Harden adds Cs to preferred trade destination list

[GreenlyGreeny]

Is there any way to use the TPE to effectively create a trade where we move Tatum straight-up for Harden? For example, we give the TPE to the Rockets for Gordon and immediately trade Gordon and Tatum to the Rockets for Harden? Or would we need a third team involved to pull this sort of thing off?

I’m not in love with the idea of trading Tatum for anybody, of course. Just curious if there’s even a way to move Tatum for Harden (no way could we give up more than Tatum for Harden...hell, it’s not even an option for me so I’d like to answer definitively that there’s not even a way to pull it off so people drop this idea...I’ve bee pushing harder for a Harden trade than most anybody, but Tatum/Smart have to be off the table in any trade for Harden).

[gouki88]

I would try and nab someone like Aaron Gordon, Harrison Barnes, Rudy Gay or Will Barton with the TPE if possible. Ideally one of the first 2. These guys would shore up our most pressing weaknesses IMO.

If that could come to pass I would move heaven and earth to get Harden here without moving Brown or Tatum if possible - Brown because I would love his fit alongside Harden, Tatum because of his Poison Pill Provision.

Something like: https://tradenba.com/trades/UIQpNfA1P

Boston receives: James Harden

New York receives: Kemba Walker

Houston receives: Julius Randle, Robert Williams, Romeo Langford, NYK 2021 1st, Boston 2021 1st, Boston 2023 1st


Why for Boston: Boston gets its MVP-level talent. Going all in for a title when the East is wide open makes sense to me. All the top teams, whether its Milwaukee, Brooklyn, Toronto or Miami have big gaping weaknesses. Having Harden alongside Tatum and/or Brown, Smart & our solid role players would give us a really hot shot at the title.
If the most favourable outcome occurred it would leave us with a rotation of:

Harden / Teague / Pritchard
Brown / Smart / Nesmith
Tatum / Ojeleye
Barnes / Williams
Thompson / Theis

Even an unfavourable outcome (relatively) would leave us with a starting 5 of Harden-Smart-Brown/Tatum-Barnes-Thompson. That's a title-winning 5. It's got an MVP level scorer, a secondary easy 20+ scorer, elite defenders, shooting and rebounding.


Why for New York: Nab a local All-Star talent who will put butts in seats (when permitted). Randle is in the way of their young bigs in Toppin & Robinson, and a 1st rounder is a small price to pay alongside that for a guy who has been an All-Star for a long time.


Why for Houston: Houston get a solid haul for a guy doing his best to lower his value. They get a walking double-double who would make for a truly nasty duo alongside Wood, which also allows Boogie to come off the bench, some prospects that also add defence and depth (things Houston desperately needs) and a rejuvenation of their draft stocks. Houston would be able to roll out a rotation of:

John Wall / David Nwaba / Brodric Thomas
Eric Gordon / Romeo Langford / Ben McLemore
PJ Tucker / Sterling Brown / Kenyon Martin Jr.
Julius Randle / Robert Williams / Bruno Caboclo
Christian Wood / DeMarcus Cousins / Jae'Sean Tate


All in all, I'm mostly steaming mad about how we looked in our last two games. Offence without purpose, unmotivated defence, a plethora of sloppy mistakes, and a lack of an apparent ability to win games against tough teams.
I'd make these moves, obviously. Is anyone else coming round to the idea of going all-in?

[Somebody]

I would try and nab someone like Aaron Gordon, Harrison Barnes, Rudy Gay or Will Barton with the TPE if possible. Ideally one of the first 2. These guys would shore up our most pressing weaknesses IMO.

If that could come to pass I would move heaven and earth to get Harden here without moving Brown or Tatum if possible - Brown because I would love his fit alongside Harden, Tatum because of his Poison Pill Provision.

