James Harden and Daryl Morey, together again?
Steve Nash says that the Nets aren't trading James Harden. That reminds me of the time Daryl Morey said the Sixers weren't trading Ben Simmons.
Daryl Morey loves James Harden.
After stepping down from his role as the Rockets’ lead decision maker, Morey took out an entire full-page advertisement in the Houston Chronicle to thank everyone he worked with. He was grateful for the ability to add some of his “all-time favorite players” (a bizarre list that included Aaron Brooks, Chuck Hayes, and Luis Scola) to the Rockets’ core of Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming.
Morey continued on with even more gratitude:
“We remained a fun, hard-working group afterwards, but it did teach us what life was like without a superstar in the NBA. And then…
James Harden changed my life.
An entire page could be dedicated just to James. He not only transformed my life, but he also revolutionized the game of basketball — and continues to do so — like almost no one has before. The game is played differently because of James, and on every playground in the world, the next generation of talent is studying and imitating his game. I can’t believe I won’t be able to have another strategy session with James.”
Ten days later, ESPN reported that the Sixers were set to hire Daryl Morey as their new president of basketball operations.
We know what happened next: Harden quickly pushed his way out of Houston, too and had his choice between joining Morey in Philadelphia or creating a superteam in Brooklyn.
He chose the latter. In a more than a season and a half, Harden has only played 16 games with both Durant and Irving by his side. I wonder if he thinks he made the right decision.
A few weeks ago, Marc Stein reported that many teams in the NBA are operating under the assumption that Philadelphia would hold off on trading Ben Simmons until the offseason, when James Harden could force a sign-and-trade to the Sixers.
Now, it seems Morey could have a strategy session with the player who changed his life once again, even sooner than anticipated:
The Beard has missed the last two games due to left hamstring tightness. If you choose to take that at what it’s worth, it might explain Harden’s poor performance against the Kings on Wednesday — a forgettable four-point, six-turnover outing in which he looked completely checked out.
The timing of Harden’s removal from the lineup coincides with Charania’s report, which is odd — and potentially, not a coincidence. It’s worth considering that the Nets could be holding Harden out until a deal is made, or Harden could be holding himself out as he awaits his departure from Brooklyn.
The Nets were quick to shut down any rumors about Harden’s availability:
Nash’s one-word decline was the best he could do. What’s he supposed to say? “Man, we’ve been shopping him for a MINUTE! You KNOW I can’t wait until he’s gone!” He also didn’t say, “You’d have to ask Sean Marks about that one, chief.”
Do you remember when the Sixers and Rockets nearly completed a deal that would’ve sent Ben Simmons, Matisse Thybulle, and several future first round picks to Houston in exchange for James Harden? While the Rockets were engaged with both Philadelphia and Brooklyn on a Harden trade, Daryl Morey called Charania to make his stance oh so clear:
The writing seems to be on the wall with this situation. Morey loves Harden. Harden had the best years of his career working directly with Morey to create an offense unlike any we’ve ever seen (and certainly, one of the least visually appealing offenses in modern NBA history).
Harden also has all of the leverage in Brooklyn. He can become an unrestricted free agent this summer if he chooses not to sign an extension. If the Nets fear Harden will walk, they should at least get something for him.
But the list of teams that would trade for Harden is slim, because any suitor would need assurance that Harden would sign an extension. If they don’t have it, they just mortgaged their future for three months of James Harden.
Lucky for the Nets, the Sixers could send Ben Simmons (a 25-year old multi-time All-Star who clearly needs a new home) and an extra $2.5 million in salary to Brooklyn — with the implied reassurance that Harden loves Daryl Morey, an extension could be agreed upon, and that the two could work together with Joel Embiid to create a superteam in Philadelphia after all.
Would the Nets want Ben Simmons? I’m not sure. We know KD is a big fan of him. That probably helps.
I think it would be a surprise if James Harden isn’t a Sixer by 3PM EST on February 10th. With everything we’ve laid out — Morey’s ever-apparent blind love for Harden, Nash's swift dismissal of any Harden trade rumors, and the Nets’ lack of leverage in their 10-time All-Star’s impending free agency — one last thought prevails…
Why was any of this a surprise in the first place?
Caris LeVert comes home
The Pacers might actually be rebuilding?
The Cavs might actually be a contender?
It’s looking that way. Cleveland desperately needed to add a solid wing to their rotation, and they landed one of the best on the market in Caris LeVert. LeVert returns to his home state and is reunited with former teammate Jarrett Allen.
Indiana seems to be in blow-it-up mode. By acquiring Ricky Rubio’s expiring contract, a 2022 lottery-protected first, Houston’s second round pick this year (likely to be in the low 30s) and another future second round pick, they’ve cleared around $20 million in cap space and will likely make three selections in the top 35 of this year’s draft.
That’s a pretty awesome start. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski hinted that Indiana could keep dealing:
Norman Powell, hot and ready
Little Caesars has made their money from their $5 Hot-N-Ready pizza. Customers sacrifice some quality for the ability to walk right into the store, hand over $5, and walk away with a decent pizza.
The Clippers essentially handed a five dollar bill to the Blazers on Friday, but what they received was the finest deep-dish pizza in all the land — two players made for the postseason, who could help the Clippers now and when Kawhi Leonard and Paul George return next season.
Norman Powell scored 28 in his Clippers’ debut, just over 48 hours after being dealt alongside Robert Covington from Portland in exchange for Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson, and a second round pick.
This is instant offense, personified:
Links
The Ringer’s Dan Devine with a deeper look at Friday’s Clippers-Blazers trade, showing how the deal makes sense for both team’s present and future.
Mark Schindler’s in-depth interview with Caleb and Cody Martin, and their life as twin teammates & opponents in the NBA.
GQ’s Tyler R. Tynes’ awesome interview on Jaren Jackson Jr., in which he reveals that James Wiseman, Jordan Poole, Brandon Ingram and Mo Bamba are among the best rappers in the league — all with unreleased tracks 👀
The best from Joel Embiid and DeMar DeRozan’s Sunday afternoon duel, in which the two combined for 95 points 😱