They don't need Tyson even though they had a deal in place for him before.

They have Thabo who is better than Shumpert, so that would serve no purpose as well.

I do find it odd that this deal features trading away the only two players on our team that plays defense every night.

Even if OKC wins the championship this year and has a dynasty in the making, I don't know if they will be willing to pay 4 players max/near max salary.
If OKC does not want to pay 4 players that kind of money, they have to trade somebody, and it isn't going to be Durant.
Durant and Westbrook both are making max salaries, with OKC's salary above 62m already for this year.

Durant deserves to be ahead of Harden but I am not sure about Westbrook, I think they should be equal or Harden slightly ahead.
Westbrook does have the ability to be a great defender, but his scoring ability, shooting, penetration and finishing, and facilitating all go to in favor of Harden.
But WestBrook often takes more shots than Durant, not to mention Harden himself.

Durant and Westbrook get all the attention and Harden has won many of games for OKC throughout his career and in the Dallas series for the comeback victory.
Many teams are going to be interested in Harden, throwing the max offer possible at him, so again, OKC will be put in a position to decide.
Looking at New Orleans, Brooklyn Nets, Dallas, Boston, and many teams have cap space *with amnesty not used*, all will be looking to test OKC with Ibaka and Harden.

I don't think its the contract money that Harden wants, it is the endorsements, fame, and respect that he wants to earn from the league.
I think Harden wants to follow in the road of Joe Johnson, currently one of the elite SG's in the NBA today, playing the backup SF/G/F while playing the PG at the same time.
He closes at PG over, Westbrook, majority of the times, especially when the game is close.

I seriously think its a good trade for OKC, unless they are prepared to have a payroll of 85-90 + million.
Ibaka might not get a max offer, but its not going to be less than a starting salary of 10-12m, I think starting towards the 12m side at least.

Decision on options Harden and Ibaka
=======================================

1) Match the offer

2) Trade

3) Let them walk

=====================================================

Trading with New York, sends Harden out of the West Coast, while upgrading Perkins to DPOY, Tyson Chandler.
While sending JR Smith and/or Iman Shumpert as replacements for Harden's production and Tyson Chandler is a huge upgrade over Perkins.

Harden(5.8m salary as a RFA not the max offer a team will throw at him), Kendrick Perkins, a backup PG (Reggie Jackson or Daequan Cook), and their 1st round pick (pick 28)

for

Tyson Chandler, Iman Shumpert, JR Smith, and TD (maybe Jorts)

As a 6th man, is Harden really worth a max salary? They can probably resign Ibaka at a lower price, but I am confident to say Harden will get a max offer from another team.
On top of it, I can see Tyson Chandler improving OKC to the best defensive team in the league, and being the deepest team in the league.
While replacing the scoring of Harden as the 6th man role with a mini MLE candidate with Terry and JR Smith, and adding a future lock down defender in Iman Shumpert.
This is a payroll of under about 75m with a resigned Ibaka, while they can probably trade Cole Aldrich and Cook, for lower salaries so they don't have to pay much or any tax.
This is still a legit Dynasty, in fact, this team might even be cheaper and better, with less egos to fill.
Tyson Chandler sets great picks, that will free up Durant/Westbrook even more, cause another mismatch, and allow Ibaka and whoever, to cut in for the alley hoop.
They don't even need any more youth with their 1st round pick, with the added salary.
OKC, doesn't even have to sign Ibaka just yet, if they make it known, they will match him, and could still have the FULL MLE to use.

Just look at this lineup and their defensive abilities, Durant/Ibaka can cover so much more ground with Chandler anchoring their defense, with a great 2nd unit as well.

Westbrook
Sefolosha
Durant
Ibaka
Tyson Chandler

Eric Maynor/ and whoever they decide to keep
Terry/ Iman Shumpert *when he returns from his injury, imagine Westbrook with Iman, Durant, Ibaka, Tyson Chandler and Sefalosha, those are all elite lock down defenders.
JR Smith
Nick Collison
Cole Aldrich

Another trade I think OKC could look at is a similar package to Boston for S&T for, Kevin Garnet, but they don't have a Iman Shumpert and JR Smith to offer in return.
As great as Harden is, they do not need to pay a 6th man of his caliber a max salary either.
Again, this trade is for OKC to lower salary, while still having a Dynasty, this type of trade achieves that, while giving up Perkins salary for a replaced Tyson Chandler.

yellowboy90 wrote:If I am OKC I am signing Harden over Ibaka.