Something like: https://tradenba.com/trades/UIQpNfA1P

Boston receives: James Harden

New York receives: Kemba Walker

Houston receives: Julius Randle, Robert Williams, Romeo Langford, NYK 2021 1st, Boston 2021 1st, Boston 2023 1st


Why for Boston: Boston gets its MVP-level talent. Going all in for a title when the East is wide open makes sense to me. All the top teams, whether its Milwaukee, Brooklyn, Toronto or Miami have big gaping weaknesses. Having Harden alongside Tatum and/or Brown, Smart & our solid role players would give us a really hot shot at the title.
If the most favourable outcome occurred it would leave us with a rotation of:

Harden / Teague / Pritchard
Brown / Smart / Nesmith
Tatum / Ojeleye
Barnes / Williams
Thompson / Theis

Even an unfavourable outcome (relatively) would leave us with a starting 5 of Harden-Smart-Brown/Tatum-Barnes-Thompson. That's a title-winning 5. It's got an MVP level scorer, a secondary easy 20+ scorer, elite defenders, shooting and rebounding.


Why for New York: Nab a local All-Star talent who will put butts in seats (when permitted). Randle is in the way of their young bigs in Toppin & Robinson, and a 1st rounder is a small price to pay alongside that for a guy who has been an All-Star for a long time.


Why for Houston: Houston get a solid haul for a guy doing his best to lower his value. They get a walking double-double who would make for a truly nasty duo alongside Wood, which also allows Boogie to come off the bench, some prospects that also add defence and depth (things Houston desperately needs) and a rejuvenation of their draft stocks. Houston would be able to roll out a rotation of:

John Wall / David Nwaba / Brodric Thomas
Eric Gordon / Romeo Langford / Ben McLemore
PJ Tucker / Sterling Brown / Kenyon Martin Jr.
Julius Randle / Robert Williams / Bruno Caboclo
Christian Wood / DeMarcus Cousins / Jae'Sean Tate


All in all, I'm mostly steaming mad about how we looked in our last two games. Offence without purpose, unmotivated defence, a plethora of sloppy mistakes, and a lack of an apparent ability to win games against tough teams.
I'd make these moves, obviously. Is anyone else coming round to the idea of going all-in?

I was pushing for it before most of you were so absolutely . Am worried about the depth in your proposal though, all it takes is one injury to our wings and we're busted against the likes of LAL/MIL/BKN/LAC.

[gouki88]

I would try and nab someone like Aaron Gordon, Harrison Barnes, Rudy Gay or Will Barton with the TPE if possible. Ideally one of the first 2. These guys would shore up our most pressing weaknesses IMO.

If that could come to pass I would move heaven and earth to get Harden here without moving Brown or Tatum if possible - Brown because I would love his fit alongside Harden, Tatum because of his Poison Pill Provision.

Something like: https://tradenba.com/trades/UIQpNfA1P

Boston receives: James Harden

New York receives: Kemba Walker

Houston receives: Julius Randle, Robert Williams, Romeo Langford, NYK 2021 1st, Boston 2021 1st, Boston 2023 1st


Why for Boston: Boston gets its MVP-level talent. Going all in for a title when the East is wide open makes sense to me. All the top teams, whether its Milwaukee, Brooklyn, Toronto or Miami have big gaping weaknesses. Having Harden alongside Tatum and/or Brown, Smart & our solid role players would give us a really hot shot at the title.
If the most favourable outcome occurred it would leave us with a rotation of:

Harden / Teague / Pritchard
Brown / Smart / Nesmith
Tatum / Ojeleye
Barnes / Williams
Thompson / Theis

Even an unfavourable outcome (relatively) would leave us with a starting 5 of Harden-Smart-Brown/Tatum-Barnes-Thompson. That's a title-winning 5. It's got an MVP level scorer, a secondary easy 20+ scorer, elite defenders, shooting and rebounding.


Why for New York: Nab a local All-Star talent who will put butts in seats (when permitted). Randle is in the way of their young bigs in Toppin & Robinson, and a 1st rounder is a small price to pay alongside that for a guy who has been an All-Star for a long time.


Why for Houston: Houston get a solid haul for a guy doing his best to lower his value. They get a walking double-double who would make for a truly nasty duo alongside Wood, which also allows Boogie to come off the bench, some prospects that also add defence and depth (things Houston desperately needs) and a rejuvenation of their draft stocks. Houston would be able to roll out a rotation of:

John Wall / David Nwaba / Brodric Thomas
Eric Gordon / Romeo Langford / Ben McLemore
PJ Tucker / Sterling Brown / Kenyon Martin Jr.
Julius Randle / Robert Williams / Bruno Caboclo
Christian Wood / DeMarcus Cousins / Jae'Sean Tate


All in all, I'm mostly steaming mad about how we looked in our last two games. Offence without purpose, unmotivated defence, a plethora of sloppy mistakes, and a lack of an apparent ability to win games against tough teams.
I'd make these moves, obviously. Is anyone else coming round to the idea of going all-in?

