As Houston Rockets fans, we have been extremely fortunate to have been blessed with competitive basketball for the better portion of nearly three decades. From the glory days of Hakeem and Clyde, to the injury riddled and heartbreaking era of McGrady and Yao, and now finally throughout the Harden & Company adventures, the team has steadfastly remained in the upper echelon of the ever-challenging Western Conference. Moving forward and into next season, the team is at a point where it must decide to pursue one more shot at the elusive Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy or to cash in their prized chips and rebuild from the ground up. According to recent rumors, it appears that if they are to choose the former, they will be doing so without former Most Valuable Player, Russell Westbrook. There is also rumors that suiters are presenting their best offers for the teams long time superstar James Harden. This is relatively uncharted territory for the team...Rebuild or Retool for one last Harden led rendezvous? In prior years, ownership and management had made their intentions clear that rebuilding was not an option. However, there are new leaders at the helm and theres a bettors chance that they could welcome this as an opportunity to start their tenures with a fresh slate of players that fit their style and philosophies. In terms of the current roster, there are many players who still possess decent trade value and very little negative contracts to be moved. Outside of Russell Westbrook and Eric Gordon, the remaining contracts are most likely viewed as positive value or better. Depending on your source for information, there should be value to be had with Russell Westbrook. The question is what direction do Rafael Stone and Stephen Silas plan to take the team? There have been rumors that the team has had conversations with the Clippers brass in regards to a Paul George for Westbrook swap. If a trade like this were made for an established star or veteran, it would most likely signal their desire to retool for another shot with Harden this year. Or they could accept an offer such as the rumored deals with the Knicks or Hornets that include a package of expiring contracts, young players, and draft considerations. By accepting a package of this nature, we should expect white smoke from the Toyota Center signaling a changing of the guard. At some point, the Fertitta's, Tad, Stone, and new head coach Stephen Silas must've asked themselves the question and it should be a simple as this... "After years of Harden led teams with an assortment of complimentary pieces and superstars... Do we still believe we can win a championship with a team built around James Harden?" If the answer is still a profound "Yes" then most people would agree... Retool for one more shot. However, if there is any hesitation in a truthful conversation... the answer should be to rebuild immediately. Do not waste away whatever value is left. Sports fans around the country have seen that show many times. A team waits until the value of their assets diminishes to the point where they cannot use these assets to relaunch. Like him or not... Jeff Lunhow showed this city the value of a rebuild. We understand the pain that comes with a few losing seasons if... and only if... the Captain of the ship is navigating us through the right waters. Cheating scandal aside, the Astros are and have been a very competitive team since rebirthing the team. How do we as a fan base feel now? Clutchfans is and always has been the home for the most loyal Rockets fans around. Do we still believe James Harden can lead us to our next parade? Can we accept the idea of mediocrity or worse for a period of time if it means a shot at a new era and brand of competitive Rockets basketball? With the new season just around the corner, we should know very soon... is it Harden or Hard Out? GO ROCKETS! Feel free to post your "If I was the GM..." scenarios. What REALISTIC moves would you make? Would you rebuild or retool? Trades, Signings, Draft Selections...
If Harden wants out privately then ring Miami and say we want Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson and Bam. Plan B get Tillman to swallow his pride and deal with Philly Simmons and draft picks
Bam they have always said is untouchable, Herro has been rumored in Giannis talks so it seems like they would be open to trade him for a superstar. If Morey were still here, I would have confidence in a rebuild, I am not confident with any direction under this owner and without Morey.
This is a repost from another similar thread when asked about trading Harden: Retool and here's why I don't think people remember how hard it is to build a champiohship contender. During the Kevin Martin years when we struggled to make the 9th seed fans were miserable, everyone wanted a superstar to help make us a contender. Now we have one. The draft is a gamble of unproven players, many bust, don't live up to thier potential or some get injured. Some teams never become contenders even with high picks. We have prime and peak James Harden and a second star with capable role players and a promising coaching staff. Only a handful of teams without LeBron or the Warriors have won rings this decade. If these guys were past prime that is one thing, but I wouldn't take this for granted and run it back with tweaks.
