[SeattleSuperChronicsParticipant]

 Shouldn’t resign with the rockets.

5 teams Harden would be better off signing with:

1. Clippers 

2. Bulls

3. Timberwolves 

4. Blazers

5. knicks

[TheArtistPaysthePriceParticipant]

 C’mon son! 

[SiggyParticipant]

 Great.  Now how many of those teams could he actually sign with given their cap situation? My guess would be zero.

Think harder next time.

[TyroberParticipant]

 He was obviously all about the money and Houston can give him the most of it so that’s where he is staying. 

[HitsterParticipant]

Houston obviously have his rights and the cap space, looking quickly at what teams will have cap space if needed Atlanta, Utah and Cleveland jump out at me plus maybe Dallas if they made a move or two, other teams will have cap space but not for a maximum contract.

Of the teams I’ve mentioned above I would discount Cleveland as they have drafted Waiters as their long term SG, which leaves the other 3 perhaps alongside Houston. Dallas are perhaps looking for two major FA names and could wait another year when Dirk’s big contract expires to give them maximum leverage and a lot would depend on how OJ Mayo does. I would put Dallas perhaps a bit behind Houston if Harden did go to FA. Atlanta again they are restocking and at the moment Houston probably have a more settled outlook.

Utah is the interesting one in my opinion as they will have cap room when Millsap, Williams and Jefferson all expire even if they renew at least one and they have Kanter and Favours as a great long term frontcourt. But both those would need to be renewed so could Utah afford to give Harden a max offer as well, I’m not sure.

Of course, Houston hold the restricted rights to Harden and if he left the Thunder to get more money then there is no way I see him taking a one year qualifying deal next summer to become an unrestricted FA in 2014. So IMO Daryl Morey holds all the cards and if he doesn’t see Harden going anywhere then neither do I. Morey is one of the brighter GM’s in the league and he’d need a hell of a deal to part with Harden.

 

 

[mercyman25Participant]

If Harden doesnt sign with Houston, my guess is he signs with the Suns. They have the money and a team for Harden to take over and compete at a pretty high level.

[TheArtistPaysthePriceParticipant]

because there is always a injury risk ( I did see his knee go sideways in Olympics off a crossover ). 

He is a restricted free agent who wants the money and recognition of a max player. So you can match the same amount next Summer and only run the risk of offending him. He can’t sign anywhere without getting matched, so whats the rush. He, with money being so important, won’t risk a qualifing offer year. 

The biggest reason is it allows Houston to go over the cap next year signing somebody else then signing him. His cap hold will be less than the max which would have one of those poison pills. His cap hold will be low and that could allow them to sign say Jefferson, Bynum a amnestied Boozer, Gasol(if Lakers dont make finals), ect, then extend Harden.

As dumb as Morey is, he is really smart too,

"don’t do it, reconsider, read some literature on the subject"

Harden may be pi$$ed but so what, so is Eric Gordon, Love, Hibbert and Batum. They all seem to have gotten over it (maybe not Love).  

[StonecoldParticipant]

It’s just silly that Love didn’t get the max but Gordon and Hibbert did

[BothTeamsPlayedHardParticipant]

Yes, because Minnesota has been raking in all that playoff revenue from those 12-15th place finishes in the West.

[HitsterParticipant]

 Houston have the assets to look to pull another trade or even grab another FA as The Artist points out above and I fully agree why rush to extend him as he will cost no more next year than this realistically. The only issue with Houston getting another big name in could be the fit in 2014-15 luxury taxwise as Lin and Asik would be nearly $30 million combined, add on about the same again for Harden and another big name and you have $60 million on 4 players.

We all assume that Harden will be in $58 to $62 million range for a 4 year deal roughly, it’s just when anyone choses to make the offer or if Morey does decide to dangle the 5 year deal. If Harden puts up 25ppg this season, his value will not go up.

[TheArtistPaysthePriceParticipant]

the Asik and Lin deals are spread out evenly as long as they stay in Houston. Through some weird loophole Morey made so that fat year doesnt effect the Rockets just the home teams that could have matched those deals.  

[HitsterParticipant]

The value for Linn and Asik across the term of their contracts isn’t too bad, it’s just that final year and as The Artist rightly says, year 3 was designed to cause their existing teams cap problems so thry would not match the offers.

I doubt anyone sees Asik and Linn as $15 million per season guys apart from that one year, I’d almost think of it as like the year Sam Presti gave Nick Collinson a big one off payment in return for a below market level deal after that.

[Author]

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