Harden open to being traded to contenders

It's hard to read these threads as I've never been a fan of any other NBA team like I have the Rockets. I'm also an enormous fan of Harden. I gotta pull the both sides card unfortunately. I think Harden with a G-league roster can get you the equivalent of 50 wins in a shortened NBA season and at least your foot in the door to the second round which is an enormous benefit to any team he plays for. It's really just assembling a team that works around his deficiencies and hoping Harden can grow more like Hakeem, in being aware of his own strengths which lie as a superstar player and less so his ability to help construct the best possible roster to help bring the Rockets a title. Watching his favorite GM jump ship and all the front office roster changes, I'm sure he has has some hesitancy that Tillman & Co. can churn out a roster capable of winning it all before his athletic prime closes. I share the same reservations. Yet, I very much doubt whichever team he is traded to, if that's how it plays out, will be an immediate title contender either. His best bet may be to stay put and embrace the struggle like us fans that continue to stick it out.

 

Shows what kind of leader he is.... like his bff Russ said.... no accountability in Houston - he was obviously referring to Harden. He had carte blanche here... like Lebron status. He didn’t produce. Now he wants to go some place where he’s gonna take a back seat? How is that gonna be any different?! He effed up after forcing Rockets to give up their future, now he’s on the run.

 

Harden, Gordon, and Tucker for Harris, Simmons, Thybulle, and assets.

 

Ahahaha......exactly, CC!

Now that Beard's in the house, we can get back to business...

I kinda like jumping back and forth. It sounds like we'll have plenty of reasons to do so as this Rockets team will never lack for drama...esp. with the whole league lusting after Big Worm.

 

There are delusional boards besides ours?

 

Yeah , you make a good point ....

But from what we are hearing , this is about "going to a contender".

Well , what team can send out enough assets to satisfy the Rockets and give him a better opportunity to win it all than he has here currently ?

I don't see ANY team he's traded to that is better than the Lakers minus the assets to the Rockets.

The team receiving him is going to have to send out about $33m in salary to satisfy league rules - 125%+$100k as no one has 41.2m in cap space to absorb his salary. So there's your starting point.

Atlanta doesn't have 33m in contracts to ship out (without including Capela)

Brooklyn can come up with the salary but its pieces you don't really care for.

Philly can come up with the contracts with Simmons. But can they win a series against the Lakers with Harden & what's left ? Doubtful.

NYKnicks can come up with the contracts but would they part with Barrett ? Definitely not enough left on the roster to get it done.


Golden State ? .... I wouldn't take Klay back - you keep him or redirect him elsewhere. Might be the best option to contend with the Lakers assuming they kept Donkey , Curry and Wiggins but what team takes Klay's contract & what else is involved ? Would take a whole lot of assets to make this deal work.

Chicago with Markkanen , Lavine and picks ? I'd think about it .... but they aren't contenders adding Harden to what's left.


Maybe the Clippers in a swap of JH and PG .... but they have nothing else to offer and PG alone doesn't get it done.

Harden aint going to a team that wins the finals this year.

 

Brandon Ingram anybody? Pair Harden with Zion and Holiday who says no?
Ingram becomes a piece to a franchise I think.

 

Holiday is on the bucks, and no thanks.

 

Morey could be enticing some other team into trading a star to Houston and taking Philly's junk.

I don't see it - but it would be a way to keep Simmons and Embiid and trade for Harden.

 

I would stay away from Harris. Maybe he could be flipped to another team.

 

Dumb question here. Does Harden, by virtue of that last 4 year extension, have the ability to veto trades? I know that no trade clauses are a thing of the past, but my understanding is that because of the contract Harden signed, he doesn't have trade veto rights. I'll hang up and listen...

 

What's up everybody. Lifelong Rockets fan here and a ClutchFans follower for years using it as a source for Rockets news & info, and finally decided to create an account to join the discussions. Crazy times lately no doubt about it. It's depressing seeing Harden act this way when the organization has catered to him for years. He's a smart guy and he knows what he's doing. He just doesn't care about how he does it or what it makes him look like as long as he gets his way. If he wants to leave that's fine I understand, but he is definitely going about it the wrong way.

If I'm the Rocket's I tell Harden to kick rocks. He's got 2 years left on his deal and I'm not going to risk losing millions of dollars and sacrifice a winning team to make him happy. If we trade him it's almost certain we don't receive the same value in return, and it makes sense to slow play it to find the right deal or convince him to stay.

There are very few players I would trade Harden for (if any), but one player I've had interest in is Devin Booker. With the CP3 acquisition Phoenix wouldn't work as a direct trade partner, but Morey obviously loves Harden and desperately want's him, so what are your thoughts on a 3 way trade with the Suns & Sixers?

https://tradenba.com/trades/J6dZmjwK8

Rockets: Booker
76ers: Harden
Suns: Simmons & Thybulle

 

And then you wake up

 

It's not a bad team - Wall/Cousins/Wood along with the rest of the gang is a good team that assuming they stay healthy (big assumption) could be a playoff team in their own right.

With Harden you could argue that might be a contender.

 

Absolutely agree with you!

 

So it's Levert, Dimwiddie + other trash all over again

 

no, he doesn’t

all he can do is say he’s only willing to play for/will only re-sign with certain teams...we can trade him wherever, but teams will be hesitant to give up much value if Harden doesn’t want to be there or won’t re-sign there

 

they cannot compete with other packages if Simmons isn’t in the deal. All of the posturing coming from Philly is just that...posturing. Morey is salivating at having Harden on that team, but has to protect himself if the trade falls through...you can’t have a disgruntled Simmons signed to a 5 year deal.

 

I wonder if Morey even wants to deal with Harden anymore?