Shams: Harden has added bucks and heat to “preferred destinations”

I understand the concern with Simmons, but a team would be successful by putting four shooters around him and letting him be your primary facilitator and defensive anchor. I don’t see Simmons’ contract preventing the Rockets from acquiring the pieces necessary to put around him to succeed, and, who knows, maybe Silas can get Simmons to actually develop a jumper (a long shot, I know). Plus, the NBA has changed its lottery structure where really bad teams have weaker odds to get a top-3 pick. Because of the terrible trade for Russell Westbrook, even if the Rockets sucked this year, they will end up with the Heat or Clippers’ pick, and the Thunder would get another lottery pick from the Rockets because they can swap either of those first-round picks for the Rockets’ 2021 first-round pick.

Also, every young player mentioned in Harden talks has flaws. If they didn’t, their current organization wouldn’t trade them. Jamal Murray is more scorer than playmaker, and he’s a weak defender. Jaylen Brown is a good two-way player that has not shown he can create for others. Pascal Siakam is an older version of Brown. Bam Adebayo is a very good defender and passer for a big man, but he struggles at the free-throw line and he can’t space the floor from three. Tyler Herro has shown he can shoot and score, but is he a good enough playmaker to run a team’s offense, and can he become a good defender?

Furthermore, Simmons has already shown that he can win games playing the exact role I described above when Embiid has missed games in Philadelphia.

Obviously, you would have to move John Wall to make this work, but a 24-year-old Simmons should be a much higher priority than 30-year-old Wall if the Rockets trade Harden.

 

@Reeko just to add. think of the things he's already very good at and remember the kid is only 20 years old and can't even legally drink yet

He's already super confident with signs of a killer instinct mentality, an elite shooter, solid ball handler with good size at 6'5. overall basketball iq is very good. plays with plenty of energy and effort. has the ability to score at different levels of the floor.

Just imagine him fine tuning these things and adding to this bag years down the road. Along with naturally filling out as a basketball player after 20 years old.

 

I’m slowly getting on board with this

a foundation of a young, developing Herro, 25 yo athletic, stretch big in Wood, and Coach Silas with cap flexibilty is not bad as a starting point post-Harden...we’d have Wall here for the time being to set them up and run the offense, and maybe he ups his value for a trade later on if he proves he can still ball and his contract length decrease

like u and Nook mentioned, Herro for sure has that “it factor”...he’s not scared of the moment...he’s a very confident player

with Simmons, we’re kind of stuck...mediocre playoff team at best trying to fit Wall and Simmons or build around Simmons’ enormous flaws with very limited cap flexibilty...and then he’s likely to dip after this contract

I don’t doubt Herro can be pretty good, I just doubt at this moment if he’ll be a star...I simply do not like Simmons, but have been stuck in this mindset of him being the best we can get, so we might as well just do it...u and Nook are making me come around to this tho

 

Simmons (+) or bust for me. That is all.

 

added more with the post above to put things in more of a perspective of what I'm seeing

 

trade Harden asap plz

 

I remember some people though James peaked his last season in OKC...

 

Rockets are doing a terrible job of P.R. regarding the Harden trade. Instead of a narrative of a bidding war... It looks like a bargain bin or garage sale at the moment. Opposing teams are rushing to see who can throw out the worst offer.

What about an expensive and old middleton!

What? Morey says no simmons? F that I'll say no hero!


The rockets front office is as terrible handling this as they are (if true) leaking story's to make tilman look good... They've done a terrible job since I haven't seen one that should change anyone's opinion of that blowhard.

 

Justin James baby

 

Every team in the league is likely calling Houston, so this attempt by teams to act like nothing is available for Harden is just media hedging.

Ask Minnesota if they are interested in going from out of the playoffs to a top 4 seed.

Or if GSW doesn’t want to avoid paying $80 million in taxes for a team that might not make the playoffs.

Or if Denver doesn’t want to get over the hump by pairing Jokic with Harden.

Everyone is calling, and if they aren’t offering more than glorified role players, then Stone isn’t even taking the call.

 

Couple of questions.

1. Who are the 4 shooters to surround him with? I think that's tough to make happen with the current structure of the roster and being very limited in terms of moves to make.

I agree that the young players discussed have flaws, and they're expected to with a certain extent. I just don't think we're discussing the right players, and I truly believe if we don't involve multiple teams with any trade this team is screwed. My problem with Simmons is that his flaw is a MAJOR issue at this point.

2. How in the world do you expect to move Wall?

 

The more I read about this, the more I get pissed, he is ****ING the org that HE built......

DD

 

we should give Herro credit for being a major contributor on a finals team in only his rookie year...young Kevin Martin wouldn’t have done that

the more I sit down and really think about a deal like this, the more I like it...very convincing arguments for why it could be a good move, especially in comparison to most of the rumored deals out there

 

Giannis trade has to be SNT or no way Stone agrees.

 

Saying that Herro already peaked is pretty dumb tbh, no offense lol.

 

And you're right about that, but the gamble was worth giving up Kevin Martin & Jeremy Lamb. Not a league MVP. At the time Harden was drafted 3rd overall for a reason, he was the 6th man of the year, and he showed potential over a span of multiple years. Not just a stretch in the bubble.

 

The Rockets would have to make some trades to make a Simmons’ lineup truly work, but it’s not a must that it all happens this season. Considering the current roster, the Rockets could start Wall-Gordon-Simmons-Tucker-Wood. If Tucker is part of the Harden trade, replace him with House. McLemore would also be someone that fits well next to Simmons. Silas would have to stagger Wall and Simmons’ minutes like the Rockets did with CP3 and Harden, though.

As for moving Wall, it would require attaching some of the first-round picks they acquired from the Pistons, Blazers and Wizards.

 

What are they supposed to leak? They've leaked numerous times what the asking price is and that they are fine waiting until they get that. If Harden or someone in his group tell Shams he'll play for Milwaukee and Kendrick Perkins says trade him for Middleton, what do you want the Rockets to do?

If someone within the Heat tells someone that Herro hasn't been offered, what do you want our FO to do about that?

 

How can u say we’ve already seen the peak of a player who’s only been in the league for 1 year? He’s a good role player on a finals team already as a rookie with room for growth.

long-term control definitely doesn’t mean nothing, especially when you’re not a market like LA or Miami that has players yearning to go there all time...we had Harden for 8 years, and that was huge

I do not believe Simmons will be here past his current contract...Herro u still have for several more years on a cheap rookie deal, and then u have him as a RFA u can offer an extension or match any contract given to him