Wow, Presti offered 52 Million to Harden, James declines.

[KG Living Legend]

 This is straight from James Hardens mouth on NBA TV. "they offered me 52, and I wanted a little more, I thought they would have given me a couple more days to work it out but I guess he didn't want to wait that long"

 Big Ups to James for telling it like it is. I think the thunder got a fantastic deal. I'm just shocked that it was that close to him staying with the thunder. How many years you think the 52 million deal was for?

[j804]

was it that close to what he could get max, heard he could get an 80 million dollar deal?

[heitingas]

Presti was always overrated, picking in the top 3 in draft,back to back to back !

He Will regret trading Harden,clearly premature move by him. Could've let him play the season,go for the championship, now they're no longer championship contenders.

How many small town teams have won the NBA championship? That's worth alot more than the possibility of losing Harden next summer for nothing.

[Moranis]

Presti was always overrated, picking in the top 3 in draft,back to back to back !

He Will regret trading Harden,clearly premature move by him. Could've let him play the season,go for the championship, now they're no longer championship contenders.

How many small town teams have won the NBA championship? That's worth alot more than the possibility of losing Harden next summer for nothing.

Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb will have every bit the production that James Harden had. 

[Moranis]

 This is straight from James Hardens mouth on NBA TV. "they offered me 52, and I wanted a little more, I thought they would have given me a couple more days to work it out but I guess he didn't want to wait that long"

 Big Ups to James for telling it like it is. I think the thunder got a fantastic deal. I'm just shocked that it was that close to him staying with the thunder. How many years you think the 52 million deal was for?

this was known.  It was clearly reported in every single James Harden article related to the trade.

[Fafnir]

was it that close to what he could get max, heard he could get an 80 million dollar deal?

Yup which he is going to get from the Rockets from the sound of it.

[cman88]

Presti was always overrated, picking in the top 3 in draft,back to back to back !

He Will regret trading Harden,clearly premature move by him. Could've let him play the season,go for the championship, now they're no longer championship contenders.

How many small town teams have won the NBA championship? That's worth alot more than the possibility of losing Harden next summer for nothing.

Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb will have every bit the production that James Harden had.

im surprised people think Kevin Martin and a rookie will have the same production as harden

despite the fact that Harden is a better playmaker than martin, martin only shot 41% last year while harden 49% not to mention 39% from 3 vs. 34% from Martin.

so, given that martin will likely fill the same role and get less shows, he factors to have less production

[blake]

Presti was always overrated, picking in the top 3 in draft,back to back to back !

He Will regret trading Harden,clearly premature move by him. Could've let him play the season,go for the championship, now they're no longer championship contenders.

How many small town teams have won the NBA championship? That's worth alot more than the possibility of losing Harden next summer for nothing.

Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb will have every bit the production that James Harden had.

im surprised people think Kevin Martin and a rookie will have the same production as harden

despite the fact that Harden is a better playmaker than martin, martin only shot 41% last year while harden 49% not to mention 39% from 3 vs. 34% from Martin.

so, given that martin will likely fill the same role and get less shows, he factors to have less production

I think you are ignoring the fact that kMart was the focus of defenses and usually was guarded by the other team's best defender.  Now he will get to play as the first guy off the bench and we should see his percentages increase and production.

[Fafnir]

Presti was always overrated, picking in the top 3 in draft,back to back to back !

He Will regret trading Harden,clearly premature move by him. Could've let him play the season,go for the championship, now they're no longer championship contenders.

How many small town teams have won the NBA championship? That's worth alot more than the possibility of losing Harden next summer for nothing.

Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb will have every bit the production that James Harden had.

im surprised people think Kevin Martin and a rookie will have the same production as harden

despite the fact that Harden is a better playmaker than martin, martin only shot 41% last year while harden 49% not to mention 39% from 3 vs. 34% from Martin.

so, given that martin will likely fill the same role and get less shows, he factors to have less production

I think you are ignoring the fact that kMart was the focus of defenses and usually was guarded by the other team's best defender.  Now he will get to play as the first guy off the bench and we should see his percentages increase and production.

Meh he's usually been a .600 TS% guy until last year when he was really banged up. I think his ability to stay healthy will determine his production level more than what level of wing defender teams allocate to him.

[Chris]

Presti was always overrated, picking in the top 3 in draft,back to back to back !

He Will regret trading Harden,clearly premature move by him. Could've let him play the season,go for the championship, now they're no longer championship contenders.

How many small town teams have won the NBA championship? That's worth alot more than the possibility of losing Harden next summer for nothing.

Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb will have every bit the production that James Harden had.

im surprised people think Kevin Martin and a rookie will have the same production as harden

despite the fact that Harden is a better playmaker than martin, martin only shot 41% last year while harden 49% not to mention 39% from 3 vs. 34% from Martin.

so, given that martin will likely fill the same role and get less shows, he factors to have less production

I think you are ignoring the fact that kMart was the focus of defenses and usually was guarded by the other team's best defender.  Now he will get to play as the first guy off the bench and we should see his percentages increase and production.

Meh he's usually been a .600 TS% guy until last year when he was really banged up. I think his ability to stay healthy will determine his production level more than what level of wing defender teams allocate to him.

Yeah, I think Martin is a very good offensive player.  My problem with him is that he is another guy who is at his best with the ball in his hands.  He is not a spot-up shooter, he likes to create off the dribble. 

Now, perhaps that is what they wanted, for when Durant and Westbrook are on the bench...but I think I would have been more inclined to get a guy who was more of a complimentary catch and shoot guy.

[Fafnir]

Now, perhaps that is what they wanted, for when Durant and Westbrook are on the bench...but I think I would have been more inclined to get a guy who was more of a complimentary catch and shoot guy.

Harden isn't exactly a catch and shoot guy either though.

I thought I read in someone's breakdown of the trade that Martin is a better catch and shooter off the move/screens than Harden is.

I'll have to look for it.

[Chris]

Now, perhaps that is what they wanted, for when Durant and Westbrook are on the bench...but I think I would have been more inclined to get a guy who was more of a complimentary catch and shoot guy.

Harden isn't exactly a catch and shoot guy either though.

I thought I read in someone's breakdown of the trade that Martin is a better catch and shooter off the move/screens than Harden is.

I'll have to look for it.

I agree.  The benefit of Harden though, is that he was also a bit of a point forward type.  He needed the ball in his hands to score on his own, but he was also a decent distributor for a SG.

Ultimately though, I think Harden vs. Martin is not a big deal.  If anything is going to stop them from winning a championship, it is going to be the lack of a distributor, and the lack of an interior presence on offense.

And that is where this trade bothers me more than anything.  I think they replaced what was a slightly square peg, with a less talented, and sligthly more square peg...although with the other assets they gained, it was a net positive. 

I understand this is weird to say about a such a good team, but I feel like they continue to nail the value and talent evaluations, but don't quite get the whole "build a championship TEAM" part of it.  I feel like they continue to be less than the sum of the parts, and with an asset like Harden, I think they had an opportunity to try to rectify that a bit, but instead, they chose to just add more parts that don't quite fill the need.

[Fafnir]

I understand this is weird to say about a such a good team, but I feel like they continue to nail the value and talent evaluations, but don't quite get the whole "build a championship TEAM" part of it.  I feel like they continue to be less than the sum of the parts, and with an asset like Harden, I think they had an opportunity to try to rectify that a bit, but instead, they chose to just add more parts that don't quite fill the need.

I think this is the problem of having a PG like Westbrook with a wing like Durant.

[Chris]

I understand this is weird to say about a such a good team, but I feel like they continue to nail the value and talent evaluations, but don't quite get the whole "build a championship TEAM" part of it.  I feel like they continue to be less than the sum of the parts, and with an asset like Harden, I think they had an opportunity to try to rectify that a bit, but instead, they chose to just add more parts that don't quite fill the need.

I think this is the problem of having a PG like Westbrook with a wing like Durant.

Exactly.  And unfortunately, they are in a situation where they really need a GM who has no fear to fix that.  Because the move really was to give away Westbrook for a better passing PG IMO...but if you wiff on that, there goes your job.  But, if you hold onto those guys, even if the don't get over the top, you are pretty safe as they keep going deep into the playoffs.

[Fafnir]

I understand this is weird to say about a such a good team, but I feel like they continue to nail the value and talent evaluations, but don't quite get the whole "build a championship TEAM" part of it.  I feel like they continue to be less than the sum of the parts, and with an asset like Harden, I think they had an opportunity to try to rectify that a bit, but instead, they chose to just add more parts that don't quite fill the need.

I think this is the problem of having a PG like Westbrook with a wing like Durant.

Exactly.  And unfortunately, they are in a situation where they really need a GM who has no fear to fix that.  Because the move really was to give away Westbrook for a better passing PG IMO...but if you wiff on that, there goes your job.  But, if you hold onto those guys, even if the don't get over the top, you are pretty safe as they keep going deep into the playoffs.

Yeah, but the problem is it isn't like there are many PGs who are more pass first that you can swap Westbrook with (this is where Rondo/Westbrook rumors came from as the fit makes sense). Instead he's hoping internal growth will solve the issue....