Second Repost: I can understand other's point of view, but honestly we won't get equal value for Harden and it would hurt the team and likely his championship chances for years. I think we take for granted just how good Harden and this team has been in comparsion to the rest of the league. Of all 30 teams every year for the past ten years, only a few have won championships that didn't have LeBron or the Golden State warriors. Harden is a perennial MVP candidate, having won one already. Regarded as one of the GOAT offensive players of all time, During his historic 36 ppg game season he had .616 TS%, no one in NBA history, not Jordan, Wilt, anyone has ever been that efficient on that high volume. He improves every year, to this day. Last season his defense kept improving and he had a clutch defensive block on Lu Dort in a game 7 sealing the win. With OKC to be determined, teams that have traded MVP players have historically always lost the trade. We don't have leverage right now also. We're not getting another MVP candidate for Harden or equal value check this article: https://www.landofbasketball.com/data/mvps_who_were_traded.htm With the Rockets team he is currently on, we have had the longest active playoff streak in the NBA: https://www.landofbasketball.com/statistics/playoffs_active_streaks.htm Rebuiilding would make the team worse with a hope in ten years we can become as good as this current team. Everyone has a right to thier own opinon so no judgement, but I think retooling what we have is a much better choice.
No unless I get Bam to go with Herro then no thanks. I’ll take Simmons plus other players and picks then
Would give them half a year, the most they get. Considering full rebuild but you could keep Harden the full year. The only way they have a chance is moving to the East, very unlikely.
Your rhetoric does not help. Because a rebuild is too hard, do not do it and waste years? OKC with Durant, WB and JH disagreed. Celtics with Tatum, Brown, formerly Rozier, Smart disagreed. I would try find a better and more talented GM though, Raf Stone does not do it for me. Silas can stay.
Retool. Harden is only 31. He just needs to have a really good off-season with Silas and see what the team can do if they are healthy. Short off-season though.
I remember the rebuild years after T-Mac and Yao. I remember being told we should be happy to make the playoffs featuring K-Mart and J-Lin. I remember the day Harden arrived and showed us a true superstar. I do not want to go back to those pre-Harden days. These last eight years have been the best since the championship teams.
This is my only two choices too. Unless a crafty three team deal comes around. I just don't think Miami would unloading all 3 for Harden which is what I would want back. The Warriors could package something too but again, probs not what I would want in return
James Harden was sensation addition. But as the years gone by, hes had his choice of stars to come play with him. It has been amazing watching James, he is one of the top 25 future hall of famers for sure. He has made Houston Rockets a winning team from Day one. So the thing is. If the Rockets Org wants him around for Long haul or just to play out his Contract. I would not care for rebuild, Rebuilds can put a tole on fans. Thing is Rockets fans have got spoiled to winning and being there but , not being able to get to the next level with James. If you took away this it would probably hurt fan base. Losing and rebuilding is not a bad thing, if you can get a bunch of young fun guys in the draft to watch, like the astros did. The astros had a proper rebuild. So i think if you can let James make his own decision, it would be best. Thing is he might not be able to do some of things that he use to do once he starts coming down from his prime at 32. 28-32 Is usually the heighten scope of ones life , even in basketball. So i think you got to ask yourself yea run it back with James, but you got to really starting think about putting the right team around him. How more times can you run it back with James, is also another Question you might ask yourself as GM? If you winning championships or team that wants to, James might not be able to get you there with out putting a great team together around Harden. Rockets had a window there in 17-18 season, one of the best teams ive seen. That was very much a really nice year, and they came up short to one of the greatest teams ever assembled maybe. So the window is closed maybe. When he had Point Guard duties, he seem to thrive a bit, just imagine if you had some young and old pieces around him that made him a better player. Some would say maybe it is time to let him go. I might would trade him, if you can get good building blocks. The reason you might need to trade him while his stock is high, is because your previous GM, did not build anything up for the future, so you can't not afford to let him play out his contract, unless you are going to fire sale the whole team around him, and play dleaguers, and tank for 5 years straight getting all #1 picks. Alot of people are going to really really hates this , if they dont trade harden sooner than now. Its up to the organization,
It’s not just that rebuilding is hard, it’s that it’s unlikely to work for many many years, until lightning strikes again and another superstar lands in our lap. Even then, we’ll be lucky to get another player as good as Harden in the next decade. More likely we end up with the next Melo or T-Mac. Look at Philly, who fully embraced tanking. They were putrid and unwatchable for 5-10 years. And their majestic haul for all that suffering was.... Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, two flawed stars who lose in the second round every year (in the east no less).