I was pushing for it before most of you were so absolutely . Am worried about the depth in your proposal though, all it takes is one injury to our wings and we're busted against the likes of LAL/MIL/BKN/LAC.

It’s why I’d try and get a guy like Ilyasova. Can play backup 4-5 minutes, and allows Barnes/Gordon/whoever to come off the bench and we can stick with a big lineup starting Theis & TT.

Yolo

[Somebody]

I would try and nab someone like Aaron Gordon, Harrison Barnes, Rudy Gay or Will Barton with the TPE if possible. Ideally one of the first 2. These guys would shore up our most pressing weaknesses IMO.

If that could come to pass I would move heaven and earth to get Harden here without moving Brown or Tatum if possible - Brown because I would love his fit alongside Harden, Tatum because of his Poison Pill Provision.

Something like: https://tradenba.com/trades/UIQpNfA1P

Boston receives: James Harden

New York receives: Kemba Walker

Houston receives: Julius Randle, Robert Williams, Romeo Langford, NYK 2021 1st, Boston 2021 1st, Boston 2023 1st


Why for Boston: Boston gets its MVP-level talent. Going all in for a title when the East is wide open makes sense to me. All the top teams, whether its Milwaukee, Brooklyn, Toronto or Miami have big gaping weaknesses. Having Harden alongside Tatum and/or Brown, Smart & our solid role players would give us a really hot shot at the title.
If the most favourable outcome occurred it would leave us with a rotation of:

Harden / Teague / Pritchard
Brown / Smart / Nesmith
Tatum / Ojeleye
Barnes / Williams
Thompson / Theis

Even an unfavourable outcome (relatively) would leave us with a starting 5 of Harden-Smart-Brown/Tatum-Barnes-Thompson. That's a title-winning 5. It's got an MVP level scorer, a secondary easy 20+ scorer, elite defenders, shooting and rebounding.


Why for New York: Nab a local All-Star talent who will put butts in seats (when permitted). Randle is in the way of their young bigs in Toppin & Robinson, and a 1st rounder is a small price to pay alongside that for a guy who has been an All-Star for a long time.


Why for Houston: Houston get a solid haul for a guy doing his best to lower his value. They get a walking double-double who would make for a truly nasty duo alongside Wood, which also allows Boogie to come off the bench, some prospects that also add defence and depth (things Houston desperately needs) and a rejuvenation of their draft stocks. Houston would be able to roll out a rotation of:

John Wall / David Nwaba / Brodric Thomas
Eric Gordon / Romeo Langford / Ben McLemore
PJ Tucker / Sterling Brown / Kenyon Martin Jr.
Julius Randle / Robert Williams / Bruno Caboclo
Christian Wood / DeMarcus Cousins / Jae'Sean Tate


All in all, I'm mostly steaming mad about how we looked in our last two games. Offence without purpose, unmotivated defence, a plethora of sloppy mistakes, and a lack of an apparent ability to win games against tough teams.
I'd make these moves, obviously. Is anyone else coming round to the idea of going all-in?

I was pushing for it before most of you were so absolutely . Am worried about the depth in your proposal though, all it takes is one injury to our wings and we're busted against the likes of LAL/MIL/BKN/LAC.

It’s why I’d try and get a guy like Ilyasova. Can play backup 4-5 minutes, and allows Barnes/Gordon/whoever to come off the bench and we can stick with a big lineup starting Theis & TT.

Yolo

Sounds good

[Vermont Green]

I would try and nab someone like Aaron Gordon, Harrison Barnes, Rudy Gay or Will Barton with the TPE if possible. Ideally one of the first 2. These guys would shore up our most pressing weaknesses IMO.

If that could come to pass I would move heaven and earth to get Harden here without moving Brown or Tatum if possible - Brown because I would love his fit alongside Harden, Tatum because of his Poison Pill Provision.

