(Woj) Harden turned down $50 million a year extension wants to be traded to Nets

6× 1st Team NBA IMO.

 

This is with the media hating him and the Rockets. Imagine how many more MVPs and 1st team all-NBA would be guaranteed with just being in another city like LA. He has been robbed of so many more accolades and at least 1 championship.

 

I mean, you get hosed on Paul and Westbrook deals then you don’t include your franchise player in future talks... there’s your new culture!!! Tillman is a mob guy... from Galveston. China is the biggest mob in the world. Trump lost, China wins.

 

Won’t be interesting. It will be predictable. Two stars acting to be totally bought in and competing for a championship with 2 big time additions added to help. They will give Silas a shot and this new team a chance.

 

Thaddeus Brown has spoken.

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/te...n-to-have-some-fans-at-games-for-15760354.php

The Rockets begin training camp next week amid reports that star guards James Harden and Russell Westbrook have wanted to be traded. The Rockets have intended to have both with the team and Brown said he believed the additions and changes made will make the Rockets contenders in the Western Conference.

“We think we made some changes to where we’re going to be competing in the West,” he said. “And we need to continue to get better. Christian Wood I think is going to provide great flexibility for Coach Silas, for James, for Russell to open it up a little bit more. We’re going to look at everything to be a championship team. That’s what we’ve focused on from Tilman (Fertitta, the Rockets owner) on down.”

 

Prove it! Who ever the PR guy is and who ever has been in charge of the Rockets speeches should have taken a job at the Whitehouse. They always say the right things whether it is true or not.

 

C’mon man cut the sports writers some slack. It’s been a crazy year and a dull off season. They are literally grasping at straws as this point.

 

They could have spoken privately.

Public statements are overrated.

 

Very interesting that Stone was the one to fill out the back end of the Roster. We all know that Rockets have filled the roster with very good off the couch talent. Does that mean Stone was the one who advocated for other players like Jeff Green and DMC too?

I'm starting to feel even better with Players like Nwaba and Tate

 

According to brabra Russ might not even turn up to training camp

 

I think the tweet means they haven't spoken publicly period - not just to one another.

 

Harden and Russ recruited Jeff Green, they mentioned it often last season.

 

That sounds about right. Sorry he had his feelings hurt. The franchise cornerstone and arguably the best player in the world modified his game for him... the GM traded the teams starting center to appease him... the GM signed a player (Green) you asked the team to sign... the head coach let you sit out back to backs and designed team units just for you to be comfortable.

The teams best player gave up the damn ball to him down the stretch for the last possession to reassure him and it wasn’t enough.

The response? “I don’t know what I am doing out there”... then blame your teammates in the bubble on the plane... and last demand a trade...

There is a reason everyone involved with the Rockets have moved on from catering to Westbrook... they cannot give him anymore than they already did... his teammates cannot either.

Tilman is a boob but Westbrook is out of pocket.

Like Pat Riley says.... “Do your job.”

Show up, play hard and if you get traded, then you get traded. It isn’t like anyone is lining up to let Westbrook run their franchise into mediocrity.... try actually complementing Harden and your teammates and not get butt hurt that it isn’t YOUR team but Harden’s.

 

https://hoopshype.com/2020/12/01/ru...alks-with-jonathan-feigen-and-michael-scotto/

9:25 What’s Houston’s mindset going into training camp with Harden and Westbrook?

Feigen: I think the organization’s mood is extremely cautiously optimistic, but optimistic. The organization has felt all along they need to bring these guys back and let them work with Stephen Silas, let them work with a slightly changed rotation, and let them feel good about that. Things get that way a little more when you’re apart and when you’re playing pickup ball with KD (Kevin Durant), and he’s so excited about what that team can do. You remember those good times in Oklahoma City, and they went to the Finals where Harden has not been since he left Oklahoma City.

12:05 Evaluating whether a Nets trade for Harden is realistic

Scotto: If you want to throw in maybe Kyrie Irving, and they’d get an All-Star player back, then maybe that would tip the scales. If you’re looking at guys like Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen, Spencer Dinwiddie, etc. That’s a lot of good players, but it’s not an All-Star back in return. Dinwiddie is ultimately going to opt out of his option and become an unrestricted free agent anyway. They’d have to deal with that.

Feigen: You’re not winning anything in the West with that. If you do that deal, you go from a team that people criticize and talk about to a team that people really like on their way to the lottery. You’re not making the playoffs with that team. The Rockets would go from a team that thinks of themselves as a championship contender to a team that hopes to be a contender to make the playoffs. It would be fun. It would be exciting to watch. It would be like a League Pass favorite. They just wouldn’t be very good.

Feigen: Harden, that would mean blow it up and start over in so many ways. You’re rebuilding if you move Harden.

I think there’s a sense here, but really around the league, that they need to be patient on any consideration of moving Westbrook until he sort of rebuilds his stock to where teams start looking at him as a superstar again rather than what the last thing they saw, which was Westbrook in the bubble coming off the thigh injury more quickly than he normally would have and coming off COVID. Teams need to see him look like the full Russ again.

18:55 Will Harden or Westbrook be traded this season?

Feigen: Harden, I’d say no. Let’s talk again next summer. Westbrook, my gosh, I don’t know. I guess no, just because it’s hard to get a deal they would find sufficient. If you’re betting on them trading him, you’re not only betting that, yes, they’ll want to, you’re also betting on yes they can and get what they want. I think those two things add up to more likely that he’s not.

25:00 What to expect from DeMarcus Cousins on the Rockets?

Feigen: What I’ve heard is he looks terrific in his physicals and did a great job in his rehab. Physically, he’s good to go. He looks thin. He’s obviously been working hard. He looks terrific.

32:34 PJ Tucker’s future

Feigen: He’s 35. I don’t know how much of an extension you give to the 35-year-old guy, but I’ve got to think they want him around longer. My prediction on that one would be he probably becomes a free agent, and the Rockets are the team that wants him most. He means a lot to them in a lot of ways for his versatility, for shooting corner threes that’s so valuable to space the floor at the four, plus him in the locker room and his professionalism.

 

LOL Farbod

 

I want to give this a shot with Russ. A surgery free offseason hopefully translates to great season