Zombie Harden traded to Houston!?

[GriLtCheeZ]

Want to read the definition of sour grapes?

"A max on the Thunder would have been roughly $60 million over those same four years. That’s a difference of $6 million over the life of the deal but $2 million per year. Before you scream “that’s it!” it’s important to realize the ramifications. That would have put the Thunder on the hook for roughly $69 million for just five players! In 2014-15, that bill for those same five players (Westbrook, Harden, Durant, Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins) would have been around $72 million. The tax level this year is $70.3. So the Thunder would have been staring at a tax bill that started at $3 million before even fielding the remaining eight players necessary on the roster.

What’s more amazing than the money the Thunder offered its third best player is how Harden will now get a max deal from Houston before Wednesday’s deadline. And it won’t be the same as the Thunder’s max. It’ll be the “designated player” max, the same joint Westbrook got. Because the Rockets haven’t used this exception in the new CBA, they can designate Harden to be its lone player on a five-year contract. That means Harden, any day now, will ink a five-year deal worth roughly $78 million. We’ll see how that works out for Houston. My take is it’s a reach."

Initially, I was surprised that Harden would leave the OKC dynasty in the making, for just a few million dollars, but now it makes more sense.

In a vicarious fantasy world, I'd have stayed in OKC.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Essentially, the CBA is doing what it should: preventing teams from stockpiling stars.

Unless you're the Lakers, and can subvert the whole process by signing a ridiculous TV deal that gives you and you alone unlimited wealth. (THAT'S something the CBA should cover: after all, who'd pay to watch the Lakers just play exhibition games against non-NBA teams?)

 

[jlprk]

After Presti traded Aldrich and cut Orton, long-time Blazer Hasheem Thabeet will be the top backup at Center for fans of the Cheapstake Energy Arena. Chesapeake. Cheesecake.

 

[3RA1N1AC]

It seems that they could have waited for more offers, but Harden was going to be an UFA next year, and I believe Houston is a team that would have enough space to have signed him outright, then the Thunder get nothing. I think the owner decided that the draft picks, and a prospect like Lamb were better than losing him for nothing, or playing hundreds of millions of dollars in luxury taxes by retaining a player at his salary level.

Most likely it was simply a cost cutting move, and a way to save face.

false, the thunder could have matched any offer, or facilitated a sign and trade, and probably for a similar if not better haul

 

[RR7]

I don't know about big expirings, but they've been masters of getting assets out of cap space.

Yeah, assets out of space. He's been good at it. But thinking he'll now flip Martin as an expiring and assets for a big piece....why wouldn't he hav eeither moved Harden for that piece, or use the money that piece is making to keep Harden. I don't see this move at all as asset building for a trade. It's finding a way to keep talent in the pipeline, because you know you can't pay it all when it maxes out. It's like an Oakland/TB sort of move in baseball. Doing it when they were that close to a title seems awful to me, for the pieces they got

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

WOW! Didnt see this coming. Days away from the start of the season. Crazy!

 

[3RA1N1AC]

an expiring, a middling prospect, a couple middling picks

even if you think harden is crap, crap in crap out

 

[craigehlo]

I'd rather trade Ibaka than get cheap with Harden. Adding Kevin Martin, a poor defensive player that doesn't pass, to the mix is going to hurt chemistry.

 

[crowTrobot]

Yeah, assets out of space. He's been good at it. But thinking he'll now flip Martin as an expiring and assets for a big piece....why wouldn't he hav eeither moved Harden for that piece, or use the money that piece is making to keep Harden.

presumably if they do this it would be for a necessary complimentary piece or pieces and not for someone starting a potentially crippling 5 year max deal.

 

[crowTrobot]

After Presti traded Aldrich and cut Orton, long-time Blazer Hasheem Thabeet will be the top backup at Center for fans of the Cheapstake Energy Arena. Chesapeake. Cheesecake.

they have 4 bigs they can rotate 4/5 in ibaka, perkins, collison, + PJ3 who played great in preseason. they don't need to rely on thabeet.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Name a free agent who's signed in OKC. I'll wait.

 

[mook]

Seems to me like both sides lost. OKC is much less formidable, and Houston is just bad enough to miss the playoffs but too good to get a decent lottery pick.

The Lakers come out the best in this deal. They are now the favorites in the West.

 

[HailBlazers]

Indeed this move it takes them out of the championship window, however the offensive potential of PJ3 and Lamb developing alongside/with Durant is scary. Definitely a long-run move.

Houston on the other hand, not sure what to say. Seems like they threw the baby out with the bathwater giving up all their draft picks.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Houston on the other hand, not sure what to say. Seems like they threw the baby out with the bathwater giving up all their draft picks.

I think you're underestimating Harden and overestimating the picks. Houston has enough good young players to develop, there's not room for any more. Also, they have cap room to sign another max player next summer, and will look pretty attractive.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

The Lakers come out the best in this deal. They are now the favorites in the West.

Best 0-8 team in history. Also oldest and most-paid.

 

[craigehlo]

Indeed this move it takes them out of the championship window, however the offensive potential of PJ3 and Lamb developing alongside/with Durant is scary. Definitely a long-run move.

