John Granato: Raptors & Celtics favorites to land James Harden

It'll depend on how highly Celts view Smart. Personally I think he is easily worth 2 low firsts. If thats the only stumbling block to getting everything done then Im skipping on the picks.

The sooner the trade is done the sooner tjr Rox can move on and lock in on the season.

 

I would take Brown/Smart over ANY other previously mentioned package. That includes Herro + Precious and the other bums, Simmons/Thybulle, Siakam/Anunoby or Levert/Dinwidee/Allen. Harden is NOT going to New Orleans, people talking about Ingram are insane

 

I was just throwing this out there earlier in this thread, but on paper the Celtics could do something like moving Kemba to a team that needs a PG (see Orlando, NY) and get back a player that would fit with them and Harden (Aaron Gordon?) plus a pick to move here in a package with Brown and other picks/rookie scale contracts, then they could move their picks for Turner and absorb him in the Hayward tpe, or trade a couple of young players plus Theis.

What i'm saying is, they have ways to get Harden and still have a great team around him if they want, losing Kemba means losing a big name sure, but you can still get better overall by doing so, a name is just a name, while Kemba is a better player then Smart, Harden plus Smart > Harden plus Kemba, Celtics would have way more balance on both sides and Harden would by default replace Kemba anyway. If the Celtics can fill another hole by moving Kemba, there's no really downside in doing it while they would also get James Harden to replace him. Think about this:

Turner Thompson
Gordon Tucker
Tatum Ojeleye
Smart Nesmith
Harden Teague

Isn't this team good enough? I think it is.

 

Yeah and Ingram has that blood clot issue what if he becomes Bosh 2.0 right after we trade for him? Lol no way man. Siakam would be nice next to Wood but Raps arent gonna be contenders with just Lowry and Harden and nobody else. Harden wont agree to that trade.

The only reasonable partners IMO are Celts, Miami and Philly. Rox gotta choose on of those and get the max return for a 30 yr old MVP and arguably the best ISO scorer in NBA history.

But tbh I'm so high on THT I might be convinced to do Kuzma+THT+KCP as well lmao. Lets send Harden to the Lakers as a ty for evrything he has done to the rockets, did everything but the ring the last 5 years.

 

That superstar ship has sailed IMO but yeah I just realized Christian Wood is just 1 and a half year younger and I consider him a young big man.

Siakam came into the league late, like with 22 or 23.

I have rarely watched Raptor ball so it's mostly hearsay for me.

 

How many Clutchfans have their Stone “Morey sideline Pose” image ready to post?

 

Another ******* cowering behind the keyboard. But good to know my opinion moved you that much to come up with an ******* response like that.

 

Harden doesn’t need to agree with the trade. It’s up to the Raptors if they want to risk losing him after 2 years.

 

Wood already looks better then Siakam to me lol, but "jokes" aside, a couple of years in the 23/27 range is still a lot of room, especially for a big man, and Wood just didn't have the chance to play much in the previous years, Siakam played a lot in the last three so, i think we pretty much know enough about him at this point, Wood really just started to have big minutes and a big role few months ago, i think it would be more fair to compare Wood to the Siakam of two years ago, from that time i don't think Siakam really improved much, we'll see about Wood.

 

How’d people feel about Lowry and OG? It helps us at PG and a young player and allows Raptors to give the keys to FVV. I’d take that over Siakam any day. Just imagine, the return of the bull:

Wall - Lowry
Gordon - McLemore
OG - House
Tucker - Caboclo
Wood - Cousins

 

They can trade for harden and tucker leaving them with Thompson theiss Tatum harden tucker Kenna and Teague with their rookies. Boston can then turn Kenna into assets like dipo turner and they have a 26 million dollar tpe. They can improve their team vastly even if we take smart browns and unprotected picks

 

I can only say that there is no superstar on the Raptors.

You need a superstar to get other stars, players looks and space to operate.

It's a good organization.

That's about it.

 

I don't want Lowry in the deal. He's got probably 2 or 3 good years left before decline, and his salary no longer begins to represent his production. We need to build for the future.

 

Yeah, no thanks.

 

Agree with everything about THT. He's a beast, but I haven't seen enough to justify a deal surrounding him for Beard. KCP and Kuz are pretty up and down

 

thats a terrible trade

 

I'm still hoping wiser heads prevail and Harden is a Rocket at least another season.

 

Kemba is damaged goods, why would any competent team give up any assets to Celtics for him?

If anything, Boston should give away assets to off load him.

 

I’ve watched him and while his stats look great. I just don’t value his offense. His 3 is streaky and his go to move on dribble drive is always a slow spin move or turn around. We wouldn’t use him in the pick since we have wood occupying it. I’ve also seen him shut down by competent defenses as the number one guy. I’m probably too harsh on my eye assessment on him but he just doesn’t have me slurping the kool aid. Couple that with a 30 million salary? I’d rather take brown and smart if available. Isn’t smart a Texan as well?