Hawks' version of cyberx says this about Rockets trade rumor

Is this the thing now?

We are going to pretend that Westbrook is bad because of Covid?

He sucks, he is not a good player and hasn't been for three years, covid or no covid.

 

Let’s be real, Tilman wants to make money
No way he bought this team for 2 billion just to rebuild

 

some of the lamest gimmick excuses are always made on cf's. it's always something people will try to tell themselves

 

he won't be making much money now that people are realizing this team is in big trouble for years to come with 0 future. and the harden era has pretty much ended with 0 upside unless he can find a way to pawn off westbrick to another sucker like himself

 

All made up, but fun to speculate about a rebuild. if you do both deals for harden and rus you end up with:

KAT
Roco - House
Richardson - Nwaba
Gordon - Mclemore
Paul - Clemons

Assume you have to take a PG #1 to be mentored by Paul for 3 years. Ball? Hayes? Also assume we'd probably get some picks back (or swaps back) from OKC. as well as an extra pick and/or player from PHI (future first and thybulle?). that gives us the ability to package gordon/house/pick for someone like oladipo or holiday. spend the full MLE on someone like Bertans or grant. that's a really deep well rounded team set up to win now and later:

KAT
Roco-grant
richardson-thybulle
oladipo-mclemore
Paul-hayes

plus all our own future picks back. bring in a rookie HC like cassell or Hammon to bring some new ideas, some motion offense, some mid range. the team is build for defense and is very versatile on offense.

would be nice but unfortunately will never happen.

 

KAT? Jimmy Butler showed the world that dude’s true colors. No thank you. we don’t need to trade one dude without the killer instinct for another

 

What is with you and Hammon. I lose all respect for your crazy trade thoughts. We need Harden and not the crud you are posting.

 

First, I love the Rockets. I want them to win. Badly.

Second, James Harden is the best scorer I've ever seen. He's a no-doubt hall of famer that I've had the privilege of watching blossom. He is the second best Rocket of all time and for his efforts on the court, I'll always be a fan.

Third, Morey is an outstanding GM. He's managed the personnel and the purse in a way that adheres to the owner's wishes, while always keeping the team competitive. He's definitely gone about it in a different way - yes, he gets criticized for using players (or more specifically the contracts that those players have signed) as assets and doesn't draft into it like Golden State, Boston or Philly or get the best player of the last 20 years to knock on his door like Miami, Cleveland or L.A. I hope he stays around for a long, long time.

Fourth, we got close, real close. I personally think we had the better team and believe we would have won had Paul's hamstring not betrayed him. The team that Morey built was damn near perfect. He executed against a plan - one that unfolded over a period of many years. Even in the early days of Morey's tenure, it was obvious that he was the GM that could make it happen.

Fifth, you have to know when to hold them and know when to fold them. Boston. Miami. Both teams have done an outstanding job at this over the past decade. Yes, they both had a couple of down years, but they were shrewd with their moves and were able to rebuild quickly. Granted, I have questions about ownership's commitment to doing what it takes to follow a similar model - time will tell.

Sixth, Morey has done this before. Not to this level, but remember that T-Mac/ Yao team back in '07? That was his first year as GM. That group had great talent that gave it a couple of go's, but ultimately hit a ceiling. Granted, T-Mac's meltdown and Yao's legs didn't help matters, but in 2010 Daryl ripped it down and built it back up while remaining competitive. Ultimately trading for & drafting assets that he was eventually able to turn into a franchise player.

Seventh, KAT is 24 years old. His contract is up in 2024, in the supposed prime of his career. Oh and a first round pick? Could he admit a mistake and swing a reunion for Paul too (maybe getting a pick back in the process)? Seems like there'd be a lot of cash on hand in a few years once these deals come to maturity. Also makes me wonder if we could field a competitive team in 20-21 to make that as unattractive as possible for OKC.

Finally, I'd have absolutely no problem if it came to fruition and think it's the ultimate Morey move. Yes, it might be painful in the short term. No one wants to lose a franchise player - especially one that has done such remarkable things in the home team's uniform. In the proposed scenario, however, we'd get someone back that probably should have never left - someone that could be latched onto and, like Harden, someone that took us as close to the mountaintop as we've been in 30 years. Morey would have a plan on how to use the assets. Even if the plan isn't obvious right now.

