Woj: Rockets want to trade Harden "sooner rather than later"

It's honestly peak entertainment watching Clutchfans swing from opposite ends of the spectrum on a daily, even hourly basis

"Get rid of Beard! Need a culture change!"
"OMG Wood is insane!! Keep Beard!"
"WHAT?! We still wanna get rid of Beard?!?"

 

Yep, coz reality is: Harden wants to get rid of us!

 

We’re not robots. Humans run the Rockets. Human Harden wants to leave.

There isn’t some corporate protocol for every situation.

People skills are key here. Someone Harden respects is key here. Typing this out, I think that’s fundamentally why Harden is leaving. Guys he respects are gone.

But you know a way to gain it? Appeasing his ego but making some sort of deal that Harden can still least run a trial with this team.

SELL HIM ON THE UPSIDD OF THE TEAM.

Harden said he didn’t even talk to Stone. We know he didn’t talk to Silas.

Their professional behavior is just corporate autism that isolated him even more.

Now maybe they don’t have the skills or charisma to do this but it doesn’t seem like they tried. And if they don’t have these skills, they should.

Phil Jackson would’ve talked any man off a cliff. So would Buss or Jerry West.

 

This is the transaction that will make or break Stone's career...it's HAS to be a great package. The Harden move made Morey's career; let's see what you can pull off Rafaaaaaa!

 

Disagree with this take. This relationship has run its course...8 years, no chips, and a disgruntled star that will, eventually, jeopardize whatever chemistry you're trying to build now with a new team and new coach....get the right package and start anew. Twas a good run.

 

I fall into this camp as well. If the Rockets don't win the title, then I will root for Harden to win the title.... same with Daryl Morey. Both Harden and Morey took a lot of media criticism that really wasn't justified. Harden and Morey are like the odd couple that rub people the wrong way and are a bit eccentric but are usually right.

 

As much as I like Simmons, I can definitely get behind this idea. I wonder if something like Herro, Thybulle, Maxey or Milton or Precious, etc. + picks + expiring's could be a possibility if Simmons were sent to Miami? Not sure Miami would be all in for Simmons but they were all in for Giannis and Simmons has similar qualities. Simmons would clash with Bam a little IMO but would play really well with a guy like Butler. Herro would also be the perfect complement to Simmons but obviously that is not happening.

Another 3rd team that some are talking about is Denver. I have been clamoring for a Michael Porter JR and Herro + picks haul for Harden + Tucker if at all possible. I assume Denver won't give MPJ up cheap due to his potential but maybe if they get out of a bad contract and get Tucker + a rotational piece or two from Rockets or Heat. Denver may be concerned with injury history, personality, talk of more touches, etc. with MPJ but other than that I can't really think why they would trade him unless they got a pretty good haul but that is only assuming they have question marks around him.

 

I'm the exact opposite, if Harden forces his way off the Rockets, I hope he never wins another thing in his career either individual or team accomplishment. The Rockets catered to him every step of the way and now that his demands screwed things up, he wants to throw a temper tantrum and demand to be traded? That's not the kind of person I could EVER pull for. He's an amazing player, but he's shown that he's a really terrible person.

 

honestly @Clutch with how the year 2020 has been in it's entirety to this point, harden being ultimately moved before 2021 seems like it's just in the cards

 

This is the first time it felt like a move was 100% inevitable. Pretty depression, to be honest. I remember exactly where I was when he was traded to Houston - in Durham on a Saturday night, with my wife pissed of next to me as OU got housed by ND (she's indifferent to OU but despises ND). I remember his 1st 2 games as a Rocket and just how exciting it felt to realize we had a potential All-Star with Harden, and watching his game round out to become a generational superstar.

I don't care what the package is, the day Harden's traded is going to absolutely suck. I'm going to miss being in the mix every single year.

Screw 2020.

