1 minute ago, Shepard Wong said:

their entire "big 3’ is out.  

5 minutes ago, mr_hunt said:

their entire "big 3’ is out.  

"They’re heating up”

 

7 minutes ago, Bwestbrook36 said:

Where was this tea yesterday? I must of been reading some kind of other leaves. 

Don’t worry. Morey’s got it.  This time.  

Now Maxey’s turn to close the quarter with a nice play. Fun first half.

15 minutes ago, Dave Moss said:

Doc is one behind Red Auerbach in playoff wins and two behind Larry Brown.  Wow.

Happens when you coach good players 

Nets were down 28-2 in their game tonight.

Beal is having season ending wrist surgery. So if there was a 0.0000001% chance that was happening instead of Harden, forget it.

Possibilities remaining based on rumors

 

Harden

Grant package from Detroit

Sexton package from Cleveland, but they dont have Nance anymore

Russell, Beasley package from Minnesota

John Collins package from ATL

 

It seems we have rejected all of those packages. Leaving just Harden as the only real remaining possibility. 

By the time this summer arrives, the truth about James Harden and his mysterious plans will be laid bare.

He’ll either bolt from Brooklyn in free agency, like so many predict, leaving the Nets to wonder why they didn’t avoid that uncomfortable, costly ending to their failed partnership by playing ball in February when the Philadelphia 76ers were calling. Or — and this scenario seems less likely by the day — perhaps he’ll be basking in the glow of his first championship while inking a new deal with the team that refused to believe all that "outside noise” about him, as Nets coach Steve Nash called it, some months before.

If nothing changes before Thursday’s trade deadline, and if the Nets continue to keep the Sixers at bay in Harden-Ben Simmonstrade talks that sources say have gone nowhere between the two teams, then those would be two extremes among the possible outcomes. But if Nets general manager Sean Marks is wrong here, and if it turns out that his view on Harden’s alleged unhappiness was off-base and they missed out on a chance to salvage the situation by landing a three-time All-Star whose contract runs through 2025 in Simmons, then this would be a miscalculation of epic proportions. And the question at the center of it all, it seems, is this: Which team has the right intel?

Truth be told, I can’t tell you. I have received no clarity from Harden himself (though we said hello briefly in San Francisco last week) or anyone close to him.

This is what I do know. I know the Nets continue to publicly claim that the level of Harden’s discontent is overblown, and I know that the Sixers — whose front office is run by the guy with more Harden history than any other executive in former Rockets general manager Daryl Morey — truly believe that Harden is heading elsewhere this summer.

It could be Philly, or the Clippers, or some other place where he doesn’t have to wonder if Kyrie Irving is playing that night or if his well-chronicled style of play will be pegged as a problem whenever times are tough. Portland also has room for Simmons now, too, having traded Norm Powell and Robert Covingtonto the Clippers and C.J. McCollum to New Orleans.

As our Shams Charania reported recently, there have been "growing concerns” about Harden’s style of play of late — and that was before he started missing games with a sore hamstring. But the Sixers, sources say, strongly believe he won’t re-sign with the Nets and remain hopeful that Brooklyn sees the light before the deadline buzzer sounds.

One team is right. One team is wrong. We’ll know which one did the better sleuthing soon enough.

On the Nets’ side, the notion of Harden not wanting to be there anymore would be a brutal pill to swallow. As a salt-in-the-wound reminder, let’s review their sunk cost from the Harden trade with Houston in January 2021: They sent Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince to Cleveland, then sent Caris Levert, Rodions Kurucs, three first-round picks (2022, ’24 and ’26) and four first-round pick swaps (2021, ’23, ’25, ’27) to Houston. Landing Simmons wouldn’t erase the pain that came with paying that enormous price for Harden, but it would certainly help.

But in terms of the threat posed by the Sixers this summer, the prospect of them signing Harden outright is even more real than most likely realize. And the plan, sources say, would look like this …

Step 1: The Sixers trade Simmons and the three seasons remaining on his deal ($108.8 million combined) to a team with cap room in exchange for assets in return. Detroit, Orlando and San Antonio already have the space, and teams such as Memphis or the Rockets (who could waive and stretch John Wall) could get there fairly easily. Portland also has a plausible path to room for Simmons now, too, having traded Norm Powell and Robert Covington to the Clippers and C.J. McCollum to New Orleans. As we reported back in December, Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard is known to have interest in playing with Simmons.

Step 2: Find a new home for Tobias Harris’contract via trade, which would be challenging but likely not impossible. He’s owed a combined $79.4 million over the next two seasons. The Sixers could theoretically waive and stretch Harris as well (per our cap expert, Danny Leroux, that move would open up approximately $22.3 million in space).

Step 3: Sign Harden for either the max (starting salary of $42 million) or something close to it. And for anyone who’s hung up on the fact that the Sixers might struggle to get to Harden’s max number, consider this much: At this later stage of Harden’s career, he has made it abundantly clear that his focus is on the goal of winning a title. The belief in Philadelphia, sources say, is that he wouldn’t let $10 million or $20 million (over the life of a deal) be a deal-breaker if he wanted to play for the Sixers.

So, why am I laying all of this out now? Because of the pressure that comes with the deadline of course. On both sides.