Any if/when either of them gets good they will be traded for young prospects because OKC is too cheap to resign talent behind RW/KD. This is a vicious cycle for them.

 

[jlprk]

This, and the Ibaka overpayment, ruin Presti's wonderboy reputation.

When the team moved, Sonic fans saved face by acting confident that Thunder owners and Presti would self-destruct in the small OKC market. Sonic fans have been humbled for a couple of years, but today is the seed of the Sonic Evil Eye hex taking effect. They have patiently stuck pins in dolls of Clay Bennett and finally the curse has come true.

 

[HailBlazers]

Lol, reminds me of this great article by Simmons a few weeks back:

The Harden Dilemma

 

[jlprk]

The Harden Dilemma

...

If Oklahoma City's owners don't want to pay full price for Harden, then they're really saying, We moved an NBA team from a booming city in the Pacific Northwest to a much smaller city that generates much less revenue and compromises our ability to win championships, but the fans here are so grateful that they won't hold it against us that we just tossed away a puncher's chance at a dynasty. If that's true, they're taking advantage of the goodwill of Oklahoma City's fans — really, they should be flipping their asset, cashing out and selling to an egomaniac billionaire who won't worry about losing a few bucks, just about owning one of the NBA's hottest franchises and getting shown on nationally televised games 20 to 25 times per year.

Is there some wealthy maniac out there who would pay 30 percent over that Forbes sticker price without blinking? The short answer: YES! That's why the NBA owners were so disingenuous during the lockout — they were crying poverty, and meanwhile, they had a waiting list for new owners! And we fell for it! Never again. That's why I think Oklahoma City's owners are full of an entire sewage system of shit.

 

[crowTrobot]

Does Houston have a single player who was on the books at this time two years ago? Or even one year ago?

patrick patterson, but otherwise yeah complete roster turnover in one year.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

patrick patterson, but otherwise yeah complete roster turnover in one year.

Wow. Go Dork Elvis.

 

[crowTrobot]

Any if/when either of them gets good they will be traded for young prospects because OKC is too cheap to resign talent behind RW/KD.

except for that ibaka dude

 

[Run BJM]

With KM you get a decent replacement 6th man who's going to be able to make up for the scoring, the FTs, and the 3 pt shooting. However OKC loses debatably its best floor general. Often times that offense looks like shit with Westbrook at the helm before Harden comes in and everything starts flowing. That aspect is the biggest blow for them IMO. They have some tools to add another stud via trade now, but it seems like they did just miss out on a lot of stars getting moved around. Could have used Harden to go after Howard or Bynum.

As far as some saying Harden is greedy/stupid, I get where he's coming from. He's a 23 year old elite SG but gets the short end of the stick in OKC. Hes considered the least of the big 3, hes the one relegated to the bench, hes the one who's expected to give the hometown discount while the other two get legit max deals. Yes, he may be walking away from multiple rings, but IMO as a 23 year old with elite talent its legitimate to want to go somewhere where you can be the man instead of being 3rd banana and a career 6th man, albeit on some great teams. In his head hes probably thinking that if he was a starter and a franchise guy then he could prove hes the best SG in the league, and I'm sure he thinks he can go somewhere else and be the focal point on a contender.

Its easy to sit here and say hes a greedy bastard who threw away rings over "only" 4 million dollars. But as others have mentioned, that money means even less to the rich owners (though the luxury tax is inhibitive). Durant, Westbrook and Ibaka didn't volunteer to each take a million or two less to make sure they kept that core 4 together even though everyone saw the paydays coming for these guys well in advance.

 

[crowTrobot]

Wow. Go Dork Elvis.

nah. just took a minute to look that one up because it seemed crazy that any team would dump an entire roster.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

nah. just took a minute to look that one up because it seemed crazy that any team would dump an entire roster.

Well, Go You too, but "Dork Elvis" is Bill Simmons' nickname for Daryl Morey.

 

[crowTrobot]

Well, Go You too, but "Dork Elvis" is Bill Simmons' nickname for Daryl Morey.

ok lol. sounded like some sort of generic stat nerd reference, like what one might call BNM : )

 

[mook]

Lol, reminds me of this great article by Simmons a few weeks back:

The Harden Dilemma

Thanks for posting that. I found it a really enjoyable read.

I loved his point about LeBron basically having a mobile dynastic franchise. Wherever LeBron goes, the dynasty follows. I can definitely see him leaving Miami, and I will LMAO.

If I were an OKC fan I'd be steamed right about now.

 

[Denny Crane]

I like this trade for OKC.

They're going to need to play a committee of guys on rookie scale contracts to survive, especially with the CBA.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

I like this trade for OKC.

Presumably solely as a business move. Which I don't get. How do fans convince themselves to care about the business of sports?

They're going to need to play a committee of guys on rookie scale contracts to survive, especially with the CBA.

And that's a reason to "like" this "for OKC"? Sounds like a reason to despair for all small market teams.

 

[DeanMoriarty]

I imagine Kevin Martin and Westbrook will be stealing shots from each other.

OKC=better version of last year's Portland squad.

Lamb is good for the future but they got worse for the short term. I can't imagine Durant wanting to stay in OKC after his contract goes up. I wonder if he goes to LA?