No he wouldn't, because we are in win now mode. It really makes no sense to, also Harden was already shopped by OKC during the draft...in a weaker draft and a weaker prospect in Beal and the Wizards held strong. You are not valuing it at all. I'm telling you guys, if people really think Highly of Wiggins and Parker there is NO WAY they are trading him. When Embiid is the best center prospect since Oden and Wiggins was being touted as the next generational star...I'm sorry, you don't trade those guys away for Harden. Who is a great player but he's not a first tier Lebron-Durant player, I doubt he EVER will be. If wiggins gets a shot, he can be. If Parker gets better on defense, he can be. If Embiid just stays healthy, he can be. It's REALLY hard to for a team to sell a player with unlimited potential. Again, Wiggins, Parker, and Embiid are elite prospects that don't come through the draft every year.
At least #1 or 2 AND another top 6 selection. He is a sure thing/young all NBA caliber SG. The odds are against any 1 draft spot ever making that impact - so you need at least 2. .
What are the odds for the #1 pick? The last 10 draft picks. Bennet Irving (Hit) Wall (Hit) Blake (Hit) Rose (Hit) Oden Bargs Bogut Dwight (Hit) Lebron (Hit) That's 60%. The ten years before that. Yao (hit) Kwame Martin Brand (Hit) Olokwandi Duncan (Hit) Iverson (Hit) Joe Smith Robinson Webber (Hit) 50% It's not that much as a crapshoot in the NBA, especially since most of the guys that were hits were expected to be hits. Point is, who here would be surprised if any of these three guys were better than Harden in 3 years? I wouldn't, not at all. Especially if Harden continues his poor playoff performances and defense.
So you'd trade James Harden for a 50% chance at getting a player who is as good or better? We need to play poker some time. I would trade James Harden for a player who is as good (if it made sense) or better (LeBron etc). I would not trade him for lesser value, which 50% chance of Harden is.
Here is the thing. All three of those guys...are expected to be all-stars at least. Everyone will be shocked if they are not, any one that has followed these guys pre-draft will be shocked if they aren't all-stars at least. Yes, I'd trade Harden for a chance at a guy whose potential is the sky. Most people in the NBA would. You all were saying that you'd trade Harden for Anthony Davis in a minute some time ago. This is very similar...and Davis is not a 1st team NBAer or has the accolades Harden does...but his potential is still through the roof. Again, this is not Anthony Bennet #1 draft pick here. These are guys that the NBA has been waiting on for years now. The guys that are expected to hit in the NBA usually do. The guys that bust are usually guys that are being taken #1 because someone has to go #1 even if the draft class is horrible...or just have a problem with injuries.
Any ways, the point isn't if the Rockets would trade Harden. (They wouldn't either because they are trying to win right now) It's if the Cavs would accept such a deal. I HIGHLY doubt that they would (unless Lebron said to make such a trade.) Just like the Texans were never going to trade Clowney unless they got the farm. Teams in that position value potential way more than they do sure things. They are way more into gambling and hoping that they drafted Lebron. Lebron wasn't a sure thing either when he came into the league. Neither were guys like CP3, Blake, Durant, etc...but teams are way more willing to gamble on those guys then any other prospects. The whole point of having the #1 draft pick is to pick the next HOF player, not acquire just another perennial all-star. You expect that at least from a #1 pick.
I think your undervaluing hardens game and overvaluing these guys. The only one with as much potential as harden is embid. Parker inst an elite athlete and wiggins just doesn't have the offensive game. Harden was a stud in college avg 20 and 5. Players like him are rarer than some rookies that have been hyped because last yrs draft was weak. There plenty of scouts that said this draft was overrated too. Just because your sold on these guys doesn't mean every gm is and especially over a young superstar like james Harden. I don't think some of you realize how rare 25 5 and 6 is on 60% ts. And harden did it 2 years in a row before the age of 25. Smh.
