[bedrock23Participant]

James Harden got Trade to the Rockets source yahoo.
I can’t believe it.

[ShekiruBoomParticipant]

 where’s the site? i dont see anything

[akhan786Participant]

James Harden Traded To Houston

Posted by Darnell Mayberry

on October 27, 2012M at 9:50 pm

The Oklahoma City Thunder has traded reigning Sixth Man of the Year James Harden, The Oklahoman has learned.

Harden will be sent to Houston for Kevin Martin, rookie Jeremy Lamb, two first-round picks and a second-round pick. The Thunder is also sending center Cole Aldrich and guards Daequan Cook and Lazar Hayward to the Rockets.

The deal comes on the heels of negligible progress being made on a contract extension for Harden following nearly four months of negotiating. As a result, the Thunder parted ways with the fan favorite after stagnant talks made it clear Harden would be too much of a financial burden to keep.

If no deal was reached on an extension by Wednesday’s midnight Eastern deadline, Harden would have become a restricted free agent next summer. Houston is believed to now be ready to ink Harden to the maximum-allowable contract that Harden has long been believed to covet.

A report by Yahoo! Sports on Saturday said Harden recently turned down a four-year extension worth roughly $52 million. The report also was the latest to say Harden is pushing for a max deal, expected to be roughly $60 million over four years.

But with max contracts extended to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook — as well as more than $52 million invested in Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins over the next three seasons alone — the Thunder faced the possibility of stiff penalties under the new, more punitive collective bargaining agreement.

Had the Thunder been able to ink Harden to a $13 million annual contract, a franchise playing in the league’s third smallest market would have owed $67 million to just five players next season. That figure would have increased to $70 million in 2014-15 for those same five players.

The tax threshold for this season is $70.3 million. Starting next season, teams must pay an incremental rate starting at $1.50 for every dollar they exceed the threshold.

NBA commissioner David Stern has trumpeted “player sharing” in this new collective bargaining agreement, and the Thunder becomes the first team to fall victim to the more stringent rules.

Oklahoma City will receive a protected first-round pick from Toronto in 2013, a pick the Raptors sent Houston in the Kyle Lowry trade, as well as a protected 2013 first-round pick from Dallas, which the Rockets received from the Lakers in last year’s Derek Fisher trade.

The second-round pick is 2013 selection belonging to Charlotte. Houston acquired it from Boston in the Courtney Lee trade. It’s the same pick the NBA recently forced the Thunder to convey to the Celtics as compensation for Jeff Green missing the entire 2011-12 season with a heart condition.

Martin, a 6-foot-7 shooting guard, is a career 18.4-point scorer who is known for his perimeter shooting and efficiency. The 29-year-old Martin is entering his ninth season and will make $12.9 million in the final year of his contract.

Lamb, this year’s 13th overall pick, averaged 17.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.2 steals last season as a sophomore at Connecticut. Lamb, 20, is among the most athletic rookies in this year’s class.
Harden will make his lone appearance inside Chesapeake Energy Arena as a member of the Rockets on Nov. 28.

-DM-

[BlueRivers25Participant]

Sam Presti is one hell of a GM. The second Harden didnt resign, he was looking to move him and did. The Thunder got Martin, who isnt on par with Harden but can shoot the ball and make teams pay for focusing on Durant and Westbrook. Lamb a lottery pick, who could develop into a good player or trade bait, but they also got 2 first rounders and a 2nd. Oh Presti also drafted PJ3, who is going to be a steal.

[TomShoeParticipant]

 

Honestly, I think GM Sam Presti has earned my respect now. I have to give him points on the sheer amount of GALL it took to trade a member of your big 3. And for 29 y/o Kevin Martin? Wow. They must really be banking on Jeremy Lamb to become their next James Harden.

As for why he was traded, I doubt this is about the fact that James Harden wanted a max deal, it was more about PRECEDENT. If you don’t know what that is, go look it up, but it basically means that everyone else is going to want a max contract if the Thunder bowed and gave Harden his. Any above average starter on a winning team will want a max contract. Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson already have max deals. JRUE HOLIDAY wants to be maxed for crying out loud. I hope this sets a precedent for solid starters always wanting max deals. Max deals should be saved for the true elite. Max Kevin Durant? Of course. Russell Westbrook? Most people are leaning yes on that one. But James Harden? He’s close, but not quite.

Best of luck to Jeremy Lamb in OKC.

[ryan03Participant]

I hate this move…they should of waited to try and find a better deal for Harden…i feel like they could of gotten a whole lot more for him…plus since they decided to trade them to Houston, why not try and get one of their forwards that they have so many of that OKC needs (Motie, Royce White, Terrance Jones)-telling me OKC couldn’t use one of them instead of taking 2 shooting guards

[ShekiruBoomParticipant]

 well wow what a shocker they just threw away their chance to contend lol… wasn’t even sure if the thunder couldve beat the lakers with harden but now with kevin martin and jeremy lamb they can’t beat lakers for sure

[F_S]

omg im so exited.

 for both teams.

martin will light up the three line and should be able to start with ironman and KD.

harden will have a chance to showcase his talents all the way. o/c will make lamb everything i hope he became

[OhCanada-Participant]

 Martin and Lamb for Harden. Seems like OKC really rushed this trade, probally couldve gotten more value but still a good trade by both sides in my opinion. James Harden is not worth a max-contract and I think he will learn that. I dont think he is as good as Brandon Roy was with Portland or as good as Dwayne Wade. He will probally go for 20 points, 4rebounds and 4 assists per game on a Rockets team that willfinish 9th or 10th in the West. When the Thunder offered him 13 million per year I thought they were right on the money if not overpaying one or two mil.

[mds0549Participant]

Good move for Houston and all of their offseason and draft moves just paid off.

[Toronto16Participant]

 There is absolutely no loyalty in sports.

[ProudGrandpaParticipant]

C’mon, Churchboy. These are adults making a living.  The GMs do what they need to do for their teams and the players do what they need to do for their own careers.

[OhCanada-Participant]

 Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb must feel like the luckiest people in the world. Martin will light it up in OKC but I think they bring along Lamb slowly.

[Taylor Gang MikeParticipant]

 Wowwww this is crazy!! The Rockets got BETTER. OKC still will have that scoring off the bench wit K Mart and Lamb (who is going to be really good), but not the playmaking unless Maynor is back and better. James might resign with Houston. Great trade for Mchale

[ilike.panochasParticipant]

I think it’s a good trade for OKC. They are built to win NOW and they need pieces that fit together. Kevin Martin is a perennial 20PPG scorer who knows how to score without the ball and can score without needing to run plays for him, which fits in with Durant and Westbrook. Plus they add a young SG prospect at Jeremy Lamb. Thunders probably could have gotten an all-star player in return but they got a big piece in return that actually fits.

