was really a great read. It talked about how the Rockets were being predicted to be the next great dynasty but that never materialized due to injuries and cocaine. Even mentioned conspiracy theories that the NBA tricked some of the Rockets players into taking cocaine at a club and then "randomly" testing those players the next day at practice. The idea was that the NBA wanted to protect the money that came from a Lakers-Celtics Finals and didn't want the Rockets messing that up. Regardless, in the end it doesn't matter. We could talk about what could have been or what should have been but it doesn't hang anymore banners in the Toyota Center rafters. The Rockets with Moses Malone got just as far as they did immediately after Moses Malone. So was trading Moses the right move? It's impossible to say. As it pertains to today, it is a tough call. The decision needs to be made if it is possible to win a championship with Harden as the first or maybe second best player on that team. If not, trade him. We want championships, not good regular seasons and first or maybe second round playoff exits. I can't say I would be surprised if the Rockets decided that. But if so (and at this point, I still think so) then don't trade him yet and do everything possible to surround him with the kinds of players he needs to be surrounded with. Shooters and athletes and hard-nosed defenders.
You wouldn't trade JJ Watt just because the Broncos won the Super Bowl. What other teams do positively shouldn't affect what you do on your end. Just look at the success Portland had this year just by simply worrying only about themselves and their future. .... That being said the Rockets roster right now is in danger of needing a major overhaul which can go one of many different ways. If the Rockets as a whole are looking at a long term rebuke that will affect Hardens stay when he becomes a free agent in two years. So while RIGHT NOW it's a non conversation, in February lets open back the conversation after the trade deadline when we can see what Morey did to recover the roster from this monstrosity of a season. It might make sense at that point to do a Deron Williams to the Nets type of deal to get ahead of an inevitable departure in free agency. That being said that Jazz still haven't recovered fully even though they have some nice young pieces and that is essentially best case scenario. So let's discuss in February. Right now no way in hell that happens.
Trade Harden? Harden keeps us in the national conversation, good or bad. I don't know why some of you guys are fans but trading away a superstar in lieu of the crap shoot that is the lottery is crazy to me. If James Harden is (at most) 20% of the problem with this team then why not try to fix the 80%? Instead you propose we trade our offensive juggernaut for a shot at Tyrus Thomas, Greg Oden or Anthony Bennett? It's like being 7000.00 in debt then going out and spending 10,000.00 on lottery tickets.
