Harden is the franchise player, he was #2 in mvp voting and took the rockets to the conference finals. But i doubt you know that
LOL when Lawson's best value at this point is the one year contract and expiring contract =P Lawson not meshing well is the same reason Lin wasn't a good fit here, as they both need the ball in their hands to maximize their skills. Neither are the Derek Fisher, Ron Harper, Mario Chalmers type that can play with a Kobe, Jordan, Dwayne Wade or Harden. Only difference is Lin did much better than Lawson in this system playing next to Harden.
But tinman is a Harden nuthugger, excusing his lackadaisical defensive effort, and general indiffference to the Rockets Franchise or Houston. Harden is all about HIM. All about his fame, Adidas money, and lifestyle. Kobe with a beard; alienating his teammates, franchise, and the city.
Just based on numbers you could honestly argue that Lin was worth the 5 mil/year they were paying him. Playoff performances seemed to have really sullied his reputation with rockets fans.