[F_S]

agreed

[joecheck88Participant]

You guys think K Mart will be there all year? He doesn’t seem like an OKC player. I called this trade around draft time. It made so much sense for both teams. I think Jetemy Lamb is an amazing pick up for OKC. Plus 2 first rounders for a team that drafts well. James Harden is good but this locks up the core of Ibaka, Durant, and Westbrook for years!! I think it is a great trade for both teams. OKC was handcuffed with Harden. This move had to be done and now it’s not a distraction all year.

[OldSkoolBasketballParticipant]

Harden fantasy value skyrocket. Ha see what I did there?

[Malik-UniversalParticipant]

OKC just got slightly worse… harden fit that team so well… not saying martin wont… because he seems to fit well to… but harden does things that martin doesn’t do as well… great pick-up for HOU tho

[CynthiaParticipant]

Good move for OKC. He rejected their offer so they rejected to let him stay around. Kevin Martin is no Harden but he can score just as many points if not more from all the wide open 3’s he’s going to get feeding off of Durant & Westbrook. Jeremy Lamb is better than all 3 of the other players the Thunder sent. Then when you throw in 2 first rounders, and a second rounder(held by Charlotte, so will probably be 30-35 range) that’s 5 players for Harden & a bag of chips.

It’s also good for Rockets, since they’re so desperate to get a "star" player, we will finally get to see what Harden can do when he’s the man, and not feeding off of two better players. He could either shine, or prove that he’s nothing better than a 6th man.

4/5 Stars

[aamir543Participant]

Wow, this is crazy, did not see this coming at all. 

Have to give credit to both Presti and Morey, both of them played this beautifully. Presti keeps his teams championship hopes alive by aquiring a very good scroer and a potential starter in Jeremy Lamb as well, unfortunatly they had to give up Cole Aldrich in the process who was coming along very nicely.

I really didn’t think OKC would do this, but I guess it really is difficult for a small market team to pay the luxary tax. Either way, I really love what Houston is doing, they now add a promising young piece to their team, and look poised to be a solid playoff team for years to come. 

I like this trade for OKC, but the only problem I have is that Martin isn’t the driver or attacker that Harden is, but he is still more than able to replace Harden. OKC also gets some semi-valuable draft picks as well. Once again Sam Presti magnaged the situation perfectly. I personally would’ve paid Harden, but if I couldn’t, I don’t think I could’ve done it better myself.

[CynthiaParticipant]

" I personally would’ve paid Harden, but if I couldn’t, I don’t think I could’ve done it better myself."

They tried, he rejected their 52 million offer, because he wanted 60 million. Money > Winning? Kind of surprised, thought Harden had a bit more class. Durant & Westbrook took less pay when they were resigned so they could stay together.

[aamir543Participant]

Yeah, just saw Broussard’s tweet that the Thunder had actually offerd Harden 4 years 55 million, but Harden wanted the max.

I’m not going to question Harden’s intentions, but I do with that the two sides could’ve come to terms.

And remember, in reality, we’re not really talking about 4.5 million total for 4 years. That might be teh case on Harden’s side, but for OKC the reason they didn’t want to make up the 4.5 million is because in reality that 4.5 million is really 14 million when you factor in the luxary tax.

People are saying the Thunder got worse. I think they stayed about the same. Kevin Martin is an All-Star scorer and although he might not be the top 15 playr that Harden will become, he’s going to be on par with Harden for at least this season.

And remember, the Thunder also got Jeremy Lamb in the deal, I’m assuming that they aspire to develop sor tof the way they developed Harden. Remeber, Harden’s game has grown leaps and bounds since he came into the league, he averaged 9 points per game on barely 40% shooting from the field. And they’re getting the Rockets and Raptors’ first round picks, both figure to be top 20 picks.

Both teams are winners, and they both made good decisions.

[aamir543Participant]

Yeah, just saw Broussard’s tweet that the Thunder had actually offerd Harden 4 years 55 million, but Harden wanted the max.

I’m not going to question Harden’s intentions, but I do with that the two sides could’ve come to terms.

And remember, in reality, we’re not really talking about 4.5 million total for 4 years. That might be teh case on Harden’s side, but for OKC the reason they didn’t want to make up the 4.5 million is because in reality that 4.5 million is really 14 million when you factor in the luxary tax.

People are saying the Thunder got worse. I think they stayed about the same. Kevin Martin is an All-Star scorer and although he might not be the top 15 player that Harden will become, he’s going to be on par with Harden for at least this season.

And remember, the Thunder also got Jeremy Lamb in the deal, I’m assuming that they aspire to develop sor tof the way they developed Harden. Remeber, Harden’s game has grown leaps and bounds since he came into the league, he averaged 9 points per game on barely 40% shooting from the field. And they’re getting the Rockets and Raptors’ first round picks, both figure to be top 20 picks.

Both teams are winners, and they both made good decisions.

[ShekiruBoomParticipant]

 i’m not so sure if the thunder stayed the same. james harden and kevin martin are definitely in a similar level of talent right now but james harden’s skill set is much better fit to the thunder than kevin martin’s. james harden acts as the psuedo point guard that westbrook couldn’t be and now that the thunder get another scorer in Kevin martin instead of the playmaking of james harden, i’m not so sure if this team will have enough quality passers. this team now has 3 scorers and i always thought that james harden’s playmaking was the balance that held Westbrook and Durant’s scoring together. of course they will still be one of the elite teams in the NBA just because of Durant and Westbrook but i dont see them beating the Lakers whereas i thought of the two teams at 50-50 with Harden

[XYRYXParticipant]

 Thats what I was thinking.

if okc really offered 55 and 4 years I trouly can’t believe Harden turnt this down. This is 5 mil on 4 years less than the max.

I’m really upset as a thunder fan now and need a night of sleep to swallow this, okc without the beard don’t seems to be the same again even if I agree this is win now decision.

[XYRYXParticipant]

 Thats what I was thinking.

if okc really offered 55 and 4 years I trouly can’t believe Harden turnt this down. This is 5 mil on 4 years less than the max.

I’m really upset as a thunder fan now and need a night of sleep to swallow this, okc without the beard don’t seems to be the same again even if I agree this is win now decision.