I wanted a rebuild in Les's tenure, but he wouldn't allow it. While milking Yao and China way too long, he charged Daryl with the impossible. Retool on the run. And being the Wizard he is, DM accomplished the feat, stealing Harden. The rest is history. Now, with Tilman at the helm, we face a similar situation. The difference being we have Big Jim healthy, and wanting to stay. I posted a thread last week calling for the rebuild now, but this was before it became known that James had seen the light, giving his blessing to shop Russ. It's a tougher call now, because that albatross of a contract can be dealt. This had to happen in order for there to be a CHANCE to contend. That said, it remains to be seen what comes back in the Westbrook deal. Early indications are that it's going to be a lot more than most thought. At the same time, the risk of injury for James increases over time along with eventual decline.(leverage decreases, esp if he ever publicly asks to be dealt) As to a rebuild, we now have the perfect staff in place to move there. There also is the matter of the OKC picks. I would eventually love to see a culture and identity installed under Silas via a pure rebuild that would last a long time. (No pain no gain though)It also remains to be seen if Tilman could/would help nurture a fertile environment for it. As I see it, the Rockets are going for it, but with an eye towards pivoting quickly to a full rebuild if things go South. We'll know soon enough based on what comes back from Russ..along with subsequent moves in advance of the upcoming season.
I would be all for a consolation prize for the best regular season performing team, the NBA doesn't rest. That way you have more to play for. Virtually every team either is getting better or getting younger. The Rockets are the only team that only shuffles its 2nd in command in the past it doesn't make any sense to let go of Morey and still play the same kind of game.
I voted Quick Retool Complete rebuild if both Harden and Russ request trades. I don’t want to pay either $40+M to have arthroscopic surgeries cleaning out knees and pulling some, “Kyrie-Kawhi” nonsense. But I believe Harden has come to terms with Westbrook exit. So Harden staying means Quick Retool and a Westbrook trade of $41M brings back some things. If nothing else financial breathing room to bring back a decent center for Silas offense. Replacements for Westbrook/Rivers. or Trade Eric Gordon for lesser quality center/replacements than Westbrook brings back. _______________________ I don’t believe going into the season without trading Eric Gordon or Westbrook is an option unless Silas thinks he can bring in a Center for dirt cheap ($2 million or less)......then move Eric Gordon at the trading deadline. It’s so difficult trading a $41M dollar contract during the season when teams have little to no cap space and many non guaranteed contracts become guaranteed. When the season starts people can try to get on trade machine sites and try to work out trades that make everyone happy. You will deal with multi team trades in which every team wants to win and end up with draft picks. Houston will have its 2021 1st round pick available then. Got that going for us, though.
We need to rebuild and start quickly by moving Harden because his value will never be higher than now. Brogdon and Turner plus 5 FRP with swapping the 4 in between gives us back our future. AND the Pacers a shot at a championship or 3. Harden & Sabonis with a great supporting cast coming out of the East. Move Westbrook at the trade deadline after paddling his triple double stats for 1/2 a season. The only player I want to take some of Westbrook’s shine is Eric Gordon with the hope that he turns himself into a positive asset. We will be complete competitive throughout our rebuild.
