[ESPN / Watkins] James Harden will play lead role in recruitment of Kevin Durant

Harden will be at strip clubs all summer recruiting Durant.

 

breh...

 

Outside of OKC his statement is likely correct. Nobody else has one of his best friends on the roster. We know how buddy/buddy players are these days. If Durant/Harden/WB want to play together again Houston is the only place it can happen in the next year and a half.

 

This is not 2013 where Dwight Howard joined a young team on the rise. This is 2016 where Durant would join a mess of a team of the young and very old, coming off of a disappointing season that get swept in the play-offs / finish 9th..

 

...if not a better shot then almost anyone i'd say.

A lot of guys seem to be just too emotional and dominated by the dark side at this point after this season...i mean, i understand that, and i understand that they don't want to suffer another disappointing summer, but yeah, life goes on.

 

Two of his best friends actually -> if not his two best friends. (Beasley)

That said, why are you talking about Westbrook? There's no reason to that, aside the fact that he'll be a free agent next year, by that time (in a scenario where Durant signs with us) we'll probably not have the space to sign Westbrook, but even if we will, i see him going to a team that offers him the alpha role, face of the franchise status etc anyway...i also don't think he and Harden can play together at this point of their careers...

 

Meh, we were (basically) swept by the Thunder two months before Dwight signded with us, at the time the Warriors did better than us but he chosed Houston.

And yeah, where do you see an old team? It's quite the opposite, Dwight will be gone, Ariza will be the only veteran with a major role (if he's not going to be traded) on the roster. But overall, this will probably be a completely new team, so i don't see the problem with the "mess of a team", that's why we're probably going to blow it up.

 

This is kinda how I feel. I think the Rockets, while hugely disappointing this year, will bounce back and benefit from addition by subtraction next season, provided they get a coach.

 

There is no reason to think that 3 guys that are friends and went to the finals wouldn't want to get the band back together? They might feel like they didn't get a chance to accomplish what they could have together and want to give it a second shot. I'm not saying it's likely but it is definitely something they could want.

 

Do I think we have a chance? Yea of course. Harden matters, and we aren't that far away from contending.

Do I think he's gonna sign here? Lol no, and if I was him I don't think I would either

 

Lol
Dwight capela
Horford beasley dmo
Durant ariza dekker
Harden kj mcdaniels
Beverly llull
My dream for next season

 

Fair enough. I just don't think Westbrook is on par with Harden as a friend to KD (this may be wrong though), and that at the end they'll go in different directions and he'll choose to be the franchise player in another team but again, just my idea on him

 

That was a really informative ESPN article. I had assumed Sam Dekker would lead the charge in recruiting Kevin Durant. Thanks ESPN!

 

KD at this point in his career is looking for a contender. If OKC does not get to the Western conference finals then he will look around. The Rockets are about to blow up their roster after this season, a player like KD would probably want to see what additions the Rockets make and who is the head coach before considering Houston. KD will probably be looking at teams on the rise, Rockets unfortunately are falling off and going into rebuild mode. Morey and Harden would have to convince KD that they can rebuild the team in this offseason for him to come to Houston.

 

What if Harden isn't recruiting KD at all? What if KD IS RECRUITING HARDEN AND MOREY? NOOOOOO!!!!!!

 

Pipe dream.

 

we aren't a strong enough roster to lure KD, unless we are able to get enough cap space for 2 max contracts in order to pitch KD and horford at the same time. for KD (or horford) to want to come here, we'd have to pitch them on being a new big 3, not just joining harden and dmo.

also, if we hire kevin ollie as the head coach with scott brooks as the lead assistant (two coaches KD has a personal relationship with) to go along with AAU friends beasley and vazquez, and bffs harden and perkins... there is a chance.

create this team at the start of free agency / before the pitch to KD and horford:

capela-perkins-harrell
?????-beasley
?????-ariza-dekker
harden-goudelock
pat-vazquez

 

We should really see if we can sign and trade Dwight to Orlando for Vucevic. Maybe throw in Brewer (lol). Vucevic is a very good big who only makes 11.5 million a year. Who says no?

 

I'm more curious as what we'll do when Durant doesn't come here.