TrueHoop Network
An ESPN Affiliate

Bobcats targeting James Harden for the No. 2 pick?

by Royce Young on June 14, 2012 at 12:38 pm 639 Comments

Former Thunder assistant general manager and current Bobcats GM Rich Cho is trying to get back one of the picks he helped out on. Via Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com, Charlotte is targeting James Harden and dangling the No. 2 pick as bait.

The Charlotte Bobcats are eyeing the possibility of dealing the No. 2 overall pick in a trade that would bring a more established player, multiple sources told CBSSports.com.

Rod Higgins and Rich Cho understand that the Bobcats need more than just a talented rookie, whether it be Bradley Beal, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Harrison Barnes, Thomas Robinson or even Andre Drummond — to make the Bobcats competitive from their laughingstock of a season.

One source said that Oklahoma City’s James Harden could be in play due to the Thunder’s salary situation following next season. GM Sam Presti already has Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook on the books for more than $29 million next season — and both Harden and Serge Ibaka will command huge contracts after the 2012-13 campaign.

Quick take: Good try, Bobcats.

Categories
Headlines

613 comments

Newest | Oldest

Patrick OKC

Posting this after game 4, and as of right now I'm not as upset about this as I used to be.

Fella1Hoopscom

Fella1Hoops.com/ Thats a tough one. Its a good idea, but the chemistry could be killed. Then who do you pick? Maybe Kidd-Gilchrist to give OKC some toughness? Idk that's a hard one.

Thunderman

1 Like

Why give up a known commodity for an unknown one?

Dan Yuschick

Living near Charlotte and the Bobcats being my #2 team, this is the only place I'd be okay with seeing Harden go. But I agree, I think Harden would happily take a bit less money to stay with this core than move elsewhere, like Charlotte.

Marty_McFly321

2 Like

Can't help but think Harden would rather take less money and stay here than go to the Basketball Hell that is Charlotte.

TaoMaas

This discussion reminds me of what Jalen Rose said the other day when someone asked him if he thought Westbrook would prefer to be the #1 player on another team, rather than continue to play somewhat in KD's shadow. He said, "The Charlotte Bobcats had a best player this year, too, but nobody knows who he is." LOL I doubt Harden wants to apply for the job.

ThunderBelize

1 Like

ever feel like you missed the memo...

*crickets*

OSU EE

http://www.dailythunder.com/2012/06/heat-vs-thunder-game-2-pregame-primer/#more-20792

OSU EE

So Bruce Bowen just said he'd take Kobe Bryant over KD RIGHT NOW to close a game in the 4th quarter. The other guy just looked at him like he was retarded...

Jeremy2

@OSU EE Why not. Kobe can do what Durant does and better. People look at the down side of Kobe missing a lot because Kobe has had so many opportunities to do so. Durant's opportunities are not as many as Kobe. All players will miss clutch shots. Both are fantastic players and definitely would pick over leclutch james.

Sam Presti Trade Ninja

Why Give up Harden for pick two, when Ibaka could get you pick 5, and probably pick 3 if you included okc's late first founder. Especially with KD playing more PF recently

MostJadedGamer

1 Like

@jdstorm

Why trade for draft picks at all or rookies. We are NOT a rebuilding team we are a championship team. If we have to trade one of them which I do NOT think we will, but if we d have to trade one it better for established players that will help us win a championship next year not draft picks or rookies that is just plain stupid.

Also it is more important to keep Ibaka over Harden if we have to choose, but I don't think we have to choose I am sure both will resign next year before the trade deadline gets close. We certainly are not trading either one for draft picks in this years draft that is for sure as the only way they get traded is if we cann't resign them in the first place.

thunder fan in korea

@jdstorm trade ibaka. draft mkg. starting 5 -- westbrook, sefolosha, mkg, durant, perkins. not too shabby.

slapdoghoops

That's true what u say about the contract situation of OKC, but I don't see the Cats giving up the second pick for Harden. I don't know about that. Certainly Harden will command a big payday, possibly even the max and I doubt the Thunder will want to pay a player that much money if he primarily comes off the bench.