[llperez]

both durant and westrbook signed max deals, they didnt accept a penny less. I have to be honest, i hate comments like yours talking about westbrook has no class. Teams will trade a dude on the spot the second they think it makes the team better. You think if harden struggled or went through injury issues they wouldnt trade him to stay "classy" as you put it? All NBA players should get their money. If he was willing to accept less to stay in okc, then more power to him. but he obviously wasnt and not one person on here who isnt taking millions less to stay loyal should be taking shots at his character over it.

edit* just to clarify im responding to cynthias comment

[CynthiaParticipant]

When did I say anything about Westbrook had no class? Harden has no class because he opted to make 1 mil more per year than grow and contend with the Thunder for the next decade. Yes NBA players should be paid, but in basketball the difference of 55/60 million isn’t that huge. I say he has no class because I took him as someone who would take less to stay, and when I found out it was only a 5 mil difference that just shocked me. Either way I’m glad OKC pulled the trigger before this turned into a season long Dwightmare(who also has no class).

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

I think that’s unfair to say Harden has no class. He’s been sacrificing since he was drafted to OKC. He’s been a team player. He’s arguably a top five shooting guard in the NBA, but has been accepting a 6th man role for the "good" of the team.

It would’ve been nice for him to accept less and stay, but there’s nothing wrong with him wanting the max when that was his market value. Plus, now he has the opportunity to be the guy on his own team. You can’t knock him and declare him as not having any class because of that.

[llperez]

How much class did the thunder show Aldrich? Cook? Hell the whole city of Seattle for that matter. Oh that’s right, they did what was in their best interest as a team regardless of how the players felt. But yeah harden is the one with no class.

[CynthiaParticipant]

llperez – You’re a Lakers fan, your words bleed hypocrisy. 

Indiana – What did he sacrifice? His name being called at the beginning of the game? Because that’s about it. He played starter minutes, 31.4 MPG to Sefolosha’s 21.8 MPG, this is why he was so clearly the 6th man because he was a "bench player" who played as much as a lot of starters in the league. I know you’re smarter than that. 

When it comes down to it he was asked to resign with a reasonable offer and he declined, because he wanted the max. An extra 1.25M per year. Who cares about growing with a young team and continuing to dominate the league? Who cares about being an OKC fan favorite? Who cares about winning championships? Obviously he didn’t care. He knew OKC could not afford the max, he knew he’d be gone. He got his wish to get paid more, and to get his name called at the beginning of games. Perhaps saying no class is a bit harsh, but that’s mighty selfish.

[llperez]

so your only comebcak is that im a laker fan. Please explain how im being a hypocrite? I have no problems with the thunder and every team doing what is in their best interest. But i also think that inclcudes the individual players. I dont see anyone doing anything wrong here. But you seem to think the thunder can traade and give up any player they want and thats fine but the second a player looks out for himself he has no class.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

By sacrificing, I wasn’t just talking about minutes. James Harden is a legit starting shooting guard and arguably a top five player at his position. He was sacrificing shots (he shot 10 times per game), the amount of time he had the ball and the way he played his overall game. Did you listen to his press conference today? He said he had to "adapt to his role with the Thunder" but that he’d always been a go-to player during his playing career (high school, but more importantly collegiate) and he’s looking forward to getting back to being a top option. He was a role player with the Thunder. How’s that not sacrificing?

 

 

[llperez]

and to add most people assume that he is sacrificing wins for money which might be true at first, but he is still young. He is a competitior and i doubt most athletes feel like they cant win eventually with most any team. Hes not giving up on success and a title, hes jsut going to try and get it elsewhere.

[banggggbanggggwayne]

I agree wit indy &p; perez. H

[TC_42Participant]

Harden chose a couple mil over a great chance at a championship for years to come.

Interestinng.

[Lebron’s HairlineParticipant]

OKC now has two of the most talented enigmas of the 2012 draft. Lamb and martin will be studs coming off the bench for the thunder. Can’t believe James harden let 8 million dollars sell him out of a potential championship.

[theballerwayParticipant]

 I like the additions for okc, Lamp as a future prospect at the 2, he can develop with R?Jackson and PJ3. That could be a heck of a se ond unit in a year or two. Plus the go the 2 first rounders. Then you throw in K.Martin who could easily start or come of the bench and blend nicely. I think they might miss SlowCole at some point down the line however. For thr Rockets the made a shrewd move. You can only collect draft picksvand rookies for soo long, they had to mske a move but I wonder if those ‘poison pill’ contracts might now be theyre downfall. Assuming they max out Harden then you got the big 3rd yr contracts for Asik and Lin might make it hard to keep buildibg towatds a champion calibre roster. A L in Harden back court doesnt nessecarily scare me but since theyre both capable scorers and distributers theres hope for the Rockets future. Shouldve tried to keep Lamb abd csent obe of their fowards tho maybe.

 

[TheArtistPaysthePriceParticipant]

 It had to happen, despite the ridiculous free agent signings this year the new CBA may actually lead to some competitive balance. I was rooting for OKC this year and this does make them weaker in the short run.

It also seems that they could have got a better deal though. They could have got Iggy and a pick from Philly a few months ago, even Eric Gordon or even went to Denver before trade and got Affalo and Wilson Chandler. I would have demanded Parsons(good and cheap) or reluctantly Marcus Morris also. The issue is that they have to get somebody in the deal that will play above their contract and Lamb will certainly do that. Their is only a few players that make less than 6 million but can consistantly get u 17 or 18 points a night on a good team.I cant think of one, outside of maybe Greg Monroe or Kyrie Irving. Thats why I believe Parsons or a guy like Wilson Chandler represent some value to a team like the Thunder. Maybe a amnestied Boozer or a situation like that occurs but if u are over the cap u cant bid on amnestied guys. The biggest problem is that they lost a guy who spents 16 mins a game as a pure point guard and I doubt Eric Maynor and Jackson can make up for that. 

 

Houston has a crazy big three in Lin, Harden and Asik.WWhy not try for H Barnes and Ezeli plus maybe Jeffersonand if you didnt want Jeff get B Rush or Green.

[Chilbert arenasParticipant]

 Harden was their best play maker, this really hurts the Thunder. Martin nor Lamb can set up teammates like Harden did nor are going to be as clutch.  

[F_S]

martin in the lineup should help ironman’s assists. 

