James Harden has added the Blazers to his list

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BigGameDamian said:
https://www.nbaanalysis.net/2020/12...kets-trade-james-harden-damian-lillard-duo/2/

This Blazers-Rockets trade forms a James Harden, Damian Lillard duo

Portland Trail Blazers Receive: James Harden, PJ Tucker, Ben McLemore

Houston Rockets Receive: CJ McCollum, Zach Collins, Anfernee Simons, Gary Trent Jr., Enes Kanter, 2023 1st Round Pick, 2025 1st Round Pick, 2027 1st Round Pick
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Not going happen to many 1st and I believe Zach is still off limits but I been wrong before.
 
I've been watching this game for a long, long time. Top players win championships in this league much more than balanced teams do (shout out to '77 Blazers). I know in the last 45 years that the BLAZERS don't get a chance at a top level player very often (Bird, Moses, Barkley, Pippen, Harden?). As long as you don't GUT your team in the process and require rebuilding, you MUST do the deal and get that player!

I want to win championships in Portland!! Dame with Harden get us closer to that reality.
 
PtldPlatypus said:
tHaT dEaL wOuLd PuT uS oVeR tHe LuXuRy TaX...
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Yup. Most of the trades people have proposed here would do that. The question is, are the Blazers willing to go all in, including going into the LT in order to up their chances at winning a chip? I don’t think that there are many trades we can formulate right now that can avoid the LT without including Nurk.
 
Tince said:
Some love to go on and on about who should be the #10 and #11 guys on our roster and who should carry a clipboard, but gloss over the lack of top end talent on this roster like it's no big deal. Top end talent is 95% of the problem, so why is the obsession on the other 5%?
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The reason some people do that is because it's much easier to replace the coach, or the end of bench players, than to get better or more superstars. If they talk themselves into those changes being 50% or 80% or any significant piece of the championship puzzle, it's a less depressing reality for them than to know that, absent a once-in-a-generation trade or draft pick, serious title contention is almost certainly not happening.
 
If Houston calls Portland says "hey, we will trade you Harden (plus a few others) for CJ, Ant, Trent and Simons, they might go "tch...what about us keeping Anfernee and trading CJ Elleby + extra picks"

And let's say Harden wants to come to Portland, but he see's that Portland has cold feet. So he goes "ok, I'll include Boston and OKC" into trade partners.

Portland see's that OKC is an now a willing partner, and they really don't want to see Harden on the Thunder so they relent and give up on Anfernee so OKC won't get him.

That is what I'm saying is going on. Let's say Harden wants to go to Philadelphia, but Philadelphia isn't super keen on giving up certain players (that Harden knows they'd have to give up to get him anyways). So he (Harden) says he's willing to go to Boston too, and Philadelphia see's Boston as a serious threat to their chances. ESPECIALLY if they add Harden to the team.

Harden knows that his bringing up Boston might make Philadelphia more likely to pull the trigger.
 
James lamphear said:
Not going happen to many 1st and I believe Zach is still off limits but I been wrong before.
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I don't think Olshey would have a problem trading Zach. And afterwards he would be saying "That's why I collected all these great assets, so I could get a superstar like James!"
 
LayneStaley said:
Go for it all trade...
View attachment 35683
Plus 2 picks to Hou, 1 pick to Orl

Leaves us pretty thin but probably the best starting lineup in the league.

Dame/Harden
Harden/Simons
DJJ/Hood
Gordon/Melo
Nurk/Giles
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You want us to give Zach, Roco and a pick for Gordon?? I don't think I would even give them Roco. And if we could get Harden without giving up Zach, why not just keep Zach?
 