Tronchaser

2 Like

OKC Game 1 Shot Distribution

At the rim: 36/77 = 46.7%

3-pointers: 17/77 = 22.1%

Long 2s: 13/77 = 16.9%

Midtown: 11/77 = 14.3%

We're not going to lose too many games when we attack the rim like that.

ou_sas

1 Like

@Tronchaser Yup, posted that article below :)

JimboSlice

For those of you who like Fifa, I definitely recommend the new Fifa Street. I stayed up until 1:30 last night knowing I had to get up early for work. Extremely addicting. Obviously not as simulation as Fifa, but still a very good representation of the real thing with some fun tricks sprinkled in and passing, making runs, etc still being important. Having to unlock the moves on world tour mode is also a great touch because, unlike Fifa (at least for me), it really gives you a chance to learn the moves and use them situationally a little better (the move controls are also much simpler to execute). If you're hesitant about buying it after the previous installments of Fifa Street (which were crap), I'd at least rent it or buy a used copy off ebay for a cheap price.

ou_sas

1 Like

http://hoopspeak.com/2012/06/thunder-rolling-at-the-rim/

Finally, someone (not a thunder fan) standing up for the Thunder not being a jump shooting team.

OUThunderfan

This isn't happening at all. Why would Presti trade a proven 6th man stud (who is improving day by day) for an draft pick for an unproven player just to save some money?? Come on!

No Looker Hooker

@OUThunderfan Because Harden is going to get max. Which would already put them into the luxury tax. If that is the case then the team can't really pay Ibaka. Also, remember that this isn't just a little money. When in the luxury tax you are basically paying double, the salary and the tax)

MostJadedGamer

@Nick the Quick 4 Life @OUThunderfan

Harden will resign with us for far below the max. He knows he has to take less money to stay in OKC and he will. He also knows he is at very serious risk of getting traded if he don't resign with us before the trade deadline.

JimboSlice

3 Like

@Nick the Quick 4 Life @OUThunderfan what is it that people don't understand about a) sign-and -trades b) restricted free agency? If another team is going to sign Harden for the max, it's asinine to think they wouldn't give up assets for him in a sign-and-trade. We hold ALL the cards in Ibaka and Harden's cases, so even if BOTH get offered max, we match, and then trade to the highest bidder. If nobody bites right away, we keep them and trade them sometime during the season/ at the deadline. There really should be no fear whatsoever of them walking for nothing.

MostJadedGamer

@JimboSlice @Nick the Quick 4 Life @OUThunderfan

No jimboslice, but you wrong about the resticted free agent part. Your right we hold all the cards, and that is why they will never even reach the restricted free agent part.

If Harden, and Ibaka have not resigned with us by the time the trade deadline gets close they will be traded. We are not going to wait til they become restrcited free agents where there trade value will go down considerablly.

Anyway all of this is a moot point as both guys will resign before the trade deadline gets close next season.

dollarbillrussell

@JimboSlice @Nick the Quick 4 Life @OUThunderfan Some of the comments people are making on this thread had me questioning whether I was posting on ESPN for a second.

Lost Ones

@OUThunderfan depending how-much harden command i have no issue with it harden isn't worth anything over 11 mil per year

dollarbillrussell

@Lost Ones @OUThunderfan You are being an idiot. No one in this draft would come in and immediately impact this team the way Harden does. And then on top of that, the chances that the #2 pick would pan out to be as efficient and diverse as Harden in 3 years are extremely slim. So even, if by great fortune, that player did end up as good as Harden, you're still looking at a 3 year window of getting back to where we are now. Very shrew business my friend.

JimboSlice

1 Like

@dollarbillrussell @Lost Ones @OUThunderfan tell that to the other guy who was arguing extremely hard that "the #2 pick might be the best we could get for him" and, if given the choice "you definitely keep Ibaka over Harden"..

... and he knows, because he's "a collegiate coach" and we're "not thinking like gm's"

if you can't tell... i disagreed with the things he said lol

ThunderBelize

Game 1 replay on NBA TV - made me think about that moment in the 4th when KD was calling for the over the top and RW drove and hit a tough J just below the FT line. He hit it and when the cameras catch up with them getting set on it looks like him and KD (might have been Scotty) had a talk and RW, from what I could make out said " Yeah, I got it"

What does everyone make of that?

Jooseppi

3 Like

@ThunderBelize I think Russ rarely has to throw over a fronting defender and was worried about turning it over. It's not a pass he's comfortable with. Should have been working on it in practice today and yesterday though, because they'll front Durant again.

Tronchaser

2 Like

@Jooseppi @ThunderBelize I agree. I was sitting right in front of that play. You could kind of see it that Russ didn't wanna throw it over. Almost like the Heat were baiting him to do so.

ThunderBelize

@Tronchaser @Jooseppi touche!

Tronchaser

1 Like

@ThunderBelize @Jooseppi Noted, and then I remember you're sitting on a beach in Belize! Ha!

