True. However, it doesn't mean he can't force his way out. I can't see how Harden would be content coming off the bench through the prime years of his career and playing third fiddle. He's much too talented for that.
That would be perfect for the Rockets since honestly speaking, we won't be in contention for a title for at least the next 3-5 yrs. It all comes down to what Harden as a player wants. Does he want the individual accolades and recognition or does he want those rings? With that being said, Harden is still much too talented to be coming off the pine and playing 3rd fiddle.
I think there are many teams willing to give Harden a max salary, if that answers the question. He might sign an extension in OKC for slightly less than that, especially if offered to him early. I don't think they'll screw that up, they'll do anything necessary to keep Harden. The interesting part would be what they do to keep Ibaka. The only way I see that happening is if they move Perkins, start Collison, AND find a good cheap backup big. I just don't see who would take on Perkins' contract other than a contender with a huge need for a big man.
If I had to choose a shooting guard to play with to win a game tomorrow currently playing in the NBA, I'd probably choose Wade but I'd have to think about picking Harden and there is no other SGs in the league (including Kobe and Manu) that I would consider besides Wade and Harden.
Well Manu, Parker, and pierce are HOFamers... Melo is a superstar player, Morey was even after him. Ellis and Johnson are borderline all-star guys. The only thing anyone opposed to signing Harden for a Max is saying "Well what if he can't be the man?" well find out. He hasn't had the chance yet. Top 5 SGs again...Kobe, Wade, Manu and then I think it's debatable. This year I would put Harden in that top 5 and I agree that he's likely the future of the position since those 3 guys are each old or have a lot of mileage on them.
yeah its hard to say what he would want. he does have two playoffs with OKC that depending on what happens would factor into his decision.
Haha, there are probably better options out there for Harden than the Rockets. That is, there teams out there that are missing that piece to put themselves over the top. I felt that a team like Chicago could have benefited a great deal from having a player like Harden. Pairing him with Rose (prior to going down) would have made them a more lethal threat against the Heat. Of course, his current situation isn't too shabby either, however, he isn't being utilized to the best of his abilities.
It does come down to what he wants ultimately. One thing A3PO is right about is players on rookie contracts will accept an extension more often than not. (If no extension is made, the RFA extension is nothing in terms of length) Thing is crap happens. The GM says all the things everyone wants to hear but they do have the cap to deal with. Say the Thunder either sign or bring in another good combo guard? It may be in the owners best interest then to spend that money elsewhere and take the cheaper player. Things happen. Just look at the Rockets own situation with Lowry and Dragic. At the start of the year it was clear that Lowry was the future starting PG for this team, the team was ready to trade Dragic and now it looks like things have reversed. Now it seems like the team is willing to trade Lowry and do everything they can to keep Dragic. That's why I've said in this thread several times, the GM saying he'll do anything to keep Harden is nothing. No such thing as loyalty in sports and if a more valuable player comes along I think the Thunder will take that...because someone is going to offer both Harden and Ibaka a max contract. I'm pretty sure of that.
Right now, I don't think there is a question as to whether or not Harden is/will be a Top 5, if not, a Top 3 SG in the league. He would be an excellent piece for the Rockets to go after and a solid cornerstone piece given his age (22) and his versatility (ability to play both guard positions). The Rockets are nowhere near a state of contention, but he is a solid piece to build your foundation on. While he might not be THE top-shelf talent that the Rockets are looking for, if anything, teams like the Heat, Thunder, and to a lesser degree, the Clippers and Knicks are a clear indications that teams are gravitating towards a "multiple superstars" concept in order to compete for a title. At the very least, Harden is a very solid 2nd option. However, the Rockets need to be careful when it comes to putting together star-level talent. There is a clear difference between top-tier level talent (LeBron, Rose, Wade, Paul, Durant etc) and secondary star level talent (Danny Granger, Joe Johnson, Roy Hibbert, Andre Igoudala). At this point in his career, Harden is on par with many of the secondary stars in the league and has the potential to break out, however, the Rockets must find a way to grab a top-shelf talent in order to actually compete for a title. With that being said, the Rockets are still many years away from actually competing for a title and it appears that the only way the Rockets will be able to grab top-shelf talent is through the NBA draft. With all these stars grouping together to form "super teams" there isn't any point in going out to grab players like Danny Granger, Andre Igoudala, Pau Gasol, whom are either at or on the wrong side of 30, aren't getting any better, and aren't going to but the Rockets in a position to win immediately (or later for that matter), yet hurt our cap space going into the future.
It's questionable Ibaka would get a max contract offer from another team in 2013 if he was a restricted free agent. Not saying it won't happen but it's very much in doubt IMO.
Nah he won't get it while he's a RFA I agree. But if he continues playing like he does, at 22...another team is going to take a flier on him (Ibaka)
If Carmelo is Max, then Harden is Maximus prime. PS. I would never take on Melo on my team with a max contract.
Well, the other part of signing a player to a max-type contract is the fact that some players are pretty marketable. While people can debate Carmelo's superstardom, there is no question he puts people in the seats and is a guy that people will pay to watch. This is where the business side of offering a player of Carmelo's caliber a max contract makes sense.
So what is the % limit for rookie contract extensions? I still can't figure out who benefits from the 107.5% restriction and lobbied for that to be in the CBA. Players want more money and teams want the ability to keep their players, so why limit extensions? I asked Larry Coon and he agreed it made no sense but didn't say how it got in there.
It's hard not to see him not getting a bunch of money. I think he's capable of demanding the max though. He's one of the best defenders in the league, and his 15-18 ft jumper is ever developing. If he can develop a decent post-game too, Ibaka will be max worthy.
yes he deserves the max..Hes left handed can create his own shot, get to the free throw line at will, and is young pair him with Dragic and our back court becomes dangerous.