[Cavaliers420Participant]

I’m shocked. Straight from the OKC facebook page:

The Oklahoma City acquires Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb, two first round picks and a second round pick from the Houston Rockets in exchange for James Harden, Cole Aldrich Daequan Cook and Lazar Hayward.

From GM Sam Presti: "We wanted to sign James to an extension, but at the end of the day, these situations have to work for all those involved. Our ownership group again showed their commitment to the organization with several significant offers," Presti said. "We were unable to reach a mutual agreement, and therefore executed a trade that capitalized on the opportunity to bring in a player of Kevin’s caliber, a young talent like Jeremy and draft picks, which will be important to our organizational goal of a sustainable team. We appreciate James, Cole, Daequan and Lazar’s contributions to the Thunder organization and this community and wish them the best in the future.”

[festar35Participant]

I am back on Rockets bandwagon!! Haven’t been a fan of theirs since early years of McGrady, I hope Harden can prove he is a star and future of NBA at SG position.

[F_S]

 the thing is… lamb will be one of the best SG in the L in a couple years. 

his passing has been excellent in the pre seas. he likes that midrange pull up and should learn a TON from ironman, KD and kmart.

they are insanely lanky… KD, lamb, pj3…

harden was very ball dependent, and that added MORE hero ball to OKC. they seemed to isolate ironman, KD, and harden all the time. running the P&R all the time… the heat are the best team D’ing up on the P&R with their insane versatile players…

i think this trade is a gamble, sorta…. if kmart can play good and lamb becomes what i think he can become this a good trade for both teams 

[TheArtistPaysthePriceParticipant]

 Harden, he could get the fifth year for a team like the Rockets. They had to basically want flexibility because if they waited a couple months they coulda got Batum and Leonard. 

All and all I like it, Presti and that guy from Denver are a new breed. Plus I knew Houston had to make a move because they had 17 guys on their roster that can play in the League andhad to make some tough cuts. Come to think about it they coulda got G Wallace, Marshon Brooks and some picks.  I think K Martin being a free agent next year was the key, it just opens up so many possibilities and if Lamb is ready they may swing him for another 1rst round pick by Febuary. This might make Durant drive more, his triple threat is only less dangerous than Melo’s in the whole League. Personally I think Ibaka is a more important talent on a team with Durant than Harden is anyway. Once they move on from Perk and Ibaka plays some five they might get even better. Ibaka could be so valuable if they made him slow down on the 18 footers, hopefully now that he is paid he stops trying to show off his offensivetalents and just plays ball. Houston still has a ton of young wings and could pull off another deal soon.

[TC_42Participant]

At least Harden won’t choke in the Finals anymore.

[cuseflynn10Participant]

It’s a pretty fair deal. Ideally OKC would have liked to kept Harden, but they received Kevin Martin who has scored over 19 PPG seven times in his career and also got Jeremy Lamb who averaged 17-4-1 in college and has potential to be a threat on either side of the ball. But the thing that really sweetens this deal for OKC are the draft picks. I don’t know what kind of draft picks they will be, they’ll likely be lotto protected fot awhile, but there is always a lot of talent coming in the first round, and I’m sure OKC will be able to find some with addition first round picks. 

Houston on the other hand, has a go to scorer, with superstar potential. I’ve been a fan of Harden ever since the Arizona State days. He averaged 16.8 PPG, 3.7 APG, and 4.1 RPG in 31 MPG last season, so he could be a 20-5-5 player with more minutes. I do feel that Houston gave up more than they needed. They gave up Martin who basically gives the same offensive input as Harden, but is slightly older, as well as Lamb, and two first rounders. Their lineup is more young now, so as long as Harden remains a better player than Lamb, and the 2 draft picks, I think Houston will be happy.

[HaleParticipant]

 I just saw this on ESPN, crazy! I actually kinda like this deal for both sides. Houston gets a young guy who many believe could be the man on his own team, and OKC gets a very good scoring guard now, as well as a guy they can groom to be the next Harden.

[Chilbert arenasParticipant]

 Kevin Martin has never been in a winning situation and I’ve always stayed away from him in fantasy due to the fact that he can never stay healthy. If I was an OKC fan I’d be more excited about Lamb. Also I’ve been a big Harden fan since his ASU days since I’m from that area, but I still don’t think he’s a franchise player that can carry a team on his back, I don’t think this puts Houston in playoff contention this year.

[Sharp ShooterParticipant]

Rockets still are in need of a legit scoring big man…but i Harden is a good start to a good team..OKC does have good prospects now with Perry Jones..and Jeremy Lamb. It’ll be interesting to see if James Harden will resign with HOUSTON after the season is over.

[omphalosParticipant]

 This was a great move by OKC, I was really having my doubts about Harden after his choke in the Finals and I think Lamb can be everything Harden was and more given enough time. It’s all well and good to talk about a dynasty, but if you won’t accept the deal, you’ll be dealt, and the timing couldn’t have been better.

In the short-term, Martin stretches the floor as a spot-up shooter – something OKC hasn’t really had outside of Durant – and Lamb is the heir apparent for the Sixth Man, a role I think he’ll thrive in.

Westbrook, Martin, Durant, Ibaka, Perkins with Maynor, Lamb, Thabo, PJ3 and Collison off the bench is a really impressive 10-man rotation, the key will be keeping everyone healthy, but still, a great move by OKC, so long as Durant and Russ aren’t too upset about it that it messes with their chemistry.

 

[jmarg25Participant]

Lol Houston still managed to keep all those power fowards 

[hooverballParticipant]

Smart, swift move. This is exactly why Presti is so good. They could not afford luxury tax if Harden didn’t take less than the max. Got an immediate replacement, future replacement and draft picks. Usually the team that gets the best player in a trade wins, but the Thunder did not loose. Win/Win. Don’t overlook Aldrich. He played well in preseason and will form a nice platoon with Asik.

I think his may have put Houston in the playoff picture…

[220Participant]

The Thunder got this years first round pick from the Raptors (which is guaranteed to be a lottery pick..if its outside the lottery the Thunder won’t get it until it’s in the lottery) and the Mavericks first round pick (top 20 protected until 2017) which the Rockets got from the Lakers in the Derek Fisher and Jordan Hill trade.

I don’t see how this trade is bad for the Thunder unless the hurt feelings or losing Harden cripple the team emotionally from playing (think Doug Christie when he couldn’t compete after being dealt from the Kings to the Magic). I highly doubt that happens.

No offense meant to James Harden, but I think a lot of guys would look great as the third offensive option behind Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. I don’t know if Kevin Martin’s numbers will go up but his shooting precentage certainly should. The Thunder should also have a healthy Eric Maynor back to be the playmaker off the bench so that will ease the loss of Harden’s playmaking abilities.

