John Granato: Raptors & Celtics favorites to land James Harden

Let’s talk Butler... he ain’t squat during the regular season, but he’s a beast in the playoffs. I’m ready for a clutch playoff team... I’ve had 8 years of badass regular season play. +lots of frp. Bring him home baby!

 

Harden is as good as gone. Keeping harden made sense when the initial trade demand leaked.... Trying to keep him at this point is just foolish and quite frankly delusional.

You pull the trigger on the best deal ( whoever and whenever that is) and move forward. A strategy to build around harden and Wood made me laugh ( as it would the rest of the league)

People need to really stop with this keep Harden strategy. Same advice I’d give a battered wife, CUT TIES and get the hell out of the relationship....no matter how good the times were or how much “love” you have for said person, or this dream of things working out - END It

....okay that was a dramatic example but you get my point

 

It's not dramatic, this is spot on but great thing is players leave.

The Only fans have to get into detox programs.

They were addicted and exposed to his shenanigans for too long.

 

What brown do?

 

I'm sure Boston would love to move Walker but that's going to be difficult. If you believe reports, they were trying to move him prior to the draft.

 

I think we are saying two different things. I dont disagree with a thing you say. He's a bad fit with Embiid (as he would be with anyone who needs the middle opened up). Also he is a horrific shooter who can only score in limited ways.

My point was this wasn't a bad night for him. This is who he is. He's always going to be a terrible shooter and he's always going to clog the lane. His game )on good nights or bad nights ) will have those limitations.

 

Agreed. In addition to scoring at a very high rate and very efficiently, he creates a huge number of open shots for teammates.

 

How do you know that Smart would be traded?

Ainge had a huge cache of assets and after years of overvaluing them he's out of the attractive picks and he has a team that isn't a true contender.

Ainge is the guy that went all on on KD and Ray Allen, right? So he does have some track re off of making big moves and taking a risk.

 

That trade was a complete robbery. Kyrie for Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder. They weren't going to pay IT anyway so they got Kyrie for an expiring + Jae Crowder and a late first. That is the type of deals Ainge will engage in, complete lopsided hauls where he is the clear winner from day 1.

 

Walker is probably injury prone, it is not easy.

 

I agree, but to be fair, whoever gets Harden is going to be a clear winner no matter what the return is.

 

I personally hope he stays because almost any deal we make will make us substantially weaker.

I understand what the Rockets want in return and why but nobody has the assets to make that deal.

 

I dont think we'd get anything that doesnt make us much worse. That's why I'd ha g on to him for at least the remainder of the season.

 

For sure, but I don't see him giving up Brown to do it.

 

Do not underestimate how a disruptive James Harden can make this team weaker. Sure, if James is happy and focused, then the Rockets could be a good team. But, Harden is unhappy and not focused at all.

 

Or like a sign and trade for Kemba? The point is that Ainge has made big trades. Remember KD and Ray Allen.

Btw Boston gave up the Nets 1st rounder for Kyrie. It was a lottery pick...#8...not a low 1st rounder.

 

Unless a miracle offer comes along, the only chance that we have to be good is Harden.

What's the point of trading him, suffering through a bad year and then watching our draft pick go to OKC.

 

This, and I don't think many fans realize how pronounced his limitations are as a shooter. He is one of the absolute worst shooters in the NBA. I won't entirely give up on him learning to shoot better though, look at Jason Kidd (another horrendous shooter) that later developed an outside shot... but it could take Simmons 5-6 years to do that.... also Simmons is mentally immature and weak.

He is a fantastic defensive player, he can defend any spot on the floor and his is a very good rebounder, can block shots, passes the ball well and does a lot of things at a star level.....

 

That pick became Collin Sexton. Not bad...

 

Let’s get it