 

I never said we were. Again reading is definitely not your strong suit that is blatantly obvious. But you can't expect much from a guy that calls himself DatRocketFan LMAO. Once the team trades Harden and there is no superstar here in Houston for us to be in contention, why would any smart business owner pay luxury tax for a non contending team? Concentrate on the question this time dog, I believe in you...

 

First ask yourself, was Harden traded in the time that Daryl Morey was the GM? Did he ever go public with a trade request? Do you think it is just coincidence that Harden wants out after DM and MDA and RW all scratched and clawed to get out?

If Daryl Morey was still the GM there is a good chance that Harden would still be a Rocket.

The GM has spoken to the press once since he got the job..... the GM certainly could have walked down on to the court and try to engage Harden like Silas has.

A divorce like this is multi faceted but the Rockets play a huge part in it having come to this point and I hope that ownership and the people making the decisions admit that and work on addressing the shortcomings within the organization.

 

for sure. I'm still rooting for Morey in Philly. I couldn't careless what anyone around here thinks. Once Harden is gone, I'll root for him too. Both have their flaws just like anyone else in this league but at the end of the day I appreciate what they've done for the rockets and how they brought relevancy here. Circumstances out of their control at this point put them in shitty positions and I don't blame them one bit for wanting out and leaving. they're actually smart for doing so

 

This really is an intriguing thought. While I have dreaded the day of trading Harden, we may all be thankful someday that we traded him too early rather than too late.

I know that is difficult to see now especially since we would likely have a contending team with him this year, if we are back contending in 2-3 years with a young squad then it will likely be thanks to the large haul received in the Harden trade where we traded him at his (mostly) peak on court value vs. his contract length although he still has several years of elite basketball in him, you never know when decline may set in or an injury from all those years of abuse.

I realize injury and declining play is a long shot since he is most durable, consistent athlete I have ever seen but it is still a possibility as he enters his 30's and into his mid-30's. In 1-2 years, teams may be less likely to give up young talent/assets due to Harden's age and contract situation. It really is the perfect storm to trade Harden and get maximum value assuming everyone looks past the offseason soires in Vegas and Atlanta which I think most execs/GM's don't really pay attention to.

 

Listen dumb fk. If an owner never goes all in on a player like harden.

When the fk do u think he ever will?
I don't need u to move goal post with common sense sht: no smart owner will go all in on a non competitive team.

We have a superstar, and he refuses to go all in. What does that tell u?

Doesn't go all in for a superstar, doesn't go all in for a non competitive team. Guess never then

Keep defending a cheap ass owner, who won't go all in.

Don't tell me he's gonna all in for Simmons (dude who can't shoot) or herro (hyped prospect). What a gullible idiot.

 

Their greatest shortcoming was catering to a child like Harden far more than they should have. They should have never allowed Harden to destroy the team when he demanded they trade for Westbrook. If Harden was an adult, or some kind of leader, then maybe you give him that kind of treatment, but if you let someone like Harden run your organization, you have to expect them to run it into the ground then jump off so as to take no blame for what they did. It's just who he is.

 

My guess is that the majority of fans are going to upset by how little the return is after wanting him traded for so long.

I will be curious to see how fans react in Houston when he drops a 60/10/10 type game on the Rockets.... will it be anger at Harden and hatred or will it be directed toward ownership and the front office? What I can tell you is that there is no way in hell that Eric Gordon is going to stop Harden from ******** all over the Rockets.

 

Not gonna root for Philly.

Daryl didn't bring a championship and he sure coddled Harden and created such an environment of laissez-faire, lax culture.

Not going for to root for Morey, and it's easy, I haven't been a fan of his.

 

Harden rejected a record-breaking extension, meaning "I don't believe the Rox can win WITH ME in the next five years. So have fun without me instead."
I don't care what he does after he leaves.

 

I imagine Rockets fans will blame Harden for screwing things up here and then forcing his way out while Harden fans will find some way to blame the Rockets for Harden's antics.