I've been saying the same thing to my friends. I would rather be in the Sixers position right now than the Rockets. Sixers are closer to winning a title than the Rockets. I would trade any player that can give me a first round pick.
Warriors are like the Rockets at their best offensively combined with Spurs level defense...it's too much Rockets would need to add PG and Anthony Davis with Harden playing at the level that he did during games 1, 2, and 4 of the 2015 WCF in order for them to get up to a 50% chance of beating them
The Warriors are a complete joke. There is no point to watch any game that isn't Cavs vs Warriors. SMH KD
Ok. Call it. If this is the way you feel then you have to be for trading Harden to the Celtics for Fultz, Nets pick next year, another first, and Jaylen Brown. You want that or try to win with Harden?
This would be a bold move and if you're trying to win in 2022-2023 you need to pull the trigger. With that being said, James Harden is a top 5 player in the league and is too damn marketable for the Rockets to trade him for that haul. We are basically stuck with him for the next 5 years. Hopefully in 5 years he ages well to be a 6th man off the bench type player (ala Manu).
Things will change. Superteams have been allowed because so far they have been good for business. If GS just completely dominates then the NBA will weaken them and they may still be the best team but the gap can be closed. For instance, what if hand checking was allowed again lol ? Plus, KD and curry haven't exactly been paragons of health. Changes to the max contract could be re-worked. If there was no max then KD, Curry and gang etc are giving up ALOT more money to stay.
The Celtics aren't giving that up. That's a crazy haul. If they would give it up you obviously take it. Two potential #1 picks and a number 3 pick with definite potential. From Celtics fans friends of mine they don't want Harden period anyway. They'd rather have Jimmy Butler. Who plays both ways and gives them a chance to outwork even the top teams if they could add some rebounding bigs.
I'd say give it two years and see if we can add help, if not move on, and yes that includes him possibly walking for nothing (because i think 2 years of trying to find help has a higher probability of the byproducts of a trade).
There is a haul like that available for Harden. I simply named the most convenient one. And your source is wrong. Harden is under contract for three more seasons. Ainge would obviously try to give up less. But he'd ultimately take the deal. You know that.
I don't have a source, lol. Fans of teams aren't my sources. They're just friends who are die hard Celtics fans. And I've proposed Harden trades to them and they don't want to have anything to do with him. Of course, I'm a Harden hater now (!!) so take it for what it's worth, but I absolutely think Jimmy Butler is a better fit for them then Harden... for sure not the same go to offensive player but a really really good offensive player that is an absolute great defensive player. The Celtics can't play Harden next to IT. You know that. They know that. That team would get absolutely shredded defensively. I also think Danny has learned his lesson about offering the "haul", which he was reportedly willing to do just to move up a few years ago to draft Justice Winslow, lol. I think ownership overrided him, or he came to his sense. It's too bad on all accounts. Because #1 pick, another top 3 pick in AS GOOD a draft (#1 pick next year could be Michael Porter Jr. whose upside comp is a slightly shorter KD, and Jaylen Brown would be an insanely good haul. Fultz, Brown and Porter might all end up busting, but it'd be an insanely good haul. Even moreso when you factor in that is commiting to a rebuild, which means the Rockets would make other moves to pick up even more assets (PBev has great value, EG has great value, etc.) and would suck themselves next year. But if all the chips fell right, you'd have a rebuild down in 2-3 years max and in that year 3 you are already just looking at maturation of your young guys to get here. But, but, but, but... we already have a top 5 guy now, why trade him to just "try" to get another one?? Because our top 5 guy now doesn't mean squat in today's NBA, regularly fails/chokes in the playoffs, and is only 1 top 5 guy on a team that has no means to add another one, much less a top 15 or top 20 guy next to him You might be able to get a similar package from the Lakers, or Sixers... but neither would be nearly as good as what you proposed from the Celtics.
I'm not proposing anything. I'm simply saying if you really believe we have no shot to win a title until the Warriors age then you have to be for trading Harden right now for a pile of kids. You can't be for keeping Harden and just being also-rans for the next five or six years. On a side note, I think it's funny how posters accused me of just being a Harden hater when I pointed out the flaws in his maturity, character, and game. But I'm one of the few that actually believe we can win championships with him if he will mature and modify his game and I'd rather hang on and hope our front office helps him do so.
Injuries to one or two of the GS stars could change the landscape in a hurry. We just need to improve incrementally and be ready to step into the void if it happens. It still takes a lot of luck to win an NBA title, but a team is not in a position to capitalize if they are in tank mode like Philly has been in.
What's the status of Harden's contract? I'm sorry, I don't keep a close eye on these things. He has all the money in the world and will be getting max wherever he goes. He could easily bolt, and most teams would be glad to have him and shape him up. That is unless he's locked up with us again soon. Just wondering.
He can become a FA in 2019. I believe he's available for the Designated Veteran's Extension right now tho which would be a 4 year, 171 mil extension that would kick in during the 19-20 season.