ThunderBelize

1 Like

@Tronchaser @Jooseppi Just to be clear Tronchaser - I am liking because of your analysis and NOT because you were sitting that damn close to the action! For that you get a big ol' green-with-evny-dislike!

EatSleepThunder

3 Like

We arent going to trade harden

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6_KYulzT4M

Case closed

CDSpark

2.5M quake 1km South of Nichols Hills 15:24 Local

loplopol

3 Like

@CDSpark What if tonight..

Bron shoots potential game winner.

Que Earthquake

Ball bounces out.

Thunder win.

CDSpark

1 Like

@loplopol Heart failures increase exponentially

Jax Raging Bile Duct

2 Like

@CDSpark Well the bad news is that the quakes have made it to the middle of the city. The good news is that 2.5 is basically insignificant.

Jooseppi

2 Like

@Jax Raging Bile Duct @CDSpark Tell that to the poor old lady in Nichols Hills who dropped an empty paper cup.

Jax Raging Bile Duct

3 Like

@Jooseppi Tell that to the poor old lady in Nichols Hills who dropped a just-emptied platinum and crystal goblet of Courvoisier onto the Egyptian silk and Maltesian velvet laden fluff pillow where she was resting from her rigorous and intense day of being awake.

fix'd

OBoy

3 Like

@Jooseppi @Jax Raging Bile Duct @CDSpark luckily nichols hills PD just returned from a seminar in Beverly hills on "coffee accidents"

Tronchaser

1 Like

anyone have an extra tshirt from the SA series game 4? The one that says "Team is 18203" .. I think that's the best one and that's the one game I missed. Bleh.

ThunderChick2010

@Tronchaser . . . but she might possibly perhaps by chance maybe be willing to trade me that one back for one of my others..................

ThunderChick2010

1 Like

HA - That's what I'm wearing right now! I've got two from every game--except SA game 6 and this one. I took my sis with me and she selfishly kept the shirt. :)

walkerdog

HELL NO ON HARDEN THUNDER UP!!!!!

criznazy53

I think things are going to be a lot different tonight. I think Lebron is going to post up against durant to get to the rim. Possibly get Durant in foul trouble. I think wade is tired of the media giving him crap. Bosh will start to spread the floor. I think this one is going to be close. I'm interested to see how the Intense the heat come out and what adjustments Spo makes.

Fuzzy Logic

Hey CHO!!!! We sent you Byron Mullens and DJ White.... What more do you want from us?!

OBoy

3 Like

speaking of our crowd i was watching the US open today and the spot for the game tonight said "Magic Johnson said this is the loudest arena he's ever been in, thats a big statement, tune in tonight to see if they can get even louder"

Tronchaser

2 Like

@OBoymuzik I didn't even think last game was our loudest, to be honest with ya.

bmuelle22

3 Like

@Tronchaser @OBoymuzik I thought it was louder game 6 of last series

Tronchaser

2 Like

@bmuelle21 @OBoymuzik Yes, it was. That place was a'rockin' that night.

C-Wil

1 Like

@Tronchaser @OBoymuzik agreed it was an average OKC crowd but even an average one is louder than most arenas. I want to see it get really amped in there tonight. I think the bad start in the last game knocked the place dead.

ou_sas

@C-Wil @Tronchaser @OBoymuzik When the Peake starts rockin', don't bother knockin'.

OBoy

@C-Wil @Tronchaser its been louder this playoffs for sure...just crazy that thats what they were advertising

Trackbacks

SH Blog: Thursday’s News – Who does Kevin Durant remind Kobe Bryant of? | Sports Book Gambling says:

June 15, 2012 at 12:28 am

[...] Harden has made quite a name for himself, and the Bobcats may use their No. 2 draft pick to try to acquire the bearded one, reported by Royce Young: “One source said that Oklahoma City’s James Harden could be in play [...]
Thunder have talked about moving up to get Bradley Beal | Daily Thunder.com says:

June 27, 2012 at 4:47 pm

[...] likely involving James Harden. That scenario actually isn’t anything new, as a report from Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com actually mentioned OKC dealing Harden to Charlotte for the No. 2 [...]
Thunder have talked about moving up to get Bradley Beal | The Thunder Gazette says:

June 28, 2012 at 6:44 am

[...] most likely involving James Harden. That scenario actually isn’t anything new, as a report from Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com actually mentioned OKC dealing Harden to Charlotte for the No. 2 [...]