Harden will get a max offer from a team though.
While Ibaka will cost less.

Harden, Westbrook, and Durant all play similar roles.

Ibaka plays the PF/C, while focuses on defense, shot blocking, rebounding, and running the floor as a big.
His salary will be in the starting range of 10-12m and his game focuses on other things.

Solace wrote:There's too much assumption here, namely that Harden is getting max. He's not. If you're saying the Charlotte Bobcats might throw out max and he'll take it to go there, I guess it's possible, but historically most players don't go to small market losing teams just to get max and historically those teams don't offer max because they are not making that kind of money when they're losing. He's not worth max. He's a good player, but he's a sixth man. The dynamics changed with the latest salary cap. Teams just can't throw out max, because you get 2 max players now and your flexibility is pretty much gone. To pay someone max it basically means they're your best player - Harden is not in that upper eschelon right now, so paying him max is a serious overpayment.

Harden is one of the leagues top SGs in the entire league. In terms of youth, versatility, and abilities to score, he is the #1 SG in the entire league.
He can play PG, SG, and SF, with his strengths including penetrating, shooting from anywhere on the court, having one of the highest high FG % in the entire league at SG, ability to finish strong with contact, goes to the FT line and hitting at a high %, and he is asked to play with the 2nd unit because OKC is that deep. He is no doubt starting material and would start can start on any team with the entire league.

With his skills, he has the ability to be a #1 option on a team, he is much more skilled than Joe Johnson while he was in his prime. OKC will have to convince Harden to take less money in order to retain Ibaka, Westbrook, and Durant to be there core for a dynasty. Again, I don't think its about the $ from his contract, its more about the ability for Harden to be a #1 or at least a #2 option and the endorsements that come with that territory. He would be able to seek max contracts from many teams with salary cap and that still have the ability to amnesty players. Teams from Dallas, Boston, BKLYN Nets, Houston, Denver, Philly *amnesty Brand*, Indiana, Suns, Twolves, Bucks, Cleveland, Kings, and a few other teams that still have the amnesty to use. If OKC does not match and is added to a team without giving up assets, he would be a great piece to build around with his youth and skills.
While OKC has a lot of talent, they need to learn to play move off the ball, and be able to beat teams with more mental and relying less on their physical abilities.
With the talent on that squad, they could overpower almost all teams in the regular season, but the playoffs is different style of game.

Losing the 2nd game vs the Heat, and even game 3, with the help of some calls from the refs favoring the All Star status of Lebron/Wade.
OKC has the talent to be up much more to defeat the Heat and should never be in those situations in the final minutes, with their skills/talent.
They do not move off the ball and stay in the same spots, looking to go 1v1 99% of the 48minutes. I thought they learned their lesson being down 0-2 vs the Spurs.
Without the ability to cause TOs like they did to Parker and the Spurs, with Lebron playing the PG, and with the refs rewarding Lebron and Wade every time they penetrate, it will be tough for OKC to win the next 2 games at Miami. There were a lot of errors that OKC has made, in which were part of the reasons of their losses but the refs do favor the status of Miami. OKC didn't have home court advantage with the refs at home, while Heat had home court advantage at Miami.

Tyson Chandler was one of the great reasons Dallas was able to win vs The Heat, as he anchored their defense. The team is much more talented than Dallas on defense if they added Tyson Chandler than the Mavs, when they won. Also, by getting rid of Perkins contract along with Harden, and their #1st round pick, they would be able to use their full
MLE and LLE, to players like Terry and Jason Kidd. Tyson Chandler sets great screens, to free up Durant/Westbrook, something OKC doesn't do enough of. It is a very under rated fundamental part of the game today, that is very simple yet so effective.

JohnStarksFan wrote:

Jmpasq wrote:Stupid Nets would of had all that cap room and a Top 10 pick in a loaded draft. What the hell were they thinking such a stupid trade for Wallace

They were really courting Howard, since howard wants to play with Wallace. Probably still are. Guess you give up a pick for the prospect of Superman.

Dwight dropped the ball.

Knicks did some silly things to get cap space to make a run for Lebron.

Its not just a run for Deron, its a run for two or three superfriends.

Hey, it works out in the in end. I mean, look at the Knicks!!!!

They got some marque players and sell out!

If you measure success by playoff victories your rooting for the wrong team.