Scroll back to #1426 and It makes sense for the Pacers, too —> Harden, Oladipo, House, Tucker, Turner
I'm a big Buddy fan as an OU alum, but I'd take Herro's contract and upside over him. They're actually similar players. Negative defenders, strong shooters... I'd say Herro is a better ball handler and passer, Buddy's better at getting to the basket.
All the teams linked to Harden & what deals I’d want from them PHI Deal: Simmons, Melton, Maxes, Thy, Ferguson, Korkmaz, Bradley and 1st for Harden, Tucker, House, Mclemore, Bruno, Brown, Nwaba (Houston stays in contention, gets a star) MIA Deal: Hou: Herro, Nunn, Robinson, KZ, Achiuwa Mia: Harden, Muscala OKC: Iggy, Olynk (Houston gets younger w/ interesting package) BOS Deal: Smart, Brown, Langford, Nesmith, Edwards, 2 1st for Harden, Tucker, Mclemore, Nwaba, Brown (Houston stays in contention and get younger) TOR Deal: Siakim, Powell, OG, Davis for Harden, Tucker, Mclemore, House and 1st (Houston stays in contention and get younger) SAC Deal: Barnes, Bjelica, Fox, Bagley, Halliburton for Harden, Tucker, House (Houston gets building pieces and trade chips) BKN Deal: Levert, Allen, Dinwiddie, Prince, Shamet, Cabarrot and 1st for Harden, Mclemore, House, Tucker (Houston stays in contention and get deeper) DEN Deal: Harris, Barton, Porter, Bol Bol and 1st for Harden & Tucker (Houston gets a building piece and vets) MIL Deal: Middleton, Holiday and DiVincenzo for Harden, Gordon and Tucker (Houston stays in contention) GS Deal: Klay, Oubre, Wiseman, Paschall, Poole, Chriss for Harden, Tucker, Gordon, Mclemore (Houston stays in contention & get younger) NYK Deal: Randle, Burks, Frank, DSJ, Knox, Spellman, Noel and 2 1st for Harden, Tucker, Bruno, Brown, Nwaba, Clemons (Houston get younger and trade chips)
Harden to Miami. Robinson, Herro, Aaron Gordon, Buddy Hield, Miami 2023 and 2025 firsts to Houston. Iguadola, Nunn, House, 2nd rounder from Houston to Sac. Olynk,Tucker, Rockets 2021 frp to Orlando. Wood/Cousins/Bruno Aaron Gordon/Duncan Robinson Hield/Brown Herro/Gordon Wall
You keep the best player in any of your trades. The BEST player, hands down, not debatable. Harden is the perennial MVP. Harden is the ONE player that can carry a team of limited talent, of limited depth, to a 4th seed in the West at minimum EVERY single season. Harden is the historically great player still breaking records or making records. Harden is a unique talent. None of your trades brings the Rockets a player of that level. Not even if wvery single one achieves their fullest potential will they ever become a James Harden. Only a moron trades away their golden goose for a few eggs that they HOPE will one day become several silver or bronze laying geese. The BEST plan is to reconcile with Harden and improve the team to best complement Harden and Wood. Use all the FRP from Covington trade and take the Rockets from middle of the pack back uptto the top 3 in the West or better. This current team does not need much. Rockets have QUESTIONS at back up PG, starting 3/4 and small ball 5 that can switch 1-5. The ANSWER is Aaron Gordon. Like Wood, AG improvement in these areas is small sample size but Rockets 5 Out Offensive and Switch Everything Defensive systems will make AG a superstar. Just like Wood. In 12 game stretch last season, AG played point forward and averaged 6 assists, 34% from 3, 8 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 22 points a game. https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.c...ic-markelle-fultz-aaron-gordon-nikola-vucevic Another key contributor to the team’s improved fortunes down the stretch was Aaron Gordon. Like Ross he too saw an uptick in his scoring efficiency — his field goal percentage was up 6.7% to 48.6 and his three-point accuracy jumped 4.9% to 34.2 — but it was another facet of his offensive game that really juiced the scoring potential of the Magic: playmaking. Across the season’s final 12 games Gordon emerged as a passing maestro, more than doubling his raw number of assists per game from 3.0 to 6.7. The team’s improved shooting numbers certainly helped with this, but also evident was a shift in his own personal focus and deployment; despite a decrease in his overall usage rate (down to 19.3% from 20.6), AG found himself recording an assist on 28.0% of all possessions, a whopping jump when compared to his modest 18.2% figure from across the season’s first 53 games. His team rank by this metric leaped from sixth to third, behind only the two point guards in Fultz and DJ Augustin. Across Gordon’s final 11 games (he missed one due to injury) he put up assist totals of 4, 9, 7, 4, 6, 12, 6, 9, 4, 4, and 9. To put this into context, his previous season high was just 7 and he topped 4 assists in a game only eight times total prior to this - that’s a mark he achieved seven times in this stretch alone! AG went from being a slightly under-qualified offensive cog being asked to do too much, to an indispensable playmaking wing with a trustworthy scoring touch of his own. A close look at his and Ross’ exploits reveals much about why the Magic were able to supercharge their offense.