The Rockets somewhat overpaid for James Harden in my opinion depending on how those draft picks fall. I would laugh nonstop if the Raptors pick ends up landing the Thunder a top 3 pick in this years draft. If the Raptors miss the playoffs it could happen. Cole Aldrich finally cracked the rotation in OKC only to get dealt to Houston. He should benefit from playing for Kevin Mchale.

[220Participant]

Last paragraph, I meant to say I’d laugh nonstop if it ends up being a top 3 pick for the Thunder at some point. The pick is Top 3 protected and 15-30 in 2013, top 2 protected and 15-30 in 2014 and ’15, Top 1 protected and 15-30 in 2016 and ’17, and unprotected in 2018. So it could happen, just not this year.

[HitsterParticipant]

 With the clock ticking on getting Harden renewed the Thunder probably knew that someone would offer him a max deal next summer which they would have had to match. I would doubt that Sam Presti would rush into a trade, with an asset like Harden he’d have surely fielded a few offers or put out feelers. Although he was a great bench scorer and should have been a starter on skillset, no-one knows if Harden could be a franchise carrying scorer which was the sort of money he was seeking.

I suppose trading him to a fellow Western Conference team is a bit strange but out East it would have had to be to a likely lottery team as all the top teams have their rosters filled or the Thunder would have had to take back  big contract to get a player of equal value which would have put them over cap going forward. Houston get a proven scorer to go with their young pieces and will be very explosive to watch if nothing else but they too will have  load of money on Lin, Harden and Asik in a couple of seasons but it will only be for one year.

Houston have not given up a lot to get Harden and we would assume they may have some sort of agreement that he would extend or they could easily match. The Thunder have given up a great piece in Harden but Kevin Martin can fill his role this year and if he stays fit could be extended next year for a reasonable amount and Jeremy Lamb gives the Thunder another good young piece.  

The Thunder could have asked for other players but SG’s were needed and with Asik not being able to be traded then the Thunder could not dump Perkins as well. The Thunder have a good draft history and could well make use of those picks. 

GM Morey has got the jewel in his rebuilding crown and will give the young team a great platform to build on, plus he got a few young players back and still has a lot of assets and the picks he gave up were not his own teams’ so the Rockets look better going forward.

The Thunder stay as a clear top 3 team out West by Houston move up from borderline play off team, to likely play off contenders IMO plus Harden’s fantasy value rockets.

[hooverballParticipant]

Smart, swift move. This is exactly why Presti is so good. They could not afford luxury tax if Harden didn’t take less than the max. Got an immediate replacement, future replacement and draft picks. Usually the team that gets the best player in a trade wins, but the Thunder did not loose. Win/Win. Don’t overlook Aldrich. He played well in preseason and will form a nice platoon with Asik.

I think his may have put Houston in the playoff picture…

[Puregreen5Participant]

I wonder if the Thunder, could have grabbed Terrence Jones in this deal as well? I feel like Lamb will start for OKC 2-3 years from now, he has a chance to become a much better defender then Harden as a pro. Great job by both teams, but I feel like the Thunder got the better end of this deal.

[Forte IVParticipant]

 I’m wonderign what the 1st round picks are and what the terms of them are(protection). Would be crazy if they were both unprotected firsts and the Thunder got MORE young talent.

[LerinErinParticipant]

 Year’s first rounder as part of the J Johnson trade. 

 

 

That said I feel like both teams did well in this trade. Houston got better and still has forwards to trade. OKC got as corer for now (can still flip him later) and Lamb for the future.

[LerinErinParticipant]

 

 This trade probably makes the pick the Hawks get worse.

[King CaluchaParticipant]

I think this is a fair deal. Thunder loses a very good player but received good value in return. Martin should be able to put good points off the bench. I’m not sure what’s the plan… maybe playing "small" lineup with Ibaka, Durant, Thabo, Martin, Westbrook in several parts of the game? Anyway, I don’t think this move reduces greatly their chances of contending. Even if they don’t do well this season, they’re in a great position for following seasons with those 2 first round picks.

On the other hand, Houston gets a franchise player, that will definitely receive a max contract and lots of young players… at least 1 or 2 of them should develop well this season.

[TallmanNYCParticipant]

 Wow. This is shocking. Just shocking. I think I have to make a new thread because .  . .  did we just have a second member of the gold medal Olympic team get traded for basically scraps?!?

Honestly I think we are at a game changing moment in the league where GMs have completely diffent opions about the values of players. Like they aren’t even playing the same game. How does Houston get Harden for K Martin? And how does Denver get Dre Iggy for nothing? 

Harden scored 1.66 points per shot while giving you defense, assists and lots of other things. Martin scored 1.27 points per shot. These are not comparable numbers. Harden averaged 29 points per 36 minutes when Westbrook was not on the floor. Let that sink in. That is over an entire season where neither was injured. Harden was basically mega elite at scoring as long as ball hogging Westbrook wasn’t on the floor. And yet he just got traded for a nice one-dimensional scorer who basically is going to ask for the same amount of money per year. 

This is a joke and it is crazy. This is a crazy joke. 

[omphalosParticipant]

 They get Toronto’s pick in next years draft if it’s between 4-14, which seems likely unless Toronto are a late playoff entrant, the Thunder should be able to nab a solid young player in that range on his rookie deal. Presti really did a great job, this roster just got a new injection of youth and upside.

Also, whoever said Harden brought D to the table must be joking. With the new flopping penalties his value defensively will be even lower.

[LipstickParticipant]

At first I disliked this trade because they could’ve waited until after the season, amnesty Perk, and re-sign Harden then.

But this move sets them up for the long term. Isn’t Martin an expiring contract? So they’ll have some cap relief and then they have 3-4 years of Lamb and Jones III on super cheap contracts. That’s pretty fucking scary if they pan out.

At present time, they get another wing scorer off the bench in Lamb. So they’re second unit is looking something like Maynor-Martin-Lamb-Jones-Collison?

Not too shabby.

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

Harden did what was best for him and looked to get his max deal now…Taking that 50 million dollar deal to remain in OKC,would’ve been good..But playing with 2 All NBA performers like Durant & Westbrook who are the same age he is..He might not have never gotten a max deal there,especially in a small market…

OKC will miss his versatility,becuz they played better when he was on the floor..But it was a smart move by the GM,to get a promising young guard in Lamb,Toronto’s pick if its not in the top 3 next year and a 20 point scorer in Martin…Who they can possibly deal at the trade deadline or keep …..