As with all rumors the likelihood of this going through is somewhere between miniscule and pipe-dream, but that doesn't mean Morey isn't looking at an overhaul. I feel like Morey has played all his cards and it's just not the best hand. Whether he's under a mandate from ownership to blow it up or if he's just setting up the team for longer term success remains to be seen; whatever it is, I'd hope that he's exploring any opportunity to improve the team that may be available and that like me, he just wants the Rockets to win. Badly.

 

You people have no perspective.

And there’s always a really good player in every single draft.

Every single one there’s a perennial all-nba player.

Not trusting your owning drafting with a damn #1 pick is a bigger problem than any draft.

There are no “weak drafts”.

The Rockets in this scenario gain flexibility, a budding superstar, and a real future.

KAT is an ALL-TIME offensive center. Maybe the best offensive center ever outright. There is A LOT to build on.

Harden spent his early career truly terrible on defense too. A lot can change.

harden doesn’t have the trade value you guys think. He’s not “untradeable”. He’s a 31 year old known quantity.


A guy with 5 years tops left of all-nba play, and tons of mileage is not gonna get that great a haul.

What NO got for AD isn’t as good as this. Ball stinks, Hart stinks, Ingram is significantly worse than KAT on multiple fronts. late 1st rounders have so-so value.

And AD DEFINITELY HAS MORE VALUE THAN JAMES HARDEN. AD is possibly better, and far younger.

 

I'm with you here. I think it's a good start. I want a little bit more back for Harden though, maybe another pick or point guard coming in? If Harden wants to follow MDA to Philly, I'm all for it. Harden is now, kinda where CP3 was when the Clips traded him to us. HOF, all-world player, but on the back 9 of his prime (not career). Look at how that trade turned out for the Clips now? It would be a shock to see Harden finish his career with us, look at all the stars that have come and gone from the teams that drafted them, traded for them early, etc.

And anyone on here that wouldn't trade Harden for AD straight up, right now, is a straight up homer and is being totally subjective, sorry.

 

Where were you hiding from December through March?

 

How is literally getting Covid and being injured a gimmick excuse? Those are the facts.

Clearly a different player pre-bubble.

 

Has this insider explained why OKC would trade for Westbrook again?

 

You know what trend I notice about most of the players who were never traded from teams? Multiple championships. Harden's age and inability to carry this team to the finals is why his value is not as high as people think. He is on the decline. He is still a great player, but he does not have the fierce competitiveness of guys like Kobe, MJ, Lebron. He can't beat people off the dribble like he used to. The foul calls are going to stop coming for him as much with new rules after multiple league complaints. If you can get a young star (potential superstar) with the #1 pick, a solid wing like Richardson, and a star PF like KAT in order to start a rebuild and potentially save this team from becoming a dumpster fire for a decade, you definitely consider that trade.

 

hes been on the decline for like 3 years straights now. he played the exactly same way pre covid, after covid. it doesn't matter. even with all that training that was well tracked throughout the hiatus. it's nothing more than a gimmick. he couldn't shoot before covid. he had terrible iq before covid. he was a turnover machine before covid. the list goes on and on. Was it covid when there were reports he looked as "explosive as ever" in the bubble and cf's got so excited

Where was I. umm I've been here from day 1. said it was dumb then, still plain terrible now. lets not act like i haven't. he has been a terrible fit from day 1 and just a bad player. and it won't get any better going forward unless again in some miracle gone to another team

 

#1 pick is too risky. Could be the next Anthony Bennett. Could be Luka. Although Luka fell to #3 so it’s not even certain you choose correctly. I’d rather have the bird in the hand. For me, while Harden is still in his prime, you don’t trade him unless he requests it. Unless of course it’s for another established superstar

 

rox should go for it for shock value. deal with the losing record and financial losses later

 

Karl-Anthony Towns is an absolutely terrible defender and rim protector. Because of that, he’s nearly impossible to build around in today’s NBA because teams will hunt him on switches. I have zero interest in a trade where the Rockets send a true MVP-caliber player in Harden out for Towns as the centerpiece.

 

Yes. States to bring him home to end his career and be a hero in OKC