We could certainly do far worse than Harden and I can respect that point of view. I'm not sure what I would do, and I'm thinking that Morey may not be sure either. Unless Harden stops being a party animal, I think that he'll never have the conditioning to be a two way player, and I'm sure that Morey has at least considered the possibility.
Harden for the #1 overall pick? Draft Ben Simmons Howard and TJ for Boogie Cousins straight up? DMO and Brew for Porkzingis?
That's a great point, and that's what makes me question whether it would even be possible. So if we could, would you?
Ben Simmons can't shoot. I don't mean like LeBron-level can't shoot well, I mean that Ben Simmons flat out cannot shoot the ball. Would still love to get Simmons somehow.
The Boogie Cousins trade is something I don't even think we could do, because people in the league know what Cousins is now. I'm not so sure the Knicks would trade Porzingis for Motiejunas either because of his unfortunate injury last year. I think that we'd have a shot at the number one pick though, because Simmons isn't an NBA superstar yet. That's what I'm trying to point out here; that if you're going to get a player like Simmons, and if he is what we think he is, we'll only be able to get a player like that while being able to rebuild while he's an unknown quantity in the NBA. Call me crazy, but he might be a top 3 player in the league in a few years, and I think that he could be better than decent at the start of his career.
You and me both. He may not be a great shooter, but I think that he still has good offensive instincts and skills. He's certainly not as raw as Wiggins was.
Porzingis is pretty much untouchable unless it was for a top 10-15 type player which is not going to happen so yeah, untouchable. If the Lakers were to get the number 1 pick, and we continue our suck for the rest of the season then I would want us to try and trade Harden + Jones and if they want Bev or KJ or Brew or Ariza to LA for #1pick + Julius Randle and/or Russell. At the same time if you could flip Howard and DMO + our own pick for Cousins you do it. Lawson Russell Simmons Randle Boogie
That's impossible to answer. First we have to see what kind of talent is Simmons. And to evaluate that one would have to see him at least for a significant amount of time against proper competition. HS is not proper competition. NCAA is better. Then it will have to take into account what goes behind the scenes in the team and this years record. If we fail *knock on wood* to even make the playoffs smh then it will be more worrying if WE can resign Harden if we don't right the ship pretty soon. But doesn't matter because GMs don't take decisions on their own. The owners do first and foremost. And Harden is a cashcow who sells many jerseys and is one of the most recognizable and marketable NBA superstars internationally so I don't see the owner trading him away unless for some catastrophic occurence. (like him wanting out).
still too soon in the season. Embiid looked like the next great man too a clear cut no.1 pick near June and he still hasn't stepped a foot in the NBA floor. Lot of things can happen between now and draft time. Weaknesses exposed, character issues, injuries etc etc. Just being realistic here, it's too soon to evaluate if Simmons is like Lebron or a lesser talent. (though he appears to be a star caliber talent till now.).
a trade, by definition, needs to have reasons on both (all) sides involved in order for it to happen.
This poll isn't really for people who are undecided. It doesn't tell us anything if people just come to vote undecided. No poll is needed for that.
The reason is that this is a good chance to get a great, great player before he's unattainable. The reason for the other team to do it, is that Harden has played at an MVP level before. Good reasons for both sides.
fair enough. i dont follow college ball, so i really have no idea. how good is simmons? is he a manziel or does he looks like a mariota?
The team that is drafting #1 is taking that pick. Sorry. If Ben Simmons drops to 7th or something, then the team may make that trade. But lets say you are the Lakers, you have the #1 pick and the Rockets call you asking to trade you James Harden for that pick so that they could draft Ben Simmons. What do you think the Lakers would say? Why would they take Harden? Someone once said that if a team is trading a superstar, it's usually not for a good reason. When is the last time a team traded the #1 pick? I'm sure a team would if Curry was the offer on the table, but why would the Warriors do that? Also if the Rockets turn it around...WHY would they then trade Harden? It would mean Harden is playing at a MVP level. So there is no way this can be done. Either Harden returns to his MVP level of play which means the Rockets wouldn't think of trading Harden any ways OR Harden star fades which means a team would rather just pick at #1 for themselves and groom their own star.
His stats are very gaudy, but they don't even tell the whole story. He's a 6'10 big man with the ability to put the ball on the floor fluidly. He's not very fast, but he's skilled enough to frequently get inside on drives and he has outstanding passing instincts. He plays more of a guard's game than a big man on offense, yet he still manages to average 19.9 points per game, 14.9 rebounds per game, 6 assists per game, and 1.6 blocks per game, all while shooting about 54% from the field. His shooting is suspect, but his all-around game is undeniable.
I think it depends on who the team is and what position their GM is in (are they trying to save their job with an owner like Les who always wants to win?). The point is that if there is ever a time to land a player like this, it's in the next draft via trade. You're right when you say it seldom happens, but teams seldom put up then 27 year old MVP level players for those trades to happen. If you have a team loaded with talent, and you feel that they're one elite ball handler away, then a James Harden would be perfect for a team like that. In the case of New Orleans who already has a very young and seriously elite power forward, are you saying that they wouldn't benefit from a player like Harden? The obvious answer is that they would benefit greatly from such a player and they probably wouldn't want to have another young power forward, albeit brimming with potential, so why not trade that pick for a young MVP candidate entering his prime? For the Rockets, Les may not feel that Harden is the answer for his goals. If he believes that, then this team can make that trade regardless of what you think. How convenient that you would assume that the Lakers are the only team that could get that pick while you have other teams like New Orleans out there (at 4-15 mind you) where such a trade would make perfect sense.
when was the last time a team traded the no.1 pick? How about in 2014? Also yes the Lakers will possibly say YES, because then they will become very serious players in FA and they have the caspace for two maxes. Without Harden with Simmons not many stars will want to sign with them. With Harden Durant might. Westbrook might. Horford might. etc etc.
