Tramel: Did Thunder realize long ago that James Harden doesn't play nice with others? Berry Tramel Oklahoman Chris Paul lasted 748 days as James Harden’s Houston Rockets teammate. Russell Westbrook lasted 520 days as Harden’s Rockets teammate. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving lasted 392 days as Harden’s Brooklyn Netropolitans teammate. Joel Embiid, the clock is ticking. Harden forced his way out of town for the second time in 13 months, this time from Brooklyn to Philadelphia with a blockbuster deal Thursday, and suddenly, the Thunder’s original-sin trade almost 10 years ago looks a little different. The Thunder traded a young Harden to Houston in October 2012. He was an OKC teammate of Durant and Westbrook for 1,220 days. We’ve been asking Sam Presti for a decade why he traded Harden so soon. Maybe we had it backwards. Maybe the mystery is, how did Presti keep Harden with the Thunder superstars so long? OKC Thunder at Philadelphia 76ers:How to watch, three things to know, live updates I know, the situations are different. The Harden who got crossways with Paul and Westbrook in Houston, then grew disgruntled in Brooklyn, was not the Harden who was drafted out of Arizona State so long ago. The Rockets/Nets Harden was a superstar. The Thunder Harden was a phenom loaded with potential. In 2012, most hoopniks figured Harden was headed for stardom of some kind. But only Harden himself, it seems, knew he could be a transcendent, historic player. How Pascal Siakam and Raptors bullied Thunder to avenge loss in Toronto And Harden couldn’t have been too much of a jackass in OKC, else Westbrook wouldn’t have wanted to join him years later in Houston, and Durant wouldn’t have signed off on Harden joining the Nets. Still, clearly, Harden wanted his own team way back when. His own spotlight. We all can agree on that. The Rockets didn’t win big — three playoff series advancements in five seasons — but Harden was gruntled. Read Now in the e-Edition Then Paul arrived via trade from the Clippers, Houston started winning even more and Harden hasn’t seemed happy since. Will Philly make Harden content? Seems a longshot. Embiid is a supernova. Frankly, the same thing exists with the 76ers that existed with the Nets. Harden is not the best player on the team. How Hannah and Josh Giddey both ended up in Oklahoma But Harden’s arrival increases the 76ers’ championship hopes, primarily because Ben Simmons checked out on the franchise. This Sixer team lost Seth Curry’s shooting in the trade but only Andre Drummond otherwise. That’s a net positive, even with a diminished Harden. Long-term, though, Harden is a bigger risk than cliff diving. He can become a free agent next summer, when he’s also eligible to sign a contract extension with the 76ers that could pay him $227 million over four seasons. That means the Sixers could be on the hook for a $62.5 million Harden salary in 2026-27, when he would be 37 years old. Lord have mercy. At least that’s some other franchise’s problem. Harden has been a curse to the Thunder in the almost 10 years since he was traded to Houston. But maybe that deal wasn’t original sin. Maybe in some ways, it was a blessing. Maybe Presti knew that Harden didn’t play nice with others.
I think Harden would have been just fine in Brooklyn, until Kyrie wasn't going to play this season. Then went to part time. I believe it would have been totally different if Kyrie had suffered an injury vs. deciding not to be vaccinated. Now KD is a walking injury. I'm not saying I support Harden. I'm saying I don't think he would have wanted to be traded.
The foundation of the 76ers for any championship is the dual core of Simmons and Embiid. now the foundation is gone, how would their chamionship hopes increase? it is zeroed.
The dude is a narcissistic sob who requires constant coddling... He cannot deal with others on equal footing - he needs to be catered to without question or push back... I realized this about the time of Khloe and 'cornerstones and roleplayers' and other stupidity... "Those that mind dont matter - and those that matter dont mind'... I hope he ends up penniless and living under a bridge (sitting next to Royce White)... then his beard will fit his circumstance. People want to heap accolades on him for what he did during his time here - i have disdain for the opportunities lost - bc of his mental midgetry....
James isn't perfect but I still got a lot of love for the man. I don't care that he left. He's got limited time left in the NBA and our championship window had arguably closed. Nothing to hate a man for. I watch the NBA to be entertained, mostly. James Harden getting fat to force a trade was an entertaining subplot. Even if it was a bummer seeing him go. I think he's going to love playing with Embiid and will pretty quickly put this narrative to rest.
Stone may have gotten fleeced by Brooklyn and Brooklyn may have subsequently gotten a weaker trade package than Philly offered the Rockets and Brooklyn may be better for it but at least we didn't trade a 23 year old James Harden for a washed Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb and Steven Adams.
Funny cause I predict wherever Irving goes the team will burn down in flames, not James. Embiid and Harden will be the best duo in the league now. There's a pretty good chance they win a ring in the next 2 opportunities. That will simply change the whole narrative.
He wasn't like this in OKC, he was spoiled in Houston and that's where it all started to go wrong. He was allowed to destroy the team here and then bail, looking for a situation where he could be carried....he found out the Nets couldn't carry him, so he bailed on them. If the Sixers fail to carry him, he'll do it to them too.
Is Berry Tramel the guy who Russell Westbrook always took issue with--thus spawning all those memes? If so I believe that will be his greatest contribution to NBA history.
There's a lot of circumstances, and aside from CP3 almost all of them can be explained without Harden looking bad. However, the simple fact is that Embiid will be Hardens 5th costar in 7 years. If he's unable to make this work either, that will be his legacy, fair or not.
Who cares what Barry Trammel thinks? I mean I know it sucks to have to get up everyday and realize that you live in Oklahoma, but that is not our problem. Anyway, regarding Harden and the Nets. I tend to agree that the issue is Irving’s vaccine status and inability to play on a full time basis, along with Nash’s inability to coach. If the Nets were really interested in winning, they would have traded Irving for Simmons. They can’t, because Irving is KDs bbf and he can’t live without him. Ultimately, the success or failure of the Nets will come down to KDs physical health and Kyrie’s and Ben Simmons mental health. I have to laugh at people like Stephen A who with a straight face are singing Ben Simmons praises as if none of us saw the playoffs last year. Like Kendrick Perkins said, do you think we are all blind? We saw Simmons pass up wide open layups because he did not want to go to the foul line. Why, because he shoot’s 45% on FTs. I am not saying the Sixers are a lock to win a title, but it is going to be hilarious to watch. Also, people are sleeping on the fact that Harden is an FA after this season. He has already made a bunch of money on and off the court, and my understanding is that he is extremely frugal and does not waste money. IOW, he doesn’t have to sign a max deal. If this thing goes south in Philly, I would keep an eye on LAC or LAL for potential destinations.
