This seems to be brushed over a bit. Does anyone think it was as serious as it is now and therefore not that worrying (if you want Harden to stay)? Probably before CP3 came, maybe before Westbrook came that he asked management to trade him if they weren’t going to create a championship caliber team. Anyone have more insight? It’s new to me.
I thought this was common knowledge. Basically Harden pressured the Rockets last year to get Westbrook. His leverage is always "or trade me"... that's how he controls the organization. Again, Daryl Morey never would've traded for Russell Westbrook.
I think last time it was different than this time. It's clear he wants a ring and isn't happy on this team (or any team) if he doesn't truly believe they've built a contender. The deal seems to be "build a contender, and if you won't do that, then trade me." Last time it never really got serious, because he clearly thought they weren't a contender with CP3, which is how the Westbrook trade got forced. He didn't actually want to be traded, he just wanted to win a championship. This time it seems much different because it seems like he actually does want out of Houston.
He had a different personality when he was 6thMOTY. He turned into this. There was nothing anyone could do.
Harden didn’t use the “or trade me” on the correct players. So, he’s part of the reason he doesn’t have a ring. He shoulda been trying to get players here, but now he wants to join a coat tail. Ass backwards, but hey.. hope he is willing to play less isos regardless.
It was worth it but ownership prevented temporary tanking which could have gotten us another Allstar talent with another personality. Morey started off well but didn't follow up.
Harden wouldn't have the clout in Philly that he does here. Also, given how horribly wrong he was about Westbrook, maybe in the future, Harden would be more hands-off when it comes to roster moves (as long as the GM is Morey).
Point is that if James is driving the ship into the rocks with his prima donna ways - why does Morey still want to fk with him? It just makes me question the picture that is being painted. I for sure think that James has his quirks - just like most stars in the league, but he's getting close to being notorious and yet Morey still wants him. Just interesting to me thats all.
Why? He'd instantly become that teams best player. He's already racked up years of preferential treatment and now he's going to go there and buy into a team concept - all because of his hate for Fertitta?? Seems suspect to me.
The Harden trade was the reason Morey ascended to the upper echelon of great executives and general managers. He'll always want him until Harden is a 10 ppg averaging old scrub. He'll think twice about giving up Ben Simm because Aussie is a fan favorite and he is the new president of operations.
Ok, but it contradicts the picture of a cancerous player who was responsible for driving the decision making process for this team. I think Morey wants him because he's one of the best players in the game, but Im not like a blue check analyst or whatever. Drive down his value with BS narratives about being a cancer and a problem child is what is going on IMO.
There's a lot of people who just wanted to blame Fertitta for that move no matter what because they don't like him personally. It was pretty well known that Harden forced the trade. I think we're just going to have to put up with a lot of "Landry's man bad" level commentary for a while no matter what moves are made.
Anyone who wants to be competitive wants to get far away from Tilman. Harden is reaching his peak. The team was willing to sell its future for 27-32 year old Harden. Now that he is at his peak, the team isn't as interested in mortgaging the teams future. Harden has been proven to be an inadequate leader and most people around the league know this. Its highly unlikely a team will win a ring with JH as the point. Westbrook was the final straw. Everyone knows Westbrook is a terrible player and JH should have never allowed that trade to happen. That said, JH can turn it around. There were similar problems with Hakeem and once he started trusting his teammates, he pocketed a couple rings. But with Tilman, Im not so hopeful.
We'd have to track down timeline when Harden became a diva because the first 3 or 4 years he was a student of the game. He got better each year and still is going to get better now. Morey forced them to take 3s instead of the midrange. Harden surrounded himself with rappers.
