Those are fantastic thoughts along completely different lines from what I was thinking, but absolutely.
New Orleans would be the only team to do it, but I doubt they'll have the #1 pick. They are just getting healthy now and while they will be a lottery team it won't be top 5 lotto. You also must consider that the team in question is also taking an older player and more salary. Putting them into a win now mode. NOP would make the trade since it would put them into win now mode. It has happened 5 times in the history of the NBA and 3 of those times wasn't even close to the modern era. Webber was selected #1 but didn't want to play for the Magic. The values will not match,either Harden is good enough to be traded for the #1 pick in which case why would the Rockets trade him or Harden star is fading in which case why would a team pass on a 'generational' talent for him?
LSU would make that trade in a heartbeat. Harden would guarantee them a ncaa championship. Get it done Morey.
Yes and it happened literally last year! I just gave you a clear reason and example as to why the Lakers will be very interested in making such a trade. Otherwise their 67 million in capspace next year will very likely go to waste as they have the last two years. And mr Buss clock is ticking. In fact that's the exact situation the lakers and perhaps the Celtics are aiming for. Trading for a star. Stars as Harden dont' hit the market often. Pretty rarely actually. BTW I'm NOT advocating trading Harden.
So wait a minute. You're saying that a 4-15 team has no chance at being a lottery team while discounting what Malakas said? Right now New Orleans has a top 3 chance at getting that pick. Make sense, man. If we lose Howard, management just might want to start over with a generational talent like Simmons which could easily warrant them exploring that trade. Your opinions don't speak for Les, who ultimately makes the decisions.
As many people are rumored to go to the Lakers, players hardly do any more. Them being a go to destination really doesn't work in the modern age. Players would go their to get marketed but you can be the top marketed player in OKC nowadays. This is why LA is where they are now, they can't sell that to players any more and neither could the Knicks. Is there a situation where Harden would team up with other superstar players to go to the Lakers? There is, but it depends on the Rockets also making that trade. In order for the Rockets to go with that deal it means that Harden's value as a star player has faded. The #1 pick is the most prized possession in the NBA outside of actually having a star player. Umm, I clearly said they would be a lottery team. I said they would not be a top 5 lottery team, unless Davis gets hurt. My opinions don't speak for Les and yours do? It's not just about Les, it's also about the team you are trading with.
I'm not the one saying that there's no chance of something happening, therefore I'm not trying to speak for Les. As things stand through a quarter of the season, they are a bottom 3 lottery team, whether you like that or not.
Here is the problem with the Rockets we have two of the worst players in the NBA.. TY lawson and Terrance Jones... Both are just bad... Ty Lawson is the new Jeremy Lin in fact I would take Jeremy Lin over Ty Lawson
It's pure delusion to think the Knicks would ever trade Porzingis for D-Mo under any circumstances. Healthy D-Mo. Injured D-Mo. It doesn't matter.
Yes, I think the Pelicans will be drafting 10-14. That's not some bold prediction there. How is that speaking for Les? So we are only going by what is going on now? Okay right now Harden is the leader of a 8-11 team out of the playoffs. Why would a team with the #1 pick and in your own words a generational talent trade for a "Superstar" player that can't even lead his team to a winning record? Generational talent you know what that means? It means Lebron. You are saying the team that has a chance to acquire the next Lebron are going to trade for a guy that has his team at 8-11? If things continue how they are then Harden will no longer even have superstar value if the Rockets themselves are a lottery team.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush...except we already have the value of two birds and there might be only one bird in the bush and an equivalent two at most. TLDR: No, we shouldn't trade Harden for #1 pick
The #1 picks from the last few years: Towns, Wiggins, Bennett, Davis, Irving, Wall. Wiggins and Towns have some room to grow, but chances are that the only player that ends up being better than Harden is Davis. Even if Simmons is a little better than average, at the very best, Simmons has a 1/2 chance of ever being better than Harden. Now consider this, it takes years to build a good team, even with a standout player, because those top guys never hit their potential until at least their 3rd or 4th year. So you would be sacrificing not only Harden for a 50% chance of someone better than Harden, but also 3 years of wasted time. Now perhaps you say that Harden is hard to coach and has maturity problems. Well, who is to say that Simmons doesn't? Even the alpha dogs like LBJ and Chris Paul have had drama at some point or another. If you want to win a championship, you need to figure out how to run your team and manage your players. Regardless of how good Simmons is, your team will never win if you don't. Yea, we stink now, but it's on Harden and the staff to figure it out. So no, we should not start over. That is a horrendous idea.
The problem if there is one will solve itself.... Either he stays in Houston and is successful or he goes then there will be another star in the near or distant future Hard but not impossible
Wow, I know I'm pessimistic on the Rockets sometimes, but there's no ****ing way I'd trade Harden for an unproven player.... I mean unless harden flat-out said he was leaving and in a contract year and we could get nothing else. Right now harden is the franchise, and... Simmons is playing college not pro level ball, I think he could be special but I've seen this happen more often then not where a player looks great in college but flops in the nba. I think Simmons is going to be good but... If you gut your franchise or star player to get him, do you really think all the sudden it's going to be great?? See pelicans/76ers etc. I think Morey does a good job as a gm (even if I don't agree with him all the time), I mean just look at some of these franchises where losing is the norm...
This is the issue at it's core. A rebuilding team values draft picks more than players and a contending team values players more. So the team drafting #1 is not likely going to do it and the Rockets are not likely going to do it either. Sure it could happen, it takes those circumstances though happening. For the Rockets in the first place to even think about trading Harden and for the team drafting #1 to trade for Harden which instantly no longer makes them a rebuilding team but suddenly a contender. Boston could do it since they have the Nets pick. Pelicans could do it but I honestly don't think they'll even have the odds to land the #1 pick Lakers could do it if they have some super Miami Heat plan up their sleeves. All of it is contingent on the Rockets even entertaining the idea though.
Harden Harden will and should be here as long as he wants (though he should continue to work to refine his game and decrease his need for ISOs). Howard on the other hand is concerning me. I am going to be very interested to see how DMO does when he comes back. DMO, Capela, and Person X next year (TJones will likely be gone) with a large amount of cap space available for another good player might be better than bringing Howard back though I like him.
Another thing, I think OP is undervaluing the importance of coaching. A great coach does not guarantee success, but it's pretty much impossible to win without one. Since the Rocket's championships, here are the only coaches to win it all: Rudy T, Phil Jackson, Popovich, Larry Brown, Pat Riley, Rick Carlisle, Erik Spoelstra, Steve Kerr. Spoelstra is probably the worst, but is solidly above average. Kerr is new but has done remarkable work. The rest should all make it to the Hall of Fame. It's only fair to give Bickerstaff the chance to prove himself, but more than anything the Rockets need an elite coach.
Lotto never works as planned. We need coaching, leadership, and direction. And we need Harden to buy in. The talent is there. Lotto is to reload on talent, not the higher level stuff.
