James Harden Traded To Houston

[JBond]

Originally Posted by Cowboys&LakersFan

It's on ESPN now. Harden is gonna be traded to Houston for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, and a couple of draft picks.

I still pull for the Knickerbocker's. Old habits from my Jersey days with real competition. Ready to go all in with the Thunder. Then they do this. I thought he had a full season left?

[Dash28]

Originally Posted by JBond

I still pull for the Knickerbocker's. Old habits from my Jersey days with real competition. Ready to go all in with the Thunder. Then they do this. I thought he had a full season left?

He turned down the OKC offer and they couldn't risk losing him for nothing (I still believe they could have got a better deal though).

[Cowboys&LakersFan]

Originally Posted by Dash28

He turned down the OKC offer and they couldn't risk losing him for nothing (I still believe they could have got a better deal though).

He was restricted though man. Oklahoma City could've matched any offer for Harden. They made a crappy extension offer though. I cannot believe they thought a four year/52 million dollar extension was going to make Harden satisfied. He wanted max money and rightfully so. When you have average players like Brook Lopez and Roy Hibbert getting near max money a guy like Harden definitely deserves in.

[NickZepp]

Thunder already basically signed 3 guys to near max deals so they weren't going for a 4th. They decided go cheaper resign some guys already on the team like Maynor and Thabo. And then possibly getting future players in the draft. Kevin Martin isn't a bad piece to add to the Thunder roster either. Don't know about Lamb. The only bad thing about this trade is that the Thunder basically have no backup center outside of Collison.

[ajk23az]

I was hoping Harden would become a FA after the year so he could return to the Phoenix area and play for the Suns. Dang..

[Manwiththeplan]

Originally Posted by MC KAos

problem is they could have done better, just the other day someone was saying they could deal him and ibaka to minnesota for kevin love and the TWolves actually would listen to them. they gave him up for lamb in reality, because they wont be able to resign martin either, he is a FA after this season. id much rather have kept harden, made 1 last run this year and then do a sign and trade with whomever got harden, and receive a massive trade exception.

That likely isn't true, I can't see any way Minnesota parts ways with Love unless he tells them he wants out now.

[Cowboys&LakersFan]

[juck]

Originally Posted by Cowboys&LakersFan

Lakers/Spurs in the West Finals. I'm dead serious too. I really think losing a terrific player like Harden makes them significantly worse. MC is right they could've and should've waited and gotten a much better deal than this. Awful trade. As a Lakers fan I'm thrilled, but if I was an OKC fan I'd be furious. Incredibly moronic trade. First of all Harden wouldn't been restricted so they could've easily matched any offer he was given. Second if you're gonna trade him you don't make a trade like this and to a West team.

The season didnt start yet,chill son

[dargonking999]

The Thunder maintain a philosophy that the individual sacrifices for the whole. In this case, that would have meant Harden agreeing to accept less than the maximum amount for a four-year extension, which was $60 million. Reportedly the Thunder's final offer was in the range of $55 million for four years.
Over the past few days, as extension talks reached a climax ahead of the Oct. 31 deadline, sources said, Thunder GM Sam Presti informed Harden that if he was not willing to accept a franchise-favorable contract, such as the kind that Serge Ibaka accepted recently, after other Thunder players had done likewise, then Harden would be traded. This was made clear in discussions with Harden and his agent Rob Pelinka, sources said.

[View Full Quote]During the contract talks that have been ongoing since July, Presti provided a reference point -- some might call it a threat ... regarding the discussions: the Jeff Green negotiations from a couple of seasons ago. That's when the Thunder were unable to get a contract extension done with the popular forward and traded him, in a surprising move, to get assets and prevent Green from getting to free agency the following summer. Harden would've been headed for the same situation if he had not agreed to an extension by Wednesday.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/85...g-james-harden

[Kangaroo]

Sam is no dummy and the Spurs Front Office miss him. He is better than Bufford. Dam you Holt should have shipped off Bufford and kept Sam

[casmith07]

Good trade for OKC, because Harden wasn't going to sign.

[Kangaroo]

Originally Posted by casmith07

Good trade for OKC, because Harden wasn't going to sign.

