James Harden has added the Blazers to his list

On the offensive end, you would be getting an astronomically better player than CJ. On the defensive end, you would be getting an equal if not better player than CJ.

Imagine all the open looks Harden would generate for Dame (and vice-versa). Teams wouldn’t be able to trap Dame when he crosses the half court line anymore.

Our defense would still be a shit show but at least the offense would be more fun to watch.

 

Have you watched Harden play? Do you like free throws?

 

Would much rather watch free throws going in the hoop as points than watch CJ jack up inefficient mid-range jumpers all night.

 

My trade for Harden:
Houston trade Harden to Portland
Portland trade CJ Kanter Trent and 1st protected

 

If Harden did not like sharing the spotlight with CP3 and Westbrook. He is going to hate the love Dame gets here.

 

Well, if it helps get a stadium built in Houston, so long as we are first in line to get an expansion player, it will be good in the long run. Just needs to resolve quickly. (Wait, what do you mean this isn't MLB for PDX related, it is clearly leveraging Portland for other franchises...)

 

Playing Dame off the ball would negate his one glaring weakness, as alluded to by @OneSport3 : being unable to handle traps. Even if he doesn't want to run around as much as CJ does in that role, imagine him standing outside the 3-pt line, with Harden drawing multiple defenders, and how much that would stretch defenses.

 

NO --- HELL NO --- NO F'ing WAY --- Please NeO ... No ----- Just say no to the Flopster

I hope i was clear but if i was not then let me say it again -- No way in HELL do i want to see Harden in a Blazer uni

 

The only way Harden would work well on Dame's team, is for him to come off of the bench to run the second unit.

Replacing Melo with Harden would be an upgrade.

 

https://amp.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/oct/29/portland-strippers-sex-workers-labor-rights-food

 

Neil should be on the phone!!

 

Fuck it why not--we're probably not going to do much with our current lineup. Either we still are a mediocre team with Harden or we actually make some serious noise in the league. If it blows up in our face then we rebuild but at least we tried to do something with Dame's prime years.

 

A lot of the reservations in this thread sound like Raptors fans when the Kawhi for Derozan deal went down.

"We've been a 50+ win playoff team in the last 5 years"
"We just won 59 games last year, and we've been to the ECF"
"Our stars love playing with each other, everyone is happy together, why compromise that for a Diva who is going to leave in one year?"

But they took the risk. It may well have not worked. They may have been a Kawhi bounce from getting ousted in the second round. But that trade gave them a chance, and ultimately the results speak louder than words.

The number of people in this thread that don't wouldn't at least try to get it done is astounding to me. The Blazers are the Raptors of the west before the Kawhi deal. Constantly banging their head against the wall each year with the same players and hoping the results would be different. Each year getting destroyed by LeBron in the exact same way.

Who cares if Harden is best when he's ISO? The difference between Harden ISOing every possession and CJ ISOing every possession is that Harden averages 61% TS and 33% AST%, where as CJ is 55% TS% and 17% AST%. Forget Dame, Harden is the best one man offense in the entire league and an even better playmaker than Dame. We can finally play Dame off the ball. Even if you don't believe Harden can un-learn his offensive ways, you can at least believe in Dame's ability to work around Harden. Dame as the secondary playmaker on offense instead of Westbrook or Paul would be unstoppable in the playoffs.

 

When was Kawhi suspended/fined for flouting league rules and clubbing during training camp while skipping practice? I'm all for talent, but character matters. and it affects winning on the biggest stage. Not sure Harden is all about bball, unlike Kawhi. I don't see the parallels. Kawhi was a former finals MVP before going to Toronto. Harden has historically choked in the playoffs.

 

ah thanks for the insight. i was trying to figure out where this connection came from.

 

Kawhi was "injured" and basically sat out an entire season on the spurs, the franchise everyone holds as a model franchise, with the greatest coach in the game.

 

I'd offer houston anything aside from Lillard. Chances like this don't come around too often.