Something like: https://tradenba.com/trades/UIQpNfA1P

Boston receives: James Harden

New York receives: Kemba Walker

Houston receives: Julius Randle, Robert Williams, Romeo Langford, NYK 2021 1st, Boston 2021 1st, Boston 2023 1st


Why for Boston: Boston gets its MVP-level talent. Going all in for a title when the East is wide open makes sense to me. All the top teams, whether its Milwaukee, Brooklyn, Toronto or Miami have big gaping weaknesses. Having Harden alongside Tatum and/or Brown, Smart & our solid role players would give us a really hot shot at the title.
If the most favourable outcome occurred it would leave us with a rotation of:

Harden / Teague / Pritchard
Brown / Smart / Nesmith
Tatum / Ojeleye
Barnes / Williams
Thompson / Theis

Even an unfavourable outcome (relatively) would leave us with a starting 5 of Harden-Smart-Brown/Tatum-Barnes-Thompson. That's a title-winning 5. It's got an MVP level scorer, a secondary easy 20+ scorer, elite defenders, shooting and rebounding.


Why for New York: Nab a local All-Star talent who will put butts in seats (when permitted). Randle is in the way of their young bigs in Toppin & Robinson, and a 1st rounder is a small price to pay alongside that for a guy who has been an All-Star for a long time.


Why for Houston: Houston get a solid haul for a guy doing his best to lower his value. They get a walking double-double who would make for a truly nasty duo alongside Wood, which also allows Boogie to come off the bench, some prospects that also add defence and depth (things Houston desperately needs) and a rejuvenation of their draft stocks. Houston would be able to roll out a rotation of:

John Wall / David Nwaba / Brodric Thomas
Eric Gordon / Romeo Langford / Ben McLemore
PJ Tucker / Sterling Brown / Kenyon Martin Jr.
Julius Randle / Robert Williams / Bruno Caboclo
Christian Wood / DeMarcus Cousins / Jae'Sean Tate


All in all, I'm mostly steaming mad about how we looked in our last two games. Offence without purpose, unmotivated defence, a plethora of sloppy mistakes, and a lack of an apparent ability to win games against tough teams.
I'd make these moves, obviously. Is anyone else coming round to the idea of going all-in?

So you have NYK giving up Randle and a 1st for Kemba Walker?  Not sure they would do that but if so, why not stop right there?  Why make this a 3-way?  And further, if Houston was interested in Randle plus players like Langford and Williams, why wouldn't the Knicks make and offer directly to Houston?  They can add players comparable to Langford and Williams from their own roster and better picks and get Harden.

I know it is easy to shoot down trade ideas.  I totally like the idea of trying to find something where Walker out and Harden in works but I don't think it does.  First, Walker right now has no value and second, if another team has assets to send to us so we can get Harden, they would be better off to send them directly to Houston and get Harden for themselves.

[Somebody]

I would try and nab someone like Aaron Gordon, Harrison Barnes, Rudy Gay or Will Barton with the TPE if possible. Ideally one of the first 2. These guys would shore up our most pressing weaknesses IMO.

If that could come to pass I would move heaven and earth to get Harden here without moving Brown or Tatum if possible - Brown because I would love his fit alongside Harden, Tatum because of his Poison Pill Provision.

Something like: https://tradenba.com/trades/UIQpNfA1P

Boston receives: James Harden

New York receives: Kemba Walker

Houston receives: Julius Randle, Robert Williams, Romeo Langford, NYK 2021 1st, Boston 2021 1st, Boston 2023 1st


Why for Boston: Boston gets its MVP-level talent. Going all in for a title when the East is wide open makes sense to me. All the top teams, whether its Milwaukee, Brooklyn, Toronto or Miami have big gaping weaknesses. Having Harden alongside Tatum and/or Brown, Smart & our solid role players would give us a really hot shot at the title.
If the most favourable outcome occurred it would leave us with a rotation of:

Harden / Teague / Pritchard
Brown / Smart / Nesmith
Tatum / Ojeleye
Barnes / Williams
Thompson / Theis

Even an unfavourable outcome (relatively) would leave us with a starting 5 of Harden-Smart-Brown/Tatum-Barnes-Thompson. That's a title-winning 5. It's got an MVP level scorer, a secondary easy 20+ scorer, elite defenders, shooting and rebounding.