UKRAINEFAN said:
You want us to give Zach, Roco and a pick for Gordon?? I don't think I would even give them Roco. And if we could get Harden without giving up Zach, why not just keep Zach?
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Maybe not the pick but Gordon is better than Zach and RoCo individually imo. I don’t even think it’s close. Wasn’t RoCo the consolation when Neil couldn’t get Gordon?
 
julius said:
If Houston calls Portland says "hey, we will trade you Harden (plus a few others) for CJ, Ant, Trent and Simons, they might go "tch...what about us keeping Anfernee and trading CJ Elleby + extra picks"

And let's say Harden wants to come to Portland, but he see's that Portland has cold feet. So he goes "ok, I'll include Boston and OKC" into trade partners.

Portland see's that OKC is an now a willing partner, and they really don't want to see Harden on the Thunder so they relent and give up on Anfernee so OKC won't get him.

That is what I'm saying is going on. Let's say Harden wants to go to Philadelphia, but Philadelphia isn't super keen on giving up certain players (that Harden knows they'd have to give up to get him anyways). So he (Harden) says he's willing to go to Boston too, and Philadelphia see's Boston as a serious threat to their chances. ESPECIALLY if they add Harden to the team.

Harden knows that his bringing up Boston might make Philadelphia more likely to pull the trigger.
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ding ding ding!

we have a winner!
 
Tince said:
Not at all, never had, never would.

I'm pointing out a HOF coach like Pop has really struggled (to even make the playoffs) with only 1 HOF/all-star player on his roster, proving that even a HOF coach can't carry a team. On the flip side, some average coaches can win it all with a 2-3 all-stars. Some love to go on and on about who should be the #10 and #11 guys on our roster and who should carry a clipboard, but gloss over the lack of top end talent on this roster like it's no big deal. Top end talent is 95% of the problem, so why is the obsession on the other 5%?

I will be sure to copy you down as a reference the next time I'm looking for a PR job. Would it be safe for me to assume that when you go to look for a house, you focus on interior paint color and ignore the foundation and layout?

Edit: My banter is intended to be all in good fun, Merry Christmas!
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I agree that top end talent is the biggest problem. However, I would set the percentage closer to 70% instead of 95%.

Also, it's not like several of us 'haters' don't realize that there is a talent gap. That is why CJ gets so much flack as well... NO sees him as a 'foundational' talent for the organization - where several if us see him severely lacking the requisite talent.

The last point I'll make is, just because the talent deficit is the largest (& hardest) issue to address to become a contender, doesn't mean that you dont focus on other areas where you can improve (coaching, bench players, etc). Given how hard it is to get top end talent - its better to make sure everything else is in place for when it happens.
 
julius said:
If Houston calls Portland says "hey, we will trade you Harden (plus a few others) for CJ, Ant, Trent and Simons, they might go "tch...what about us keeping Anfernee and trading CJ Elleby + extra picks"

And let's say Harden wants to come to Portland, but he see's that Portland has cold feet. So he goes "ok, I'll include Boston and OKC" into trade partners.

Portland see's that OKC is an now a willing partner, and they really don't want to see Harden on the Thunder so they relent and give up on Anfernee so OKC won't get him.

That is what I'm saying is going on. Let's say Harden wants to go to Philadelphia, but Philadelphia isn't super keen on giving up certain players (that Harden knows they'd have to give up to get him anyways). So he (Harden) says he's willing to go to Boston too, and Philadelphia see's Boston as a serious threat to their chances. ESPECIALLY if they add Harden to the team.

Harden knows that his bringing up Boston might make Philadelphia more likely to pull the trigger.
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I doubt Harden thinks this way, NBA players have such an ego they don't think Philly or a team would need any motivation to get them. Your saying Harden has to resort to throwing out fake teams he would go to so where he really wants to go will give up the assets to trade him? Why would they not give that up anyways, Harden would be pissed if they wouldn't.

There is a real risk if you start including other acceptable teams one of them pulls the trigger. Paul George to OKC, Kawhi to Toronto, etc. If Harden says he would go to a team he will, it doesn't mean its his favorite choice.

For all we know Philly is blacklisted by Houston ownership because of Morey.
 
