I agree that Thunder got a good deal, but it take something good to get something good. Lamb was a 12th pick, let's assume the other two picks are two No. 10 picks (which is being generous), would we have traded two 10's and a 12 for a sure fire all star No.3 pick? I would have to say yes. And while that's maybe a steep price to pay, but the first one is always the hardest to get. I would assume his Olympian team mates might actually want to join him somewhere down the road.
I certainly do not believe Lamb will be a bust. I was jubilant when we got him with the 12th pick. But the chance he will ever be compared to Harden is slim.
This is a great trade on a lot of levels. 1. General NBA trade rule: the team that gets the best player in the deal is the winner. James Harden is easily the best player involved in this deal. While Lamb or one of the draft picks could turn into a decent player, the chances that any of those turns into a perennial all-star like Harden is slim. 2. Top 5 Talent, No Risk: Morey's made multiple attempts to trade up into the top 5 in the draft. By doing so, he'd be taking a chance that the player the Rockets picked up would turn into a star. By getting Harden, he gets a former Top 5 pick (3???) that actually panned out. There's not stress of wondering if Harden will turn out to be a bust. 3. Flexibility going forward: This team isn't a contender yet, but they've got room to add one more major piece. In a league where stars want to team with other stars, the Rockets actually have a legit star in Harden. Combine that with what Lin brings to the table (visibility if not anything else), and it's now plausible that another star can see this as a team with a bright future. 4. Youth: While this team is probably going to be sitting on the same playoff bubble as last year's team, at least this group is young enough to grow into something better than previous years. If D-Mo, Jones, and White can develop into better than average players, we'll be looking at a deep and talented squad in a few years. I was excited to watch the young players, knowing that they would struggle, but be fun to watch. Now, I'm not sure what to think. This team just got a lot more interesting.
Dallas pick is top 20 protected. So that pick has absolutely no chance of being worthwhile until at least 2018, when the protection wears off. Toronto pick is only given if it's between 4-14. Which really limits its upside(no Shabazz, Wiggins, etc.) Overall, it's pick 12, future pick in the 5~10 range, and future mid-1st rounder(what KMart's worth). Even if it's for a #3 pick, that sounds fair. Much less a 23yr old all-star/Olympian.
