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I keep seeing everyone talking about this room that the Rockets have to sign a "Max Player" beside Harden. Where is this magical player going to come from? Harden for sure isn't a max contract guy by the way
Andre Bynum Also, I think people think "max contract" means LeBron, Durant, Kobe, etc... No, it can also mean Harden, Hibbert, Gordon, etc...The max contract screws the true superstars of the league, but there are plenty of people that are worth "the max".
Do you really think that $4.5M over 4 years was a deal breaker for OKC? OKC knew that Harden wouldn't take a 4 year deal, even at the max. The issue was that OKC had gotten other players to take lesser deals in order to allow them to keep all of their players. If they had offered Harden the max (that they could offer) then he still doesn't take the deal and the players that gave discounts are upset. OKC was in a tough spot. They could offer Harden the max that they were allowed (4 year/$60M) and likely have him turn it down and also upset several other players who gave OKC a hometown discount. The other option was to pay Harden the max and then have $56M tied up in 5 players next year and $70M to those same 5 in 2014. That would be a huge financial burden for a small market team and it would also greatly limit the roster moves that the team was allowed to make under the new CBA rules. It wasn't a matter of the Thunder thinking that Harden wasn't worth the max. Instead it was OKC being a victim of their own success. They had the great fortune of drafting 4 very good/great players in a short period of time but now they can't afford to keep them all. It certainly sucks for OKC but all-in-all it's a nice problem to have as they still have lots of talent.
Oh well. Sometimes you have to overpay if you cant get chris bosh or dwight howard. At least we have a good player.
I am sooo excited not only because ballhog Martin is gone, but because we finally have a backup center!!! Was getting scared when Pat Patterson, Jones, and Greg Smith were the names to be backup Centers for Asik. At least now Aldrich is the backup center, although he's not the greatest but I prefer him than having D-Mo as a backup center. We have more options now but I think the spot will be a toss up between Smith and Alrich now depending on who's better. Also, I think a Lin and Harden combination will be deadly lethal. I mean Lin is already getting into the paint with ease, Harden is a crazy true scorer and can get into the paint with ease as well. Try double teaming 1 of them, pass to the other guy and they'll just drive right in. You also got Chandler who can shoot 3s and drive in, Asik who can pass and dunk, and Jones/Patterson who can score in the paint. A very fast team, lots of passing, lots of scoring and defense, I predict the Rockets will have a great season!
The Rockets have time to get one. The next 2 years will be chemistry/development years. By the time they're ready to make a push for serious contention, the odds are good that SOMEONE will pry their way free out of a mid-market or even championship contending team. Some will leave due to wanting to play with a playoff calibre roster, some due to team rebuilds, and some will go because of the Luxury tax penalties. Seriouesly, look over the last 3 years of Free Agency and trades. There are ALWAYS going to be players in the market... what Houston just did is put themselves back into the race for those Free Agents and tradable players. Houston has built a ready-to-go machine for a player that wants to jump right into playoff contention, that CAN pay a Max contract, AND has loads of marketing push. There really aren't that many of those teams around over the next 2 years.
The way I understand it, without the Gilbert Arenas Rule, it could have been even harder for the Knicks and Bulls to match. The rule was put in to give the original team at least the opportunity to match. Without the rule, the amount that could have been offered in the first two years wouldn't have been limited to the MLE. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Well then I'm glad you're not the rockets gm bc deciding to build through the total crapshoot that is the NBA draft when you can acquire a bonafide top 25 talent is absolutely moronic. Once again the romance of potential and upside blind people into undervaluing the known. We don't even know where that tor pick will be.... Could be 5 could be 13. harden was what? The 3rd pick in 2009? So you're sayi g you'd rather waddle thru mediocrity in the hopes that either a future mid range lotto pick or a current midrange lotto pick in lamb turn into something better? That's asinine.
Before latest CBA, you would be correct. Early bird exception was changed that would allow them to match any offer even if it was greater than MLE.
I'll be the first to admit that I haven't seen Harden play in depth. That caveat stated, this guy deserves the max??? He's going to entice other players to come play for Houston? I don't buy it. I get the whole expiring of Martin. But we lost a smooth scorer in Lamb and all the freaking draft picks we could have used for a real superstar. I do not like the deal as presented.
Really? You'd still consider Bynum even after another injury from him this offseason? Whoever that player we get is going to cement this team for better or worse, and Bynum may just be too big a risk to rest our franchise's hopes on.
Luckily we don't have to spend the entire offseason thinking about this, and we only have to wait a few days to see it in action!
Again? What has he done? This is WAY too much to give up for a player that (granted) is only 23 but is not a big man or a TOP FLIGHT player. So far he has shown he is a great 6th man. But, when he was counted upon in the Finals, he didn't do much. Its TWO first round draft picks...did the Rocks to this out of desperation since we are essentially just piling up draft picks and not even using them right now. A proven scorer in Martin and multiple 1st picks?
Morey probably won Presti over with "c'mon, my daughter will never forgive me if I give you Parsons" haha