Why for New York: Nab a local All-Star talent who will put butts in seats (when permitted). Randle is in the way of their young bigs in Toppin & Robinson, and a 1st rounder is a small price to pay alongside that for a guy who has been an All-Star for a long time.


Why for Houston: Houston get a solid haul for a guy doing his best to lower his value. They get a walking double-double who would make for a truly nasty duo alongside Wood, which also allows Boogie to come off the bench, some prospects that also add defence and depth (things Houston desperately needs) and a rejuvenation of their draft stocks. Houston would be able to roll out a rotation of:

John Wall / David Nwaba / Brodric Thomas
Eric Gordon / Romeo Langford / Ben McLemore
PJ Tucker / Sterling Brown / Kenyon Martin Jr.
Julius Randle / Robert Williams / Bruno Caboclo
Christian Wood / DeMarcus Cousins / Jae'Sean Tate


All in all, I'm mostly steaming mad about how we looked in our last two games. Offence without purpose, unmotivated defence, a plethora of sloppy mistakes, and a lack of an apparent ability to win games against tough teams.
I'd make these moves, obviously. Is anyone else coming round to the idea of going all-in?

So you have NYK giving up Randle and a 1st for Kemba Walker?  Not sure they would do that but if so, why not stop right there?  Why make this a 3-way?  And further, if Houston was interested in Randle plus players like Langford and Williams, why wouldn't the Knicks make and offer directly to Houston?  They can add players comparable to Langford and Williams from their own roster and better picks and get Harden.

I know it is easy to shoot down trade ideas.  I totally like the idea of trying to find something where Walker out and Harden in works but I don't think it does.  First, Walker right now has no value and second, if another team has assets to send to us so we can get Harden, they would be better off to send them directly to Houston and get Harden for themselves.

New York definitely is not on Harden's list of preferred trade destinations so the Knicks can't trade for him outright. Your point about is valid though, his injury really dampens his value.

[Darth_Yoda]

I would try and nab someone like Aaron Gordon, Harrison Barnes, Rudy Gay or Will Barton with the TPE if possible. Ideally one of the first 2. These guys would shore up our most pressing weaknesses IMO.

If that could come to pass I would move heaven and earth to get Harden here without moving Brown or Tatum if possible - Brown because I would love his fit alongside Harden, Tatum because of his Poison Pill Provision.

Something like: https://tradenba.com/trades/UIQpNfA1P

Boston receives: James Harden

New York receives: Kemba Walker

Houston receives: Julius Randle, Robert Williams, Romeo Langford, NYK 2021 1st, Boston 2021 1st, Boston 2023 1st


Why for Boston: Boston gets its MVP-level talent. Going all in for a title when the East is wide open makes sense to me. All the top teams, whether its Milwaukee, Brooklyn, Toronto or Miami have big gaping weaknesses. Having Harden alongside Tatum and/or Brown, Smart & our solid role players would give us a really hot shot at the title.
If the most favourable outcome occurred it would leave us with a rotation of:

Harden / Teague / Pritchard
Brown / Smart / Nesmith
Tatum / Ojeleye
Barnes / Williams
Thompson / Theis

Even an unfavourable outcome (relatively) would leave us with a starting 5 of Harden-Smart-Brown/Tatum-Barnes-Thompson. That's a title-winning 5. It's got an MVP level scorer, a secondary easy 20+ scorer, elite defenders, shooting and rebounding.


Why for New York: Nab a local All-Star talent who will put butts in seats (when permitted). Randle is in the way of their young bigs in Toppin & Robinson, and a 1st rounder is a small price to pay alongside that for a guy who has been an All-Star for a long time.