I value loyalty over pretty much everything...in sports and in life. Harden wants to go and has acted a damn fool to prove how bad he wants to go. Unlike many, I'm not afraid of change. I always liked Harden and had his back 100% when he was loyal to the team, but the loyalty is gone...so buh-bye. We didn't win sh*t with him in 8 seasons anyways. I'm over it, just like he seems to be. Best of luck to him...no hard feelings. Now, it's about finding the best deal to fit the system of our new coach. He wants to run the 5 OUT system and chuck threes, so my proposed deal gives him 3 guys that shoot over 40% from three and a young backup PG that just finished playing a significant role on a team that was in last season's finals. He wants to chuck threes, so now you have 5 guys on the roster shooting 39% or better from three (Robinson, Hield, Bjelica, BMac, and Wood). You have Wall, EG, Hield, and Nunn to run the offense. You have 3 bigs (Wood, Boogie, Bjelica) who can spread the court...4 if you want to add Caboclo. If Silas is as good as everyone says he is, that roster should set offensive records. It had everything he needs. It has more shooters and depth than that Dallas squad he coached. As for Aaron Gordon, I'll take your word for it. I'd need to do more research. I honestly don't pay any attention to Orlando Magic games.
https://tradenba.com/trades/IRfoonXpR ORL: Victor Oladipo IND: Buddy Hield SA: Eric Gordon, Chris Clemons + Magic FRP + Rockets FRP + Rockets SRP + 6M TPE HOU: Aaron Gordon *Rockets add longer more athletic starting 4; backup playmaker; small ball 5; small salary cap savings; roster space to sign Gerald Green
I love PJ Tucker but if he can net 2 FRP then may have to pull the trigger, unless he is key in keeping Harden. If not: 1st trade https://tradenba.com/trades/fZWfkDYEk PHI: PJ Tucker HOU: Matisse Thybulle, Furkan Korkmaz + 2 FRP 2nd trade https://tradenba.com/trades/_IFvvRIIS TOR: Danuel House, Jae'Sean Tate + 2 FRP HOU: OG Anunoby The 3 trade scenarios above will surround Harden with elite 5 out and switch everything talent to truly contend for 1st in West. 6'4 Wall/6'7 Korkmaz 6'5 Harden/6'3 McLemore/6'5 Nwaba 6'7 Anunoby/6'5 Thybulle/6'6 Green 6'8 AG/6'9 Bruno 6'10 Wood/6'10 Cousins Only 2 Rockets with Wingspan less than 6'9 (Mason - 6'7; BMac - 6'8) Wall - 6'9 Korkmaz - 6'9 Green - 6'10 Harden - 6'11 Thybulle - 6'11 Brodric - 6'11 Nwaba - 7'0 AG - 7'0 Wood - 7'3 Cousins - 7'6 Bruno - 7'7 +40% 3P - Korkmaz, McLemore, Bruno +38% 3P - Anunoby, Wood +36% 3P - Harden, Thybulle, Green Additional 3-D vet min options: 6'7 Ryan Broekhoff (40% 3P) - 6'10 wingspan 6'6 Justin Anderson (36% 3P) - 7'0 ws 6'9 Jonah Bolden (35% 3P) - 7'3 ws
My way, you surround team with 3ball shooters, long switchable defenders AND KEEP HARDEN. Silas system is great but even with Luka and the most efficient offense in history of NBA, Mavs barely squeaked into playoffs. Harden + Wood + Silas system is better than anything you can bring back in a Harden trade. Especially if Rockets FO just USE the newly acquired FRP right now, as in immediately, to improve Rockets starting 5. Trade for Aaron Gordon and/or OG Anunoby NOW.
I agree the thing to do is not trade Harden but to make the team better .... I just don't think AG is the only option. 21 , 23 , 24 & 25 (even if its after the swaps) should all be in play to make this team better right now.
Yep, I'm I don't think Gordon is ideal. His shooting numbers are pretty poor, and that's with all of the dunks and athletic buckets he gets. I've already seen the Rockets go all-in on a 30% 3 point shooter, and it didn't work. I don't want a player that the other team can completely cheat off of and double Harden.
OG Anunoby is another option. 6'7 with 7'2 wingspan, can switch 1-5 and shot 39% from 3 last season. Just not a back up playmaker. House + Clemons + 2 FRP should do it.
Murray, MPJ and Harris for Harden and PJ plus Portland's first round pick. It's most unlikely to happen but it works on the ESPN Trade Machine. Another variant is Murray, MPJ and Harris for Harden, PJ and House. Houston gets to retain the Portland first round pick. This also works on the ESPN Trade Machine. @ApacheWarrior
Denver would be stupid to trade away Murray. That guy is a future HOF. There is absolutely no chance of this happening.
I admit, it's unlikely to happen. Harden is a future HOF too, that's why I put it there as a remote possibility.
I am fine with Pascal and OG plus picks or Brown, Smart and picks. But I really want to see Smart and Tucker take the opposing players souls away on the defensive end. A line up of Wall, Smart, Brown, Tucker, and Wood would be amazing.