[TallmanNYCParticipant]

 Omphalos, 

They just traded a guy who was arguably top five in the league. I’m just staying arguably. I’m not saying he was. But you could put an argument together that Harden was that good.  The US Olympic team obviously felt Harden was top 12 since he made that squad without anyone raising an eyebrow. 

You guys are arguing about if they made the righ business decision. The right business decision is to be the Clippers and ride on the fact that you have good team coming in and playing your team each night. That logic says why pay for any talent even when it drops in you lap. Anyway, they got some value for this trade, no doubt. But they also just traded the second or third most valuable player from a championship roster and we are talking about a guy who by any normal projection has not yet reaching is peak. 

This is a crazy trade. 

[LipstickParticipant]

Harden’s not top 5 material. There’s no argument possible for him being a top 5 talent.

[omphalosParticipant]

He might have been top 5 at his position, arguably, but that’s probably tied with C as the weakest position in the NBA outside of Wade/Kobe, and when you consider how much worse he is than those two, and the odds that the Thunder will have to deal with them, it doesn’t make sense to give a max contract to a guy who will not give them an advantage against their two principal rivals.

As far as the Olympics are concerned, he barely played over there and once again it was in a limited role as a Sixth Man, but the best Sixth Man isn’t worth a max deal no matter how you frame it. Plus, Gordon and Rose were injured, two guys who would have/should have made it ahead of Harden. They also put in Anthony Davis, but he’s certainly not in the top 12, and neither is Harden.

Harden benefited immensely from the attention Durant and Westbrook receive every time they step on the floor, I don’t think they’ll suffer for losing him as much as people make out, and this way they have a guy with great upside in Lamb, a veteran who can contribute right now and picks to shore up any weaknesses. One title is great, but OKC has a superstar duo that are extremely young, they need to think beyond a single grab for a title, because if they set it up right they could really be looking at a dynasty, and signing Harden to a max deal would cripple their flexibility and room to add pieces around Durant and Westbrook.

Sometimes the right business decision and the right basketball decision are the same thing, and I believe this is one of those times.

[llperez]

just gave perk 9 mill per and serge 12 mill per these past 2 years. Surely presti had to know he was essentially deciding to make harden expendable when he gave out thsoe deals and had no intention of paying luxury tax money.

[Tongue-Out-Like-23Participant]

YES!!!

Finally we get a guy that can bloom into a star!  

James Harden will be the go-to-guy.  He dropped nearly 17PPG while taking only 10 shots a game and playing alongside Durant and Westbrook.  He could easily be a 22-24 PPG scorer for us and if Jeremy Lin and Donatas Motiejunas pan out, we could have a pretty good team in the near future!

I’m excited!!

[OhCanada-Participant]

 Lmao. Some of these comments are hilarious. You guys are acting like 5 million dollars is nothing meanwhile if you find 20 bucks on your way to workyou would be happy as could be.Just because James was offered 55mil doesnt mean an ectra 5mil doesnt matter. Its 5million dollars! Not only that but also James is very unlikely to get advertisement deals being the 3rd option on the best small market team in the NBA. Real GM made a very good article comparing the career paths of Joe Johnson and Manu Ginobl that is an example of players signing for money and for wins. It is a great reminder that these players are contracted at set salaries to perfom and it is a buisness. Who knows, I bet James had no clue hed be trades, he probally thought he would hold out and prove he is worth the max at OKC. He might even be tearin up but whats important for him is that he will get the max and whats important for OKC is that they can start this year with no animosity, they get Martin a player who is just as talentes as Harden scoring wise, Lamb, and two 1st round picksand an Charlotte 2nd so they can keep atockpiling good young talent.

[omphalosParticipant]

 The point is, he’ll have another deal after this current one expires, he’s only young and if he were just patient enough to take a paycut for now, he could’ve probably won a few titles and then bolted for a max deal. By refusing over $5 million now, he risks exposing himself as a guy who can’t carry a team and isn’t worth the max, better to be underrated than overpaid, because by taking extra money now he could be screwing himself out of a second max deal if he fails to perform.

If you look at it from a purely monetary standpoint, it really doesn’t make sense to demand the max if it’ll hurt your future earning potential.

[scoutguruParticipant]

I think what made this deal a little easier to stomach for Presti was the return of Eric Maynor. The fact that he’s healthy again and is a guy they could bring into the game to facilitate the offense and slide Westbrook to the 2 at times was important. Maynor doesn’t bring Harden’s scoring and overall talent level, but the combo of Martin in the trade and Maynor being healthy again could essentially make up for what they lose in Harden.

I don’t think the rookies JLamb and PJ3 will contribute much, but what they need is for Ibaka to continue to get better, as he has every single year, he I think is the key to this team. There were plenty of crucial games last year where he wasn’t even on the court in the 4th quarter, that can’t happen given his recent extension for over12 per, that kicks in next season. He essentially is the reason Harden wasn’t given the max, so he must make his presence felt during all phases of the game.

[omphalosParticipant]

This is exactly right, Harden was great as a playmaker off the bench, but Maynor is a very capable backup point who was forgotten because he had a long-term injury. Eric is a huge part of this team and should have no problem replicating the playmaking that Harden brought to the table.

Lamb and PJ3 won’t contribute much right away, but they can be brought along slowly and with the right mentoring (something they will get with Durant around) they can be great players.

[MUbballfanParticipant]

I like this move a lot more for OKC than Houston. Kevin Martin is an all star level scorer and Jeremy Lamb has potential to become a very good shooting guard. They gave up a now all star caliber guard (Harden) plus 3 bench players (sorry Lazar) in exchange for another all star level guard (Martin) and a guard that has potential to get to that level (Lamb). Plus they get 2 first round picks, and if Toronto has a pick from # 4-14 (which I think they will) then OKC gets a lottery pick. I don’t think Toronto is making the playoffs. And if they dont get the pick in this upcoming draft, the 2014 draft looks much stronger and they have a good chance of getting a star potential player from picks from # 3-14. If Kevin Martin can put up 20+ on OKC he should finally get that elusive all star appearance.

[MUbballfanParticipant]

Also, now that the Thunder have potentialy 3 picks in the first round they could trade up and get into the top 10 or maybe top 5 depending on how the other teams (Dallas, Toronto) witht he picks are.

