Out of Curiousity: Who would you trade Harden for Straight Up

Lillard straight up

 

How often are two stars traded for each other straight up? Never.

Way to limit the responses.

If you could get back two really good young players (preferably a big and a small) and a couple picks, that would be enough for me. Build around those 2, our young talent and free agency.

Boston and Philadelphia would be great trading partners for Harden.

 

Lol, y'all would've traded Jordan if we had drafted him!!!

 

[This is coming from someone who doesn't even like Harden as a #1 leader.]

If you stick Durant and Curry on this current Rockets roster in Harden's place, you'd probably get 4-5 more wins - if you're lucky.

Harden is many things, but he is a workhorse that can thrive in 1-on-1 basketball. It's a blessing and a curse on this current garbage roster.

Curry's skillset is very different. Put him on a team that can't space the floor and has no movement, and he's going to get smothered.

Put Durant on this team in Harden's place, and it's no better than the current OKC Thunder.

I don't like Harden's leadership or ball dominance as much as anyone, but I prefer to keep him because there is no alternative as good. We can build a good team around him. The question is who can be that #2 guy that brings a second method of attack, but also a defensive work ethic to the team. Dwight Howard was that guy on paper, but we all know how that went.

 

Paul George is a beast and if you don't think so you need to watch other basketball games besides the rockets.

 

PG13.

 

George is a great player, but he is garbage next to Harden.

Do yourself a favor and compare his roster to Hardens. Then note they lost to Toronto, a team we swept in the regular season.

 

Cousins? LOL. You mean the guy that can't even carry his team to the playoff?
You mean the guy that shoots a low FG% for a Center? You mean the Center that doesn't play defense? You mean the center that players and coaches hate????

Replace Cousins with Harden on this team and the Rockets would have won 25 games.

 

jimmy butler is on the edge

 

Generally not a fan of this thread or threads like this. He's not going o get traded straight up for anyone... I get you said out of curiosity...

Are there realistic trades out there for James?

For example, the current rumor is the Lakers first for Paul George.

I'm certainly not trading Harden for the Lakers first. But if I know some things... like:

- Lakers have the #1 overall pick
- Rockets will not be successful this offseason attracting tier 1 FAs

Then I might at least consider something like:
#1 pick, D'Angelo Russel, Julius Randle for Harden

I probably still don't do that, but it would be tempting, again assuming i knew something or had a strong feeling about upcoming free agency.

I'd likely draft Brandon Ingram

 

I take this thread as a hypothetical exercise not as a real suggestion.
A lot depends also on the timing. Right now Harden has 2 more years under contract. His value is much higher than if we were in the January 2018 deadline and he was expiring in 6 months.
Right now I would trade him for
Curry, AD, KAT, Durant (ofc provided Durant wants to come here), Kawhi, Giannis and Drummond.(5 more years under contract).

Not sure about trading him for Lebron, and would definitely not trade him for Westbrook who expires in 12 months and wouldn't feel comfortamble he would resign in Houston.
I would consider trading him for Lillard because he's tied up for more years.
No for Griffin , Cousins and Butler. Because Butler even though he has one of the best contracts for a star in the league right now, has clashed with his coach, GM and other players and not sure what's wrong with his knee.
I feel better in Harden resigning here than Butler's knees.

No for Wiggins.
Not sure about Booker Porzingis and Turner. By next year I will be more sure about those.

Contracts matter in trades. Kat for example will be almost certainly 8 more years under team control. Booker, Porzingis and Turner too, and they have shown potential to be superstars. Harden may leave in 2 years.

He has potential to be top 5 player or better in the league and will be 6 more years under contract. If he gets a good jumper he can be MVP. And I'm not a homer because I'm one of his biggest doubters. We will know more by January next year. If he can show that he can hit C+S 3s that's all that's needed. He is one of the most versatile defenders (2-5), has a post game, is a rim protector/shot blocker, is elite at drives, he's one of the best in transition and has shown he can run a half court offence as the playmaker.
He is same age as Wiggins 9 months older than Porzingis and one year older than KAT.
His problem is shooting and having better consistency.

When you talk about 20-23 years old, they are not finished products yet. Same for Booker, Turner, Porzingis etc. It depends on what they have shown and their work ethic.

And I know this for sure, if you ask Bucks fans they wouldn't trade him for Harden. Because GA's potential isn't just hypothetical he is actually converting it to reality. The question is how much of it he will.

 

What's your point putting up those stats? What about defense?

Every single one of those players besides Lillard are leagues and tiers above Harden when it comes to defense.

PG, Kawhi, Jimmy Butler are all world defensive guys

Klay and Greek freak are above average to extremely good defenders.

I'd still take Harden over many of them but just putting stats (mainly offensive) makes the disparity much bigger than what it really is. Oh and how did you get 3.3 TOV's for Harden? He broke the 30+ year league record FFS for total turnovers at about 4.6 per game in the regular season and 5.2 per game this playoffs.

 

I would only trade Harden straight up for Leonard. Towns would tempt me.

 

Karl, Anthony, Towns. And Porzingis

 

No way he played both ends.

DD

 

Definitely not LeBron. His best days are over and he can't shoot. When is the last time any of these guys had 7 steals in a playoff game like our homey Harden?