And next year he'll be 26...around a age where potential is usually reached and a player is in his absolute prime. Umm yeah Parker and Wiggins aren't complete players though, that's why they are rookies. They all are flawed. Also Wiggins and Parker are both better prospects than Harden was. That is NOT even close man...not even remotely close. It was a question if Harden should have even gone when he did. This is classic Rocket fan overvaluing our own players. Knick fans don't even want Harden for a SnT. Harden still has many flaws to his game that we hope he fixes and he has to fix VERY soon because he won't be a young and growing player for much longer.
You're vastly underestimating Harden as pointed out above and vastly overestimating your own scouting abilties. Everyone will be shocked if the top 3 picks aren't all stars -at least? That has happened exactly once in the last 20 years (1999 - Brand, Davis Francis) - yet there is a consensus belief that this year all 3 players will be Allstars at least? Thats a gross exaggeration and am pretty sure you could get great odds in Vegas against that if you're a betting man. You should go for it and make yourself some money. The odds are against any one individual in the top 3 being better than Harden - the odds on all 3 being better than Harden are probably less than 1 percent
Wiggins - high potential Parker - high potential Joel - high potential Harden - guaranteed best SG in NBA I dont think any GM would pass up a guarantee for best SG
I never said that they could be all-stars in their rookie years though. Also, your odds are wrong. All of the players I listed from being the #1 pick, Lebron, Dwight, Rose, Blake...all better than Harden. That's just using the #1 pick. You are generalizing the draft WAY too much failing to realize that it's not even me that's hyping up Parker, Wiggins, and Embiid. It's pretty much everyone. I'm pretty sure if you ask on any general forum that there wouldn't be many people that would advocate trading Wiggins for Harden. You go read scouting reports for these kids for yourself. They aren't of the Anthony Bennet variety. These aren't ordinary prospects that you throw out random odds for like less than 1 percent.
Also... http://www.nbadraft.net/players/joel-embiid NBA Comparison: Tim Duncan/Akeem Olajuwon Yeah, yall really think teams are going to give up a player with THAT potential? Yeah yeah "Maybe he won't be that!!?!?" I know...but if he is you'll look like a fool for trading him. Just like Maybe Lebron wouldn't have been Lebron, maybe Durant wouldn't have been Durant. Teams 9x out of 10 always gamble on these guys and happily do so.
So would the Cavs trade Irving (who isn't nearly at the level of first team all nba) for the #1 pick? The answer is no...bc they have a great player on their hands and it would make no sense to trade it for a player that might potentially be great. Win now or win later, the #1 pick will never be as valuable as a current nba superstar in their prime.
You misunderstand me sir - I'm not talking about their rookie season - I'm talking about forever. Not a single draft class other than 1999 has had the 1-2-3 picks all make the all star game at any point in their careers. Yet you claim everyone would be shocked if it didn't happen this year? Not me, and not anybody who has read any of the dozens of articles about draft pick valuation. You need to browse away from nbadraft.net and study some history. Harden is an all NBA first teamer. The odds of draft pick #1 making that level is something like 20%. The odds of picks #2 and 3 making that are much lower, probably 10% or less - but let's assume for the sake of your argument they're 20%. The odds of all 3 making 1st team all-NBA are .2 * .2 *.2 = .008. That is less than 1%.
It would make sense if you think Irving's cap is lower than the player you'd pick at #1. Many teams would have traded for the #1 pick when it was Lebron. Period. Thing is the Cavs would have been stupid to even consider trading it unless it was for a player like Kobe or Duncan or something.
Good god - you really are using nbadraft.net and their player comparisons? Everything is a lot more clear now.
Yes, I stand by what I say. For THIS draft people will be shocked if Embiid, Parker, and Wiggins are not all-star players. For this draft. This draft alone. Here is some history. These picks are rarely traded, the #1 pick I'm not even sure when the last time it was traded. This has nothing to do with one scouting site, where are the people that expect any of these three players to just be ordinary run of the mill players. Embiid is the only concern because of his injury history is quite scary at this point, which is why I said Harden would be worth the 3rd pick maybe, but definitely the fourth. The truth is, the hard cold truth is. No one here is expecting to win a championship with just Harden and Dwight. There is a reason for this. Replace either with Lebron or Durant and ask that question again. If a team has a chance at a first tier player, they gamble for it. Harden is very likely never going to be that player unless he improves quite dramatically.
