Yes: Risky move, the guy has only started 5 games in his NBA career. But a risk you MUST take if you are the Rockets, he shows as much potential as anyone else to become one of the next big time stars in the leauge.
Unlike Francis, Harden will play his true position which is the 2 guard. Harden is unlike the dumb iso loving hotdogger that Francis was anyways.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>OH!!!</p>— Hasheem Thabeet (@HasheemTheDream) <a href="https://twitter.com/HasheemTheDream/status/262406010428342272" data-datetime="2012-10-28T04:10:42+00:00">October 28, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
When we get to draftday next year, tell me that whoever is drafting 4-14 would NOT trade that pick for Harden. Every single team in that range would jump at the chance to get a TeamUSA player (at just 24 years of age) locked away on a long term contract. We also gave pick 21+ (irrelevant) and pick 31-33. We could BUY a pick in either of those ranges for $3m in any given year. And even a good selection in that range is most likely JaJuan Johnson (ie, talented, but flawed). Basically we're giving up 1 pick of any value (the Toronto pick) - which is ONLY valuable if it can net us a star player. We also gave up Lamb (a non-defensive scorer who will never be as good as Harden) and Martin (no big deal). Would you have traded The #12 pick, Martin and Lowry on draft day THIS season for Harden? Of course you would. And if you get back a passable big (Alrdich) as part of the deal, wow!
But looking at this trade, it looks really lopsided in OKC's favor. Giving up all those draft picks to a young squad.....they are going to be Finals candidates for a long time.
