The Durant trade screwed them. The Beal trade screwed them more. I suspect this will be the case if it isn't Top 4.
Most of the trade assets have not yet conveyed. We keep pushing it out for future assets. As of today we've only received Tari and Reed, which obviously isn't enough for Harden. But we have this year's swap with Phoenix, a 2027 swap with Brooklyn, Phoenix's 2027 pick, and Dallas and Phoenix's 2029 picks all unprotected. It's going to be really hard to grade the trade when the return is so far in the future, unless the lotto gods shine on us again and we get Flagg or something.
The Rockets also used a pick (a 22 Milwaukie pick from Cleveland) from that deal, PJ Tucker, and Gordon in a series of transactions that lead to the Cam Whitmore pick.
Personally I think the trade was already worth it cuz Harden got on the decline and was injured for like 3 yrs after the trade. We basically got top dollar for him before his stock crashed. Like imagine Harden stayed and signed that 2 year 100M deal Fertita and Stone were offering, his value would have tanked due to injury and you wouldnt get these offers anymore for him.
People have said Stone has gotten lucky often. I think Harden requesting a trade and then shirking his duties was probably the luckiest thing for Stone. Without that, Stone is likely a custodian for a dying team.
Yes Stone seems to be extremely lucky, for example he made a brain dead offer to Oladipo which Oladipo thankfully declined. And Jalen Green draft was a 50-50 whether we get it or not. Us getting 4rth in Amen draft was super lucky cuz if we got 2nd or third we would have drafted Scoot. He also tried to trade for Mikal Bridges thankfully Nets declined. But I dont really care tbh, I only about the end result not if it was due to luck or skill lol.
That is usually the case. You can't gut your team by giving up 4 FRPs, a premium FRP swap, a guy worth 5 mostly lesser FRPs, and another guy worth 1-2 FRPs, and then having another team waiting to pick meat off your carcass two years later. One conference semifinal run is not worth destroying your team. Stone has created a lot of opportunities for luck that I don't think he gets if he doesn't trade Harden. On Amen, I've heard he was 2nd on the Rockets board. On Bridges, I've heard it was with the Phoenix picks. On the flipside, the Rockets never got a 1st overall pick. We could have Wemby, Cade, or Chet with slightly more luck. Even without Amen, you put Wemby on this team and the story about the Rockets is how many rings do they win instead of will they win a playoff serties this year.
I don't know how the mechanics of any trade with this year's pick would work as we can't deal it before the pick is taken because we don't have a 2026 pick (Can't be without a 1st round pick in 2 straight years). To deal the pick before this year's draft, we would have to have a 2026 pick in hand - could be part of sending out the 2025 pick or we would (wink, wink) make the pick and then send it out on draft night.
Cannot trade 2025 FRP per Stepien Rule. But a trade down for lower 2025 FRP + picking up 2026 FRP gives Rockets more flexibility with future trades.
Not sure Stone picks Cade and especially Chet if Rockets had first overall pick in those respective drafts. Stone very clearly telegraphs his preferences when he has opportunity for top 3 pick. And his favorites in those drafts never wavered, Jalen + Paolo. Wemby was unanimous #1 and no-brainer.
I don’t see us trading the pick if it’s lotto. This is supposed to be a good draft and there are 4-5 centers that could go lotto.
Jalen was only the favorite, because Cade wasn't there and everyone knew he wouldn't be there. On Chet, if the Rockets have the 2nd pick, it would have been interesting.
IIRC it was because Mobley and his father did not want to come down and work out......likely not a good sign. At that time everyone knew Harden was gone.
That doesn't apply anymore, now that the trade deadline has passed. The next time there will be trades is at the draft, at which point the Stepien rule no longer applies for us re: the 2025 pick.
I think it's also fair to say that we tanked hard because we made that trade. Purposely bad, purposely hiring a nice guy as coach so we wouldn't win many games, but the young guys would like the organisation. So Green, Smith and Thompson are a result of the Harden trade (don't make the Harden trade and we probably don't finish bottom 4, therefore give away 2 of those picks to OKC instead of use them ourselves).
Rockets tried to trade up for Cade, Cade was unanimous no 1. Paolo yeah I agree Stone loved Paolo and had him first. Actually after Paolo got stolen Stone and the FO started going incognito and wouldnt say who they liked anymore. Like with Reed Sheppard pretty obvious they loved him but they didnt say anything until after the draft even if it was already so obvious.
Trading 4 first round picks + a Swap + Cam + Bridges for Durant is what ultimately ended this team. Especially when Bridges got the Nets another 5 first round draft picks. That is like 9 first round draft picks + a swap + Cameron Johnson who is having a career year. Massive overpay for a then 35 year old Durant. Also, having Durant play 42 minutes on the second night of a back to back after playing 43 minutes last night and 46 minutes the prior game, never seen a lotto team run a current 36 year old fragile star into the ground like this. I don't even think Lebron was playing this much.
No rest for the all star game either. This is not going to end well for the Suns. They still currently have the hardest remaining schedule in the NBA.
