SF and PG. Its arguable that PF is just as easy to find a good player at. You got Wade, Bryant, Joe Johnson, Ginobili and then probably Harden... Harden's a top 5 SG in the league and he's a 23 year old.
Harden is only a role player because of the two guys ahead of him. In the same sense that Aldridge, with a healthy ROy and Oden, is/was a role player. Harden only gets 10 shots a game, a USG% of 21, and puts up 17/4/4 on good shooting numbers. His PER is 21.4. Aldridge was 21.5 last year in his break out year. I really like Harden, and I think a ball dominant wing is the easiest, and best way to win in this league, so it'd be a yes from me. Especially because we wouldstill have cap space this offseason. And 2 lotto picks. I think you can take a chance at a big offer to someone like Brook Lopez, whose rebounding woudl be covered by Ibaka, draft BPA with both picks, maybe Drummond and Marshall, I dunno. But yes from me. SG being easiest position to fill seems like a myth from 5 years ago that is hardly the case, if you mean a "true" SG. Most now are undersized, or just not good. Sorting through just guards who average 15/4 rebounds, 3 assits, there are 7 in the league. Wade and Kobe are the only other SGs, depending on how you classify Tyreke. I'd easily take him over Joe Johnson, and taking contract and age into consideraton, easily over him and Manu.
So you're basically trading LMA for Harden, who will need a big contract, with Ibaka likely headed elsewhere, and Perkins already on the downside of his career. Does this actually improve the team? I don't see it. You get rid of the one guy who and score in the post and replace him with a wing player. Seems like a bad idea to me, but what do I know. OKC has Durant and Westbrook, with Harden being an afterthought for the defense. Without LMA, Portland would have Harden, I guess as their primary scorer, with Batum and ??? scoring points.
I'd actually prefer it without Perkins. But I don't see why Ibaka is going elsewhere, and where I said any such thing. I like Harden more, for sure, and he is the centerpiece. But Ibaka is a very good role player, and I mentioned how his defense/rebounding could cover for someone like Lopez if we were able to get him.
Having proposed the trade, I really don't think OKC would ever go for it (at least while Sam Presti is in charge). They seem to have some magic voodoo over their players where they don't even become free agents but just sign on to extensions. So it would take word coming from the owner that hell no, he would not pay big $ for Harden and Ibaka. Even then, I think if we make this offer, they give a counter offer that does not include BOTH Harden and Ibaka. But they don't have people signed to big contracts (other than the big 2). Collison did have a big contract, but it was massively front-loaded. If they threw Collison in instead of Ibaka I'd still be tempted because he's a very smart player and sort of their Varejao. Getting a bit old, though, and he's been with them longer than any player, so they might be sentimentally attached to him.
As a very generic way of looking, there are currently 14 PGs with a PER over 18. 21 PFs. 16 Cs. There are 5 SGs. and 5 SFs. It's funny how people continually throw out the wings are a dime a dozen mantra, when it's not at all the case. Seems there are more above average Cs than there are wings. PER is obviously not the be all end all. But a quick way to look at one stat that tries to cover a lot to show the different positions.
So that means they trade Westbrook for a "decent" center? That really makes me lol Not too mention they just gave him a MAX contract. I think that means they like him and value him for more than just a decent center.
Actually a pretty fair trade. I voted no. If I were OKC, I'd do that in a heartbeat. Durant, Westbrook, Aldridge? Yeah... Perkins is overpaid trash and is a deal-breaker for Portland for this. If they added in a couple 1st rounders or something else, would be good for both teams possibly. Depth is a luxury OKC has, but I would no doubt sacrifice it to bring Aldridge to OKC. Going with my alteration, Portland does it to go into complete rebuild mode and get younger. 1st trade proposal I've ever seen on this forum that was actually good.
To RoyToy: Are you saying they will k keep all four? Are you saying they will win as constructed? Don't go out on a limb or anything. Just keep flaming with no contribution. And have a little imagination. Trades aren't one to one. If you give up a Westbrook for an inferior player the other team can send a second good player or picks or eat a bad contract our whatever to equalize the trade.
Perkins has a big contract. Harden will get a big contract, and so will Ibaka. Do you want to pay them 3x combined what LMA makes?
My thought is that you've given up your best player for the 3rd, 4th, and 6th-best players on another team, you've added long-term payroll, and you've lost a legitimate primary scorer. Presti would do that deal in a minute.
I don't know if they'd do it yet but I'd love to pul off Matthews + our NJJ pick (#5?) for Harden. It'd work out financially, they get a cheaper deal (Matthews is cheaper than his cap hold even because of that big bonus), and another cheap rookie deal. We get a proven player to put next to Aldridge. I'd love to see Deron/Harden/Batum/Aldridge/Freeland. I think that's a championship contender probably.