While the Sixers have made it clear for quite some time now that they’re willing to wait until this summer to pursue Harden, it would certainly be preferable to pair him with big man Joel Embiid when the Sixers’ center is in the midst of a historic, MVP-caliber run heading into the playoffs. What’s more, sources say that two of the Sixers’ other short-list targets — Lillard and Washington’s Bradley Beal — remain out of reach. Both the Trail Blazers and Wizards have recently indicated that they’re not willing to discuss their stars with the Sixers.

For the Nets, there has to be some serious concern about the situation spiraling in the next couple of months. We saw in those later stages of his Rockets life what he looks like when all is not well, and it’s … um … not pretty.

Might that compel Marks to rethink the prospect of pairing Kevin Durant and Irving with Simmons and boasting a roster that would widely be considered title-contender worthy (again)? He has 48 hours left to decide.

Here we are currently beating the Suns. With just Embiid, beating the team with the best record in the NBA. But I guess re-enforcements were meaningless.

Sheesh.  Talk about petty.  

4 minutes ago, HazletonEagle said:

Here we are currently beating the Suns. With just Embiid, beating the team with the best record in the NBA. But I guess re-enforcements were meaningless.

Trade deadline isn’t until 3pm Thursday. 

Just now, 4for4EaglesNest said:

Sheesh.  Talk about petty.  

You know how people continuously bish about Howie not drafting DK or Jefferson? Morey deserves that.

Just now, Khani1 said:

Trade deadline isn’t until 3pm Thursday. 

Kings trade is no longer possible. That was the one.

Just now, HazletonEagle said:

You know how people continuously bish about Howie not drafting DK or Jefferson? Morey deserves that.

No. I’m talking about the little ****es who challenge someone’s fandom if you don’t want Harden.  Petty. 

2 minutes ago, 4for4EaglesNest said:

No. I’m talking about the little ****es who challenge someone’s fandom if you don’t want Harden.  Petty. 

I am not challenging your fandom. I’m challenging your nba intelligence. 

7 minutes ago, 4for4EaglesNest said:

No. I’m talking about the little ****es who challenge someone’s fandom if you don’t want Harden.  Petty. 

OIC

I posted the other day- we know Harden isnt what he once was. But the best team we have seen was the one with Butler just scoring like 16-20PPG most nights. He just hit shots when it mattered. Harden can potentially still give 20PPG and hit big shots to help close games.

And on top of that, take defensive attention away from Embiid.

Also, likely draws the best perimeter defender, which means good D on Embiid, best perimeter defender on Harden, a teams 3rd or 4th best defender isnt going to do well against Maxey, or even Harris. 

Harden may be well on his way to washed, but he should make an impact directly and indirectly on the overall scoring ability of the offense. 

 

The way Morey has decided to use his resources makes 0 sense. But, Im hopeful it will work. 

The real kick in the balls would be a 5 year max. I HOPE we can do a 3 year extension. Even 4 (would be a little rough) might not kill me. 

3 minutes ago, HazletonEagle said:

OIC

I posted the other day- we know Harden isnt what he once was. But the best team we have seen was the one with Butler just scoring like 16-20PPG most nights. He just hit shots when it mattered. Harden can potentially still give 20PPG and hit big shots to help close games.

And on top of that, take defensive attention away from Embiid.

Also, likely draws the best perimeter defender, which means good D on Embiid, best perimeter defender on Harden, a teams 3rd or 4th best defender isnt going to do well against Maxey, or even Harris. 

Harden may be well on his way to washed, but he should make an impact directly and indirectly on the overall scoring ability of the offense. 

 

The way Morey has decided to use his resources makes 0 sense. But, Im hopeful it will work. 

I tried and said all this already. He doesn’t seem to recognize it. 

doc's bum lineup about to blow the lead. 

Just now, mr_hunt said:

doc's bum lineup about to blow the lead. 

at least we still know he is one of the greatest coaches of all time

1 hour ago, Khani1 said:

That's too far.

I was messing around.  I wasted a lot of posts with nonsense.  I am done now.  Apologies to all.

Messing around but still talking crap I see.  Passive aggressive and weak.  

Just now, HazletonEagle said:

at least we still know he is one of the greatest coaches of all time

pfft...

Earlier this morning my friend said he wanted to go to a 6ers game for my son's birthday present. We picked up tickets for 6ers/Nuggs next month. Hope its a healthy Embiid vs Joker matchup. 

Refs on the Suns payroll tonight.

The Portland Trail Blazers remain engaged with the Detroit Pistons on a trade for Jerami Grant. The Pistons are seeking at least two first round picks in exchange for Grant.

Harden joined the bench just now in their game tonight. Who knows what that means. 

27 minutes ago, HazletonEagle said:

Beal is having season ending wrist surgery. So if there was a 0.0000001% chance that was happening instead of Harden, forget it.

Possibilities remaining based on rumors

 

Harden

Grant package from Detroit

Sexton package from Cleveland, but they dont have Nance anymore

Russell, Beasley package from Minnesota

John Collins package from ATL

 

It seems we have rejected all of those packages. Leaving just Harden as the only real remaining possibility. 

Probably gonna have to cross out the Detroit option soon

The Portland Trail Blazers remain engaged with the Detroit Pistons on a trade for Jerami Grant. The Pistons are seeking at least two first round picks in exchange for Grant.