[Jar Of Funky CrumbsParticipant]

OKC has the BEST front office in the NBA! this is just like Ray Allen leaving the Celtics for Miami and Boston goes out and gets Barbosa and Jet Terry… OKC is the perfect place for Jeremy Lamb to develop because they don’t’ need as much from him as Houston would’ve needed. OKC also adds another 15 to 20 point scorer in KMart who can shoot just as good as Harden but doesn’t need the ball to be effective which is also perfect for OKC. They get 2 first rd picks, one of those picks are protected and belongs to The Raptors (we know they won’t be anywhere near good this year) so that means another potential young star coming next year for Presti and all they gave up was Harden (the same guy that vanished in the playoffs last year) and three other players that were riding pine anyway … I say that’s a hell of a move by OKC. IMO Houston is the perfect place for Harden because they have no stars and they are fairly young and in need of a proven player to pick up the slack alongside Lin.

[TyroberParticipant]

 This is basically the deal Houston was offering for Dwight wasn’t it?

[hkdojzoaParticipant]

Now, Curry was waived after five productive preseason games with the San Antonio Spurs, but was claimed by the Dallas Mavericks and started the team’s final preseason game just last night. The 29-year-old center is hoping to catch on with an NBA team once again.

[rtbtParticipant]

I look at this trade two ways, in the short term and the long run.

In the short term, Houston came out ahead because Harden is a significant step up over Martin, plus they get a back up center in Aldrich, which they desperately needed. A backcourt of Lin and Harden is much more than Dynamic then Lin and Martin.

In the long term, I think OKC might be the big winner because they received three number one draft choices (I’m counting Lamb) for a guy who is a very good, but not a great player. Face it, Harden was on the perfect team for him in OKC. Of course we won’t know the answer to this assessment until OKC cashes in on those other two first round draft choices in the future.

I suspect the key for OKC was Lamb whom they probably see as a potential starting guard.

 

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

Rob Pelinka represents James Harden. OF COURSE they were going to go for the max and not a cent less. One of the reasons the Clippers traded Eric Gordon was because they knew they were going to go through the same thing.

I’m with the thinking above that this trade hurts the Thunder in the short run, but should be good for them in the long run.

I love this move for the Rockets though. Harden is the real deal.

 

 

[aamir543Participant]

The Thunder ideally wanted a young cheap peice that could be on par with Harden, and they did exactly that.

I’m not saying that guy is Jeremy Lamb, but that guy could be Lamb. Remember, they also have Houston and Toronto’s unprotected first round picks as well a a second round pick from the Bobcats. Two of them figure to be top 20 picks at the very worst and Charlotte’s will also also be in the 30-35 range. 

Imagine the Thunder getting the 12th, 14th, and 33rd pick in the draft. This is why I love this deal so much for the Thunder. For this year you stay at around the same level with Kevin Martin. I know he can’t drive and make plays the way Harden could, but he is a shooter, and you can bet they’ll relentlessly run him off screens. They’re still going to contend and are one of the only 4 teams I feel that have a legit shot at a championship. And after this season when Martin’s contract is over, you can say the Thunder basically got 3 lotto picks for Harden. Now it remains to be seen whether Houston or Toronto will be 7th or 8th seed playoff teams, but these picks will still be very decent. 

Sam Presti has done it again, it’s like they’re building from the draft with two of the ten players in the game. This is how you run a franchise.

[JunkYardDogParticipant]

toronto’s choice is not unprotected (top 3 and 15 to 30 protected)

houston’s pick is the mavs’s one (top 20 protected)

[SteroidParticipant]

 To the people tripping about Harden leaving because of 4.5 mil, he can get 80/5 from Houston which is 20 more million… Lets think here.

[TallmanNYCParticipant]

 Harden averaged 1.1 points per offensive play he was involved in last season. That’s 10th best in the league. And the guy is young and possibly still improving. And it wasn’t Westbrook drawing attention since Harden’s scoring went UP when he didn’t play with Westbrook. But yes playing with Durant helped Harden. It will be harder to play in Houston, but Harden is still going to get 20 points a game. 

Seriously people this is a max contract player and not offering him that was an insult. There are 30 teams in the league and each of them should basically always carry at least one max contract player. Then the contenders should have two or three Max guys. Otherwise the teams aren’t really trying to win games. So at any point the league should have 30 to 50 guys on max contracts. If you don’t think Harden is a max contract guy when young and still improving, you are basically saying you don’t think he is a top 40 player in the league. That’s a joke. In a league where Hibbert, Lopez, Rudy Gay, etc. get max contracts, Harden is a max contract guy. Max contract just isn’t that much money. OKC should not have broken up a contender. Or if they wanted to, they should have done it after this season. This trade would have been there at the end of the season as well. You think Houston isn’t always doing this trade? Of course Houston does this trade any time you want them to. 

[HaleParticipant]

How many max players do you think there are? 35? There are probably under 10 players in the league I’d absolutely give the max too.

[TallmanNYCParticipant]

 Then you would just sit on your cash as an owner and expect fans to keep turning up and watching your team? You going to just wait until your franchise drafts a Lebron James and then open the checkbook? Good luck with that plan, it might take you a couple of decades for it to work out.   

The Knicks have three Max Contract guys. The Nets have three. The Heat have three. The Lakers have three. OKC still has two. Rose, CP3, Love, Griffin. All Max guys. Hibbert, Gay, Bynum also getting max deals. There that is 21 guys who are all basically getting max contracts. I’m sure there are another 10 or so that I’m forgetting. It just isn’t that big a deal to max a guy. A young guy who has made Olympic squad should just be an automatic max contract, there should be no debate. Maybe if Harden where 30, I’d be worried. But the contract would just cover his prime years. 

There might only be 10 truly elite players in the league at any time, but you don’t have to be elite to get a max contract. 

[rtbtParticipant]

Harden is a very good player who was in the perfect situation on OKC. It remains to be seen how he will perform in Houston because he will amost assuredly have a very different role.
 

A max contract? I don’t think so! Harden is not an elite NBA player.
 

[HitsterParticipant]

I’d be interested to see what Westbrook and KD thought of the trade, I haven’t heard anything yet, if they felt they were losing a key piece they could well be upset. Also if you consider you need to speculate to accumulate then could Presti have offered Harden a max deal and gambled on paying luxury tax. We keep hearing that OKC aren’t a huge market but deeper play off runs would bring in more revenue.

I’d guess Presti would be looking at the Spurs blueprint and use that going forward. I’ve been trying to work out what the tax hit would have been, has anyone else calculated maybe with Perkins amnestied next year and not?

