NBA
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Why didn't they just amnesty Perkins? What's the point of having the Howard stopper if you won't even get to that point?
If I were a OKC fan I would not mind this strategy at all. Only issue is that you're losing a year of play from the contracts of Durant, Westbrook, and Ibaka. You'd want to make sure you could lock each of them down for even longer. Then yes, by all means, utterly tank a season with faux injuries to Durant and Westbrook and try to get a top pick. If they could land a top 3 pick that could be big as long as someone good is available who could seriously contribute within 2 seasons. Preferably, for them, a big who could rebound and score in the paint or someone who could play SG/SF off the bench in a Harden kind of role.DurhamSon said:
Problems, however:
(1) The NBA would rig the draft lottery to screw them if they did this, whether or not it got out that they did it on purpose.
(2) This coming draft doesn't inspire much confidence. IMO, Poythress could end up being the best player in it, but he probably won't be ready to contribute fast enough for a plan like this to help OKC to a title over the Heat. I'm not sold yet on Noel, but that's because I haven't seen him play college ball.
(3) Since some of the higher picks turn out as busts, strong possibility that tanking the season could turn out not to help them in the least...and then they've lost a year of trying to figure out how to win a title without Harden.
I know you weren't being completely serious, DSon, but I thought it'd be fun to respond and play out this hypothetical a bit.
IMO, this trade got the Thunder about as much as they could get for Harden since every team out there knows his contract is up after this year and won't be resigning with OKC. Since Martin's deal is up after this season they will even have more wiggle room to sign a solid role player of some sort to go alongside the core they've still got there.
Oops, just saw that you specified tanking the 2013-14 season so as to try for the stronger 2014 draft. Still think points 1 and 3 apply though.
But again, I do not oppose this kind of strategy. Since the goal is to win titles, I've never understood why some teams that have a legit superstar and/or core of solid players that get them to the playoffs every season BUT that also don't have what it takes to win the Title...I've never understood why such teams don't go for this kind of strategy. Why not suck it up for a season in order to add another potential star and get your team to being a contender...especially if it's early in the career of your superstar?
Of course, for this to work a coach and GM would have to convince a superstar in his very early 20s to be willing to do this AND sign an extension beyond his rookie contract...otherwise there's no point because you'll lose your first superstar right as the player you get with the top pick from the tanked season becomes ready to be a contributor.
But again, I do not oppose this kind of strategy. Since the goal is to win titles, I've never understood why some teams that have a legit superstar and/or core of solid players that get them to the playoffs every season BUT that also don't have what it takes to win the Title...I've never understood why such teams don't go for this kind of strategy. Why not suck it up for a season in order to add another potential star and get your team to being a contender...especially if it's early in the career of your superstar?
Of course, for this to work a coach and GM would have to convince a superstar in his very early 20s to be willing to do this AND sign an extension beyond his rookie contract...otherwise there's no point because you'll lose your first superstar right as the player you get with the top pick from the tanked season becomes ready to be a contributor.
The Thunder become players in the JJ Redick sweepstakes now.
Westbrook, Redick, Sefolosha, Durant, Ibaka.
Westbrook, Redick, Sefolosha, Durant, Ibaka.
Forgive my ignorance on this, but is Redick a FA after this season? Or are you referencing how Orlando has gutted its roster and will likely be fielding tons of trade offers, especially as the trading deadline approaches in the season, for Redick by playoff teams that want another shooter? Or both?SeanMayTriedToEatMe said:
I actually think this was a great move for OKC
Get your top tier backup PG back- Eric Maynor
Rent one of most proficient SGs in the league for one year (as in, more proficient than Harden)
Get high 2013 draft picks (including charlotte's i believe)
Get really really promising rookie (Lamb) as possible Harden replacement
Very little risk here. Pretty impressed.
Get your top tier backup PG back- Eric Maynor
Rent one of most proficient SGs in the league for one year (as in, more proficient than Harden)
Get high 2013 draft picks (including charlotte's i believe)
Get really really promising rookie (Lamb) as possible Harden replacement
Very little risk here. Pretty impressed.
Agree on all points. Let me add:rhfarmer said:
They did this early enough to get a lot of value out of Harden, as opposed to riding this thing out and being forced to deal him for chump change later at the end of his contract.
The one thing you could say is that they should have waited out the season and taken one more swing at the championship with their core, but I think they saw the Dwight Howard situation play out and decided to not deviate form their jeff green philosophy of wheeling and dealing assets that they don't believe will sign the right contract, and dealing them early for max value.
The Raptors are expected to fall into the 6th-12th worst team range this season. Most likely pick for the Thunder based on DraftExpress is Archie Goodwin or Steven Adams, depending on how confident they are that Jeremy Lamb is the answer at SG or that Hasheem Thabeet is the answer as the 3rd big man in their rotation. Also depends on whether the Thunder want Tony Allen as a free agent. As good defensively as Westbrook/Allen/Sefolosha/Durant/Ibaka could be, it's hard to win a title with your PF as the only guy who can ever make a 3-pointer.
The Mavs/Thunder pick is top 20 protected until 2017. It's hard to value that pick at all. The player the Thunder get with that pick likely will either never be a star or will be a 19-year-old star 5 years from now (meaning the best outcome for the Thunder from the Mavs pick is getting a future star who is currently a freshman in high school).
So this trade will end up being something like James Harden + cap filler for Kevin Martin's expiring contract, Jeremy Lamb, Steven Adams and a prospect a few years from now. The best free agent fit for the Thunder is probably Anthony Morrow or JJ Redick. Once they let Martin go, they will have one player on their roster who can make a 3. Sefolosha shot 44% 3pt last season, but his career number is 32%. Morrow and Redick are both career 40%+ 3pt shooters and neither is as bad on defense as Kevin Martin is.
The Mavs/Thunder pick is top 20 protected until 2017. It's hard to value that pick at all. The player the Thunder get with that pick likely will either never be a star or will be a 19-year-old star 5 years from now (meaning the best outcome for the Thunder from the Mavs pick is getting a future star who is currently a freshman in high school).
So this trade will end up being something like James Harden + cap filler for Kevin Martin's expiring contract, Jeremy Lamb, Steven Adams and a prospect a few years from now. The best free agent fit for the Thunder is probably Anthony Morrow or JJ Redick. Once they let Martin go, they will have one player on their roster who can make a 3. Sefolosha shot 44% 3pt last season, but his career number is 32%. Morrow and Redick are both career 40%+ 3pt shooters and neither is as bad on defense as Kevin Martin is.
The Bobcats/Thunder pick is a 2nd rounder, so that will be someone of the talent level of a Reggie Bullock or Michael Snaer.
Rockets picks are complicated. I think 1st pick is top 14 protected and 2nd pick is top 40 protected, otherwise they go to the Hawks. Eventually the Hawks are getting picks. With how unimpressive this year's draft is, the Rockets will want to perform well so that they lose their picks this year instead of in the future.
Rockets might want to tank for the next 2 years to build toward a lineup of Lin, Harden, Wiggins, C.Zeller, Asik.