Howard Beck: You don’t trade a guy just because he wants to be traded, because it’s uncomfortable or because the season is about to start. When you look at what the Pelicans got for Anthony Davis, albeit younger, and what the Thunder got for Paul George, albeit a package deal with Kawhi, those were incredible hauls of players and draft picks. If you’re the Rockets and don’t get something approximating those deals, you’ve got a lot of egg on your face. Leverage is different in each situation but Harden is better than Paul George. Harden is a walking playoff birth. Harden has done more for the Rockets than Davis did for the Pelicans. You need a haul for Harden. You don’t move him until you find the right deal. Easy for me to say, harder for the Rockets but they’re under no urgency. ... Chris Mannix: (Philly) I’m not sure who says no. If you’re Houston, you’re not getting dollar for dollar value but you are getting a player who is like 7 years younger, under contract through 2025 and is the best possible piece you can acquire in a deal. For all his flaws, is an all-NBA talent, who you have to think will get better as time goes on. If you’re the Sixers, you do give up Simmons but no one is sure Simmons/Embiid can play together and you open your championship window now. If it’s just a Simmons for Harden swap, I’m not sure which team says no. HB: Philly would say no. We just discussed this. Harden has them in an uncomfortable position. You have to get the most possible back. The best possible package is not 15 first round picks of uncertain value in the future. The best value is the guy is a star right freaking now. If you can get a top 15 player in his prime, barely entering his prime, you do it. I don’t even care that Simmons and Wall don’t make sense together. Figure that out later. I don’t care. John Wall is post-Achilles, post-knees, post-ankles and god only knows what else. I’m not worried about how it affects John Wall. I’m worried about what I get back for James Harden. What’s the best possible return I can get? If I can get a top 15 player back for him, for Houston that’s a no brainer. I don’t even care what else is in the deal because at least I have someone to define my team, to be the franchise star, to build around for the next 10 years. I don’t know how many other teams can give them a player like that. CM: No one knows harden better than Daryl Morey. I haven’t heard this independently but you read reports about conversations taking place between the Rockets & Sixers. What the hell are they talking about? You’re not talking about Matisse Thybulle. The Sixers do not have anything. They don’t have any real assets. You have to be talking about Ben Simmons. ...
I thought about that trade too, but Smart can be a headache sometimes. Brown should have been a All Star last year but if not Simmons .....Brown and maybe a LaVine? Boston would love PJ Tucker in their lineup. My dream scenario is Simmons and Aaron Gordon
Brown is only 24, Smart is 26 and Wood is 25. You'd have your "Big 3" for the next decade but in the short term you have Wall and Cousins around them to be competitive. While I'm at it I'd trade PJ Tucker and picks for THT.[/QUOTE] I do think we ever made a trade which I doubt we would now which disappoints me but if we did I do think we’d be interested in taking pj tucker back somehow so harden + tucker. Not sure how they’d go about it financially. Sucks that I think we are out on harden.
we’ve discussed that on some Celtics boards that if Miami and Houston do that trade, I think the Celtics would be interested taking igoudala into our TPE...we need veteran wing depth and he’d provide it
What would you realistically give up to acquire the services of Iggy into your TPE? Lottery protected FRP?
that’s the thing def have to be lottery protected....I’m not sure if we’d be able to find a common ground but yes that along the lines of what we were thinking. I think there’d be interest in iggy or pj into the tpe
Yeah, the location makes a lot of sense. I was just trying to gage the compensation. Like if the Rockets did the deal, being able to re-route Iggy for a protected FRP would be of interest to the Rockets as they re-build assets.
I would try and keep Duncan Precious and Herro. Kelly and Gordon and a pair of seconds plus the Portland pick to the Magic for Aaron Gordon. IGGY, House, Clemons and a Swap pick in 2022 to the Knicks for Marcus Robinson Tucker and Marcus Robinson to the 76ers for Thuybulle and a FRP
Just know if you keep Duncan, you will be paying him Joe Harris money. 4yrs $75M. Are you willing to do that? Or would you rather flip Duncan for 2 FRPs? With the horizon of this franchise, likely they don't want to match that RFA offer.
Really? Who has space to offer him that much? EDIT: I suppose there are a handful of teams that could.
Totally makes sense. I guess I’d have to see if celts would want to give up a 1st for iggy but u also have to be realistic about what u can get back into your tpe. Iggy is a vet who can still play serviceable defense and has experience