I agree that Portland is not anywhere near Harden's preferred destination. While NO should offer something, I put the odds of seeing Harden in a Blazers uniform at 1:100. Only a 10% chance NO will offer, and a 10% chance Houston would bite. They want a young bona fide all star like Simmons, Tatum, Bam etc.
 
WesleyMatthews said:
I doubt Harden thinks this way, NBA players have such an ego they don't think Philly or a team would need any motivation to get them. Your saying Harden has to resort to throwing out fake teams he would go to so where he really wants to go will give up the assets to trade him? Why would they not give that up anyways, Harden would be pissed if they wouldn't.

There is a real risk if you start including other acceptable teams one of them pulls the trigger. Paul George to OKC, Kawhi to Toronto, etc. If Harden says he would go to a team he will, it doesn't mean its his favorite choice.

For all we know Philly is blacklisted by Houston ownership because of Morey.
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See anthony davis
 
BigGameDamian said:
If Neil held Zach or a bunch of first round picks off limits in a trade in Dames prime that would make us better, that would be just pure stupidity!
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I don't believe Harden would put us over the top yes I would trade CJ for him but I wouldn't give a quarter of our team up plus 3 or 4 year draft picks to get him. Our biggest problem is not going to be scoring points our biggest problem is stopping team from scoring and getting Harden doesn't solve our weakness.
 
Orion Bailey said:
Simple. economics. The more buyers the bigger the price goes.

I never said he doesnt want to come here but i think its leverage to open up three way trade possibilities etc.

Its his way of not looking like such a snob to the next team.
Dont get me wrong. I hate him but for the right price, id take him on the team.
I just think him opening up more to teams like us is more about politics than it is about wanting to go there.
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julius said:
This is just angling by Harden to encourage a certain team (or teams) to improve their offers to Houston.

He doesn't want to come here. Portland is small Potatoes.
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I think this is wild conjecture guys. We can't rule out the possibility that Harden wants to play with Dame in an organization that is very accepting of a player's piccadilloes and for a player's coach like Stotts who might be the head coach who is the most player's coach player's coach in the league. I could see Harden really wanting to come here.
 
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James lamphear said:
I don't believe Harden would put us over the top yes I would trade CJ for him but I wouldn't give a quarter of our team up plus 3 or 4 year draft picks to get him. Our biggest problem is not going to be scoring points our biggest problem is stopping team from scoring and getting Harden doesn't solve our weakness.
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It wouldn't take a quarter of the team it would just take CJ, Nurk and probably two first rounders. I know that seems like a lot, to give up our second and third best players and two picks but James Harden is a huge difference maker and I honestly think that Zach and Enes can cover the 5 spot for us, Harden can run the offense when Dame sits, we would still have our two new starting forwards, Gary and Hoodie off the bench. I think that team goes a lot further in the playoffs and could even give the Lakers a really hard time in a seven game series.
 
LayneStaley said:
Maybe not the pick but Gordon is better than Zach and RoCo individually imo. I don’t even think it’s close. Wasn’t RoCo the consolation when Neil couldn’t get Gordon?
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That's the rumor; it's not that important to me. Here are some stats; a rough estimate of last three years play except three pt % is career.
3 pt % C is .355, G is .319
efg% .525 vs. .500
rebounds per 36 8 vs. 8.3
steals per 36 1.9 vs. .9
blocks per 36 1.8 vs. .8
TS% .550 vs. .528
OBPM minus -1.2 vs. .5
DBPM 1.5 vs. minus .2
TRB% 11% vs. 12.5%
assists per 36 1.5 vs. 3.5
So, Gordon a little bit better rebounder, a lot better at assisting other's baskets, but far inferior on blocks, steals and DBPM. Gordon has better OBPM for some reason, even though all advanced stats favor Covington. Since Portland has bigger problem on defense than offense, it seems that Covington is the one they would want.
 
He is going to fuck all your plans and crucify all your hopes and will Choose Boston.
 
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