The bottom line is Harden, Stone, or Tillman have said nothing about Harden playing for the Rockets this season recently. That should be the strongest indication.
He shows up or he doesn't get paid. Fine. Saves the Rockets $40 million and they let him rot. I wouldn't trade him.
The strongest indication are the players he's been in contact with who say that he wants to stay here. The deal with Wall coming here to play with Harden has been known by the players for months now, it's only a relatively new thing to us. Christian Wood talked to Harden before he signed....and still wanted to come here. Boogie and Wall talked to Harden before they got here....and still wanted to come here. You guys are grasping for straws.
Just playing devil's advocate here... Harden could be playing at U of H just so other GMs could see that he is in shape and working on his game. I think he wants out because he wants to get out of Lakers's conference. I think he wants to win a championship or at least play in the Finals while he's still in his prime. It's whatever. Players come and go and I still doubt Harden is a championship player anyway.
Dude, if you want to disagree, insist he’s staying, be an optimist, think I’m a pessimist that’s fine. If you want to say I’m doing it because I want him to be traded that’s fine too I guess cuz I can’t tell you what not to do but it’s just not the truth. And if I sound ridiculous to you so be it but the fact that you’re saying this is grasping for straws is ridiculous to me. I clearly stated and you clearly read that I don’t know for sure it’s just an opinion, but you know just as little as me, and just seem to have a strong opinion that’s opposite of mine. I totally believed the Chris Paul rift was completely fabricated by the media and didn’t buy into it one bit, but it turned into reality. This is not business as usual right now for the Rockets. If you think it’s nothing, good for you, hope you’re right. How ridiculous of me to think it’s something and post about it in a forum of a team I follow.
I'm not being optimistic or pessimistic, I'm being realistic. For your pessimism to be the case, you have to assume that Harden has lied to everyone for months now or that one of the top free agents this year wanted to go to a team he knew was going into rebuilding. It just doesn't add up. The most likely scenario is that before getting locked down for months, Harden wanted to be able to go out and enjoy himself one more time at a friend's birthday and that's the end of the story. If the facts that we know pointed to the most likely scenario being different, that's what I'd think instead....but the "HARDEN IS DONE" crowd is looking to twist literally anything they can to try to suggest their preferred story is true and it's just weird. I find it outright ridiculous to think that either Harden has been lying to people for months or that all of those people are now lying AND they chose to come here knowing it was about to lose Harden. That scenario simply isn't something you can sell.
No, credit to Harden for recognizing Westbrook hurts the Rockets and correcting his mistake and being fine with WB leaving.
This is what I try to tell myself. It would be a real scumbag move for Harden to talk to all these guys individually and tell them that he's going to be here and excited to play with them only to leave immediately before the season even starts. It's possible, but I'd like to think he wouldn't do that to them. That's some sociopathic ****.
With no NBA Championships to show for it. If he's traded, I bid him farewell and Morey's failed ISO-heavy offensive philosophy. IMO, it's just not fun to watch, one person dribbling all day with 4 others in standing in mud. A change will be welcome, we didn't win the Finals with him anyway, too selfish.
If the prom king misses the first few dances of the night doesn’t mean to call the party off. He has personal issues he feels are bigger than what is expected of him. The worst thing to do is wait by the door and empower the selfish behavior. It’s a hard place to be in because his actions forces a reaction. What are the choices? Do nothing, make him accountable, empowering him by ask him how we show our loyalty to him (player after player & picks and more picks trying to keep him happy). Never forget he is not the franchise just the franchise player (which is just a place holder —> there has been many before him and will be many after him). He would already be here if he wanted to work together with the franchise.