While harden is a better athlete and top end talent is better than Martins. I do not thin OKC loses all that much. Martin can score, darws fouls and gets to the line and has a better mid range jumper than Harden. I think harden has better defense even though it is not great defense.

Then they add in a young Lamb who they can groom for a year to fill the void and 3 draft picks which gives them flexibility and may allow them to move up in the draft and nab someone they want.

What people forget about the luxury tax change where it is like a $1.50 per $1 over. There are a few teams that can spend that type of money one being the Knicks but even they are being smart about that which is why they did not match the Lin offer.

The reason they did not wait on a sign in trade in the offseason is they have to take on a salary they do not want. Right now they get Martin for 1 year then he is cleared off the books are maybe he does great for them and he signs a cheap contract. Then again Lamb may blow up and give them their future.

Smart move by OKC I think harden is the least important of the big three.

They still have Westbrook, Durant and Sir Chewbacka not like they are lacking talent.

[bigdnlaca]

Not surprised at all.

The commentators were saying that OKC would have a tough choice to either keep 2 players from Westbrook, Ibaka, and Harden before last season started.

When Westbrook got that 5 yr 85, Harden knew that he wasn't going to get that money. The Final straw happened when they signed Ibaka to that 4 year 48 mil.

I think this is good for both teams. It is good for OKC because Martin is a better scorer and shooter than Harden imo.

It better Houston because if Lin struggles at point they can have Harden @ point and move Lin at shooting guard if they use that setup.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Originally Posted by Kangaroo

While harden is a better athlete and top end talent is better than Martins. I do not thin OKC loses all that much. Martin can score, darws fouls and gets to the line and has a better mid range jumper than Harden. I think harden has better defense even though it is not great defense.

Then they add in a young Lamb who they can groom for a year to fill the void and 3 draft picks which gives them flexibility and may allow them to move up in the draft and nab someone they want.

What people forget about the luxury tax change where it is like a $1.50 per $1 over. There are a few teams that can spend that type of money one being the Knicks but even they are being smart about that which is why they did not match the Lin offer.

[View Full Quote]The reason they did not wait on a sign in trade in the offseason is they have to take on a salary they do not want. Right now they get Martin for 1 year then he is cleared off the books are maybe he does great for them and he signs a cheap contract. Then again Lamb may blow up and give them their future.

Smart move by OKC I think harden is the least important of the big three.

They still have Westbrook, Durant and Sir Chewbacka not like they are lacking talent.

Not only was Harden a top 5 SG talent but he was also integral to the chemistry of that team. In crunch time he helped run the offense and kept Westbrook from being too much of a chucker.

Harden wasn't a chucker and his dribble penetration was elite. He can finish against shotblocking bigs and draw fouls. He is a plus defender and can get assist on dribble penetration as evidenced by his 4 APG.

Martin lost a lot of his FTA from pump fakes due to rules changes and is not much of a penetrator. He is a chucker and at best average passer and defender.

Harden was an integral part of their team as evidenced by the daggers he stuck into the Lakers and Spurs last postseason. And at the end of the day the chemistry developed between he Durant and Westbrook was a HUGE part of their success. That's difficult to quantify but I think it's going to play big considering the trade happened a week before the season began.

Don't get me wrong Presti made the best he could have out of a bad situation. He didn't do like Orlando and trade Dwight Howard for Arron Afflalo for example.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Originally Posted by bigdnlaca

Not surprised at all.

The commentators were saying that OKC would have a tough choice to either keep 2 players from Westbrook, Ibaka, and Harden before last season started.

When Westbrook got that 5 yr 85, Harden knew that he wasn't going to get that money. The Final straw happened when they signed Ibaka to that 4 year 48 mil.

I think this is good for both teams. It is good for OKC because Martin is a better scorer and shooter than Harden imo.

It better Houston because if Lin struggles at point they can have Harden @ point and move Lin at shooting guard if they use that setup.

Umm Martin played more minutes for the same amount of points on 5 more shots per game. A 41% shooter is nowhere near the level of a 49% shooter and Martin doesn't get to the line as much anymore.

Martin cannot hold Harden's jock and Harden is 23 years old. There really is no comparison. Harden is the best young SG in the NBA right now.