The Thunder of course hoped that Harden would have resigned so they did not pull a trade trigger earlier where they may have got better value for example Brad Beal from Washington maybe but they have got three possible first rounders next year and a likely very high 2nd rounder from Charlotte, so Presti will have a lot of firepower. If Harden had been moved beforehand then they could have maybe chased a veteran SG for example Ray Allen or Jason Terry but I still feel Presti got nice value.

Cole Aldrich could be a nice pick up for Houston but they have a crowded frontcourt especially at PF and Motiejunas looks a nice back up C to Asik. The Thunder moving Aldrich has probably created a bit more playing time for PJ III which could be good and having Terry it gives them time to develop Lamb. Presti seems to cover all bases with this trade.

Houston should not in my opinon rush out and extend Harden if he is asking for the 5 year deal but giving him a near max or max 4 year deal would be a sound move and at worse they can match any offer next summer and maybe save their 5 year deal. They will look to build around Lin and Harden with Asik as the defensive anchor and hope the other young pieces fit into place at SF and PF. I’d say that the Rockets rebuilding has maybe moved on a year at least overnight, so their GM has done a good job although they have no first rounders next year they restocked heavily this year. 

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

Harden goes from 3rd Fiddle!! To CENTER of ATTENTION 

[llperez]

People are using the term “max contract” like by getting it means you are elite. The reaility is that the max is different for every player depending on how long u been in the league u can not compare Kobe getting 30 mill under the max and a guy coming off his rookie deal like harden getting 15 mill and say they r the same simply because they are both called “max deals”. I think there are numerous players worth 15 mill to a team whether that’s the max or not. I can name 30 guys I would pay 15 mill a year for easily. If you know you have a solid building piece who is getting better every year and is a key piece to a successful team like harden, I might pay him the Max if I knew it would get my franchise headed in the eight direction.

[rtbtParticipant]

Llperez made a good point when he said a Max player doesn’t have to be an elite one. However, you can only have so many max contracts on one team and I think OKC already has two max contracts (but I’m not positive). 

Nonetheless, putting aside salary, I don’t think Harden is an elite player. Before you jump on me, I acknowledge he’s very good but certainly not top tier as in a Dwayne Wade. I also think Harden’s value was at its peak in OKC because of personnel and team chemistry. He was a perfect fit for OKC. In Houston, Harden’s role will be different and it should be very interesting to see how performs now that he’s the center of attention.

I also think the trade helps Jeremy Lin because the dynamics between Lin and Harden should be vastly improved over the Lin – Martin relationship.

[ChriJollParticipant]

You know it’s a good trade when there’s this much disagreement on who won…
Unlike the Dwight trade.
Personally I like how OKC came out on top but it’s really easy to argue it the other way.
God job by both GM’s.

[TallmanNYCParticipant]

 If Kevin Martin goes to OKC and puts up a nice 20 points per game, then what? K Mart will be an unrestricted free agent and what does OKC do? Can they afford to pay KMart next year? Do they lose KMart for nothing next year?

[aamir543Participant]

^You guys are failing to see the point, the point of this trade was to ride out K-Mart this season, and maybe resign him in hte off-season. I honestly think that if he’s willing to take around 7-8 mil per year, the Thunder will amnesty Perk and pay K-Mart, but if they do indeed end up losing him, then they have Jeremy Lamb, Toronto’s pick if it’s from 4th-14th, and Dallas’ if it’s ater than 20th. OKC is fine, they played this beatifully, and and Martin’s ability to come off screens will give them a whole new dimension on offense. 

[TallmanNYCParticipant]

 If K-Mart has a bounce back year, he isn’t going to be available for $8 million a year. Jeff Green, Kris Humphries and Crash Wallace just signed for over $10 million per year. If he averages 10 points a game, then yeah he is going to be cheap. But if he averages 20 points, he is going to cost bucks. If KMart plays like the old KMart and not like last season’s KMart, then every team in the league will want him. Bulls would love to have him next to Rose and that would be a great fit. KMart is probably past his prime, but he is a shooter and a scorer. He should fit nice on OKC even if I think he is a big downgrade from Harden.

Anyway, if he plays well he will be seaking a 4 year deal and I think OKC is going to be squeezed by it.

With OKC we are talking about a contender. We have no idea if Lamb can be helpful in the NBA in that context and especially not in the next two years. So I wouldn’t be particularly any more excited about Lamb than about the draft picks. They are each gambles. 

 

[SonicSabotuerEidolon]

K-mart will score no matter what harden failed to do so in the finals.Harden was always one my fav but for the last couple of years he has gotting dogged by the top sg every playoff series.Kobe,manu,wade they kept thabo on the floor and lost offensive production because harden couldnt score ,defened or keep his head from getting smashed in with an elbow.

We know K mart will score he puts up 20 as the number 1 option things will come easier for him now and if in the situation he will light it up a pure shooter is great with any great scorer a shooter take the pressure off of other player and stops double teams.K-mart does that  at 6’7  can score off the dribble and go to the line at a high rate . Good scorers dont fall off in their 30s  the last thing  to go is the shot look lol at peirce and ray.

Lamb will be a great scorer he reminds me of k mart but comes off of screens like ray,rip, and reggie miller he doesnt need the ball to be effective and ifhe STEPS UP  THE DEFENSE HE CAN MAKE THABO EXPENDABLE AND TAKE THE STARTING  sg POSTION with k mart coming of the bench. The reason they didnt take terrance jones is because he doesnt fit a need they have enough scoring they rather thave traditional big men or rebound/shotblocking playoff vet.

FAIR DEAL now if the some how get a steven adams(if he lives up to the hype) zeller,or a stock rising big they made a 3rd option multiple options and role players.If shabazz some how falls( ineligible and hurt is the only reason he would slip) to them he has the defensive ability to take thabo spot and hes such a scoring threat that he will give team fits  but learning to pass on okc talented team he will rack up assit like harden does

 

[SonicSabotuerEidolon]

You guys are acting like K mart is a slouch. Never hes one of those players who never got put in a good situation pure scorer that has done his job everyteam he went to.

[Beard13Participant]

 Harden is going to show everybody he is the leagues best shooting guard

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

Kevin Martin is a one year rental for OKC. IF he can stay heathy and perform like he did in 2010-2011, then maybe OKC considers re-signing him. Other than that, he won’t return. The key piece in this trade was Jeremy Lamb, who’s cheap and on his rookie contract.

 

[Author]

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