Why for Houston: Houston get a solid haul for a guy doing his best to lower his value. They get a walking double-double who would make for a truly nasty duo alongside Wood, which also allows Boogie to come off the bench, some prospects that also add defence and depth (things Houston desperately needs) and a rejuvenation of their draft stocks. Houston would be able to roll out a rotation of:

John Wall / David Nwaba / Brodric Thomas
Eric Gordon / Romeo Langford / Ben McLemore
PJ Tucker / Sterling Brown / Kenyon Martin Jr.
Julius Randle / Robert Williams / Bruno Caboclo
Christian Wood / DeMarcus Cousins / Jae'Sean Tate


All in all, I'm mostly steaming mad about how we looked in our last two games. Offence without purpose, unmotivated defence, a plethora of sloppy mistakes, and a lack of an apparent ability to win games against tough teams.
I'd make these moves, obviously. Is anyone else coming round to the idea of going all-in?

Deal makes alot of sense, A 3 way involving Clippers instead of Knicks could work as well.

[slamtheking]

I would try and nab someone like Aaron Gordon, Harrison Barnes, Rudy Gay or Will Barton with the TPE if possible. Ideally one of the first 2. These guys would shore up our most pressing weaknesses IMO.

If that could come to pass I would move heaven and earth to get Harden here without moving Brown or Tatum if possible - Brown because I would love his fit alongside Harden, Tatum because of his Poison Pill Provision.

Something like: https://tradenba.com/trades/UIQpNfA1P

Boston receives: James Harden

New York receives: Kemba Walker

Houston receives: Julius Randle, Robert Williams, Romeo Langford, NYK 2021 1st, Boston 2021 1st, Boston 2023 1st


Why for Boston: Boston gets its MVP-level talent. Going all in for a title when the East is wide open makes sense to me. All the top teams, whether its Milwaukee, Brooklyn, Toronto or Miami have big gaping weaknesses. Having Harden alongside Tatum and/or Brown, Smart & our solid role players would give us a really hot shot at the title.
If the most favourable outcome occurred it would leave us with a rotation of:

Harden / Teague / Pritchard
Brown / Smart / Nesmith
Tatum / Ojeleye
Barnes / Williams
Thompson / Theis

Even an unfavourable outcome (relatively) would leave us with a starting 5 of Harden-Smart-Brown/Tatum-Barnes-Thompson. That's a title-winning 5. It's got an MVP level scorer, a secondary easy 20+ scorer, elite defenders, shooting and rebounding.


Why for New York: Nab a local All-Star talent who will put butts in seats (when permitted). Randle is in the way of their young bigs in Toppin & Robinson, and a 1st rounder is a small price to pay alongside that for a guy who has been an All-Star for a long time.


Why for Houston: Houston get a solid haul for a guy doing his best to lower his value. They get a walking double-double who would make for a truly nasty duo alongside Wood, which also allows Boogie to come off the bench, some prospects that also add defence and depth (things Houston desperately needs) and a rejuvenation of their draft stocks. Houston would be able to roll out a rotation of:

John Wall / David Nwaba / Brodric Thomas
Eric Gordon / Romeo Langford / Ben McLemore
PJ Tucker / Sterling Brown / Kenyon Martin Jr.
Julius Randle / Robert Williams / Bruno Caboclo
Christian Wood / DeMarcus Cousins / Jae'Sean Tate


All in all, I'm mostly steaming mad about how we looked in our last two games. Offence without purpose, unmotivated defence, a plethora of sloppy mistakes, and a lack of an apparent ability to win games against tough teams.
I'd make these moves, obviously. Is anyone else coming round to the idea of going all-in?

not a fan of Harden's game and he'd likely do better than Tatum with last second shots    but not seeing the appeal here for Houston.  not enough going to them.  Knicks should be kicking in more.  Kemba's worth more than Randle and a first

[gouki88]

The Clippers are a hard one to bring in because of cap considerations. Many of their contracts are either huge or rookie deals. I agree that fit-wise it would be in their best interest to have a more reliable offensive-minded guard than an ageing LouWill, it would just be tricky.

Regarding Houston 'getting more', I'm just going by reporting here, but all the potential trade counterparts seem unwilling to give up premium assets. Philly don't seem willing to move Simmons, Miami aren't willing to move Bam, we're not willing to move Jaylen, etc. I could see Houston going for this deal because it surrounds Wall with enough talent to still make a playoff push (he seems to be looking quite close to peak Wall physically) while getting a few first rounders to stock up.
I think a revision of the deal is probably necessary - I would swap NYKs 2021 1st for a 2022 1st and a 2023 2nd. The later first makes it more in New York's favour. Randle seems to be in the way of Toppin.

My idea was half there to get the ball rolling on deals that don't incorporate Brown or Tatum, as that seems to be the line other teams are drawing. It's funny how differently people evaluate injured guys like Kemba. I still think he has significant value. I also rate Julius Randle quite highly though...

[PhoSita]

So let me get this straight ...

Kemba is, by all accounts, a hugely positive personality off the court.  Teammates love him.  Read the very excellent GQ article about the bubble.  He and Tatum are tight, already.

Kemba has a lingering knee injury after playing hurt in the playoffs through the ECF.  He might need surgery.  There are big question marks about what the next couple years of his career look like.

Now people are suggesting we trade him for Harden, who is

(a) known for scoring a lot of points and not playing much defense

(b) notorious for off-court shenanigans (strip clubs, personality stuff, etc).  most recently he flagrantly broke quarantine in the midst of holding out trying to get traded, which resulted in half of his teammates being rendered ineligible and forcing a game to be post-poned.


Hm.

How'd that work the last time we did something like that?



I mean, if Ainge could turn Kemba and various minor assets into Harden, that would be, on paper, a magic trick.  Just an absolute heist.

Then again ... feels very familiar to me and not in a good way.

[gouki88]

So let me get this straight ...

Kemba is, by all accounts, a hugely positive personality off the court.  Teammates love him.  Read the very excellent GQ article about the bubble.  He and Tatum are tight, already.

Kemba has a lingering knee injury after playing hurt in the playoffs through the ECF.  He might need surgery.  There are big question marks about what the next couple years of his career look like.

Now people are suggesting we trade him for Harden, who is

(a) known for scoring a lot of points and not playing much defense

(b) notorious for off-court shenanigans (strip clubs, personality stuff, etc).  most recently he flagrantly broke quarantine in the midst of holding out trying to get traded, which resulted in half of his teammates being rendered ineligible and forcing a game to be post-poned.


Hm.

How'd that work the last time we did something like that?



I mean, if Ainge could turn Kemba and various minor assets into Harden, that would be, on paper, a magic trick.  Just an absolute heist.

Then again ... feels very familiar to me and not in a good way.

Except Harden is a significantly better player than Kyrie, and Kemba never reached the heights IT did

[PhoSita]

So let me get this straight ...

Kemba is, by all accounts, a hugely positive personality off the court.  Teammates love him.  Read the very excellent GQ article about the bubble.  He and Tatum are tight, already.

Kemba has a lingering knee injury after playing hurt in the playoffs through the ECF.  He might need surgery.  There are big question marks about what the next couple years of his career look like.

Now people are suggesting we trade him for Harden, who is

(a) known for scoring a lot of points and not playing much defense

(b) notorious for off-court shenanigans (strip clubs, personality stuff, etc).  most recently he flagrantly broke quarantine in the midst of holding out trying to get traded, which resulted in half of his teammates being rendered ineligible and forcing a game to be post-poned.


Hm.

How'd that work the last time we did something like that?



I mean, if Ainge could turn Kemba and various minor assets into Harden, that would be, on paper, a magic trick.  Just an absolute heist.

Then again ... feels very familiar to me and not in a good way.

Except Harden is a significantly better player than Kyrie, and Kemba never reached the heights IT did

The argument on paper makes sense, I'm just pointing out that it feels icky.


Harden is unquestionably better than Kyrie, but he is also 5 years older and has wayyy more wear and tear on him.

Whereas with Kyrie we thought we were potentially trading for two seasons + his next contract (if things went according to plan), with Harden we basically know that we're getting him for just two years before he becomes a complete albatross that no smart team should pay for.


I also think it is a genuine concern what trading Kemba would do to the Celts' chances of signing big name FAs in the future.  Kemba coming here in the wake of the Kyrie debacle and Al leaving was a major saving grace last year.  To then turn around and trade him, in a situation that is at least reminiscent of the last injured All-Star guard that the team traded, seems like it could really make it tough to convince guys to sign here unless they're ring chasing or the offer is an overpay.