Russell Westbrook to Houston for Chris Paul and picks

Nick Kaufman

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There is zero chance this works for Houston. Is Westbrook gonna go stand in the corner while Harden dribbles the clock down to two seconds and jacks a step-back three?
They are probably going to have to take turns on who dribbles the ball up the court.
 

AMS25

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We just opened a new window of 2-3 years. It had to be done. Westbrook is on a different level to CP3.
Eh. I'm a Thunder fan, and I love Russell. But, he can be very frustrating to watch and root for. Maybe, with a different coach, he will be different. Thanks for the picks! I'm looking forward to the rebuild.
 

benhogan

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Eh. I'm a Thunder fan, and I love Russell. But, he can be very frustrating to watch and root for. Maybe, with a different coach, he will be different. Thanks for the picks! I'm looking forward to the rebuild.
yep. This is how you do a full re-boot. Strip it down to its studs.

Just move CP3 for shorter contracts on Dec 15th (unless they can find those contracts now)
 

mcpickl

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yep. This is how you do a full re-boot. Strip it down to its studs.

Just move CP3 for shorter contracts on Dec 15th
I wouldn't be surprised if he never plays for OKC.

Send him home to Charlotte for some of their trash shorter contracts.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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I wouldn't be surprised if he never plays for OKC.

Send him home to Charlotte for some of their trash shorter contracts.
Paul to the Knicks or maybe even the Heat seems like another potential move here. The wildcard is someone like the Mavericks.
 

thehitcat

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Paul to Minnesota and you try out Wiggins for a year? Even if Wiggins is terrible he'll put up numbers on that team and he still be young enough to move with another year off that contract...
 

Eddie Jurak

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Apparently, they BOTH wanted this trade. I'm a Thunder fan, staring at a rebuild. I'll take the picks, for whatever they're worth.
Makes sense. Westbrook probably figured he didn't want to spend the rest of his career in a rebuild, and Harden probably figured he needed another star.
 

Apisith

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Eh. I'm a Thunder fan, and I love Russell. But, he can be very frustrating to watch and root for. Maybe, with a different coach, he will be different. Thanks for the picks! I'm looking forward to the rebuild.
I get all of that, but I also think you’ve had some shitty coaches. D’Antoni has a different style and now Westbrook knows he has to find a way to fit in. He’s also spent 5 years with Harden, there’s going to be little or no issues between them.
 

Apisith

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I love Morey though. This is what you have to do when you have a top 3 player on the team. You gotta go all-in, especially with the Warriors weakened.
 

AMS25

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I love Morey though. This is what you have to do when you have a top 3 player on the team. You gotta go all-in, especially with the Warriors weakened.
Most of the Rocket fans on the Dream Shake don't share your optimism. But, I hope RWB plays well on Houston and helps the Rockets win.
 

Pablo's TB Lover

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Morey is doing his primary jobs, which are giving his team a CHANCE to win the title as well as putting asses in seats. Running back the same Harden/Paul combo there really was no window to a championship. I imagine the League Pass subscriptions are going to be at an all-time high this year.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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I love Morey though. This is what you have to do when you have a top 3 player on the team. You gotta go all-in, especially with the Warriors weakened.
I agree - I know Westbrook isn't an ideal fit next to Harden but he is a pretty big upgrade versus the current version of Paul. Morey had a shot to do it and he did.

I would also add that these two were teammates before so there is some familiarity that presumably contributed to the decision process and may also create an environment where they can try to co-exist harmoniously despite both being so ball dominant.

The reality is that the Paul experiment was a failure for a variety of reasons - yes, I know that they took the Warriors to seven games two years ago but they didn't beat them. And when the Rockets couldn't replace their wing defenders this year, their fate with this group was sealed (Jerami Grant would look so good for the Rockets right now but alas...).

In short, this wasn't the ideal addition for Houston and it won't likely be enough to get past the Clippers and Lakers. However it was a good move regardless.
 

Apisith

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Agree with you. There’s no point in running it back again. And there’s no world in which you go into a rebuild with a top 3 player on the team. This past season has shown that shit happens and sometimes things will break your way. The season is long and anything can happen. We got younger and better. Yes Russell will have to adapt his game and so does James but they have spent a lot of time together. I think they will both know that these next 2-3 years is their last shot at winning.
 

Apisith

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Paul is also injury prone, while Westbrook has been healthy. Of course he’s getting to the age where injuries happen more often but Paul was over the hill.

Anyone who saw our series against the Warriors knew that Paul is done as a co-star. He couldn’t create his own shot at all and wasn’t able to contribute in other facets.
 

ElUno20

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The Westbrook love in this thread is fascinating. This was a garbage for garbage trade.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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The Westbrook love in this thread is fascinating. This was a garbage for garbage trade.
I don't see anyone throwing love at Westbrook. He is a deeply flawed player and most people here have mentioned that his fit next to Harden is awkward at best. That said, in terms of skills he is a superior player to Paul at this point. Paul's age and injury history appeared to have caught up with him as he is showing declines in a lot of statistics. The interesting thing is that RPM still rates Paul considerably higher than Westbrook while PIPM has them graded at roughly the same.

At this point, Houston is gambling that the three-plus year age difference coupled with a "better" relationship between Harden & Westbrook will allow D'Antoni to formulate schemes that are additive. There were also the widely reported stories about the rift between Paul and Harden so, if anything, this move takes care of those "issues" too.

To be clear, this isn't the best trade Morey has ever made but it makes sense given all of the factors at play.
 

TripleOT

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D'Antoni can now use RWB to push the ball, and if it doesn't result in an open three or layup, they can turn to Harden for iso-ball. Double trouble. It might fail spectacularly, but it will be fun to see how this plays out.

Chris Paul is now reduced to trade salary ballast. Couldn't happen to a more deserving guy.
 
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luckiestman

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West playoffs
Clips
Lebrons
Rockets
Jazz
Portland
SanFran
Denver
Spurs/Kings/Pels/Minnie


Is this going to be the greatest first round ever?
 

luckiestman

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People seem to really enjoy shitting on CP3. I think he is one of the best traditional PGs I have ever seen play. Magic and Isaiah are on another level but I was a kid when I watched them.


I will remember him fondly.
 

Smokey Joe

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So... Does Miami prefer Chris Paul as a better fit next to Butler? Will he be flipped to Miami next? Why am I talking in italics? I am all agog to see the next move. This offseason has been the best.
 

djbayko

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https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1149475760861634560
Thunder are playing a long-game unseen in recent NBA history: Seven additional first-round picks lined up through 2026 -- plus four pick swaps -- via deals for Paul George and Chris Paul.
Plus their own draft picks...as a tanking team. And they aren't even done yet. Chris Paul has zero value for them at this point - can they get another first? This is a fascinating part of the story here. I wish I could fast forward now to see how the Pelicans and Thunder fare.
 

BigSoxFan

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People seem to really enjoy shitting on CP3. I think he is one of the best traditional PGs I have ever seen play. Magic and Isaiah are on another level but I was a kid when I watched them.


I will remember him fondly.
CP3 has always had some Wade in him, which is why a lot of people don’t like him. From a pure talent standpoint, prime CP3 was about as good as it gets at the PG position.
 

bowiac

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People have been trying to bury Chris Paul for five years now. My best guess is that this is a lateral move for the Rockets. Westbrook may be the better player in the abstract (though as noted, the various plus/minus metrics don't agree), but it's at least very close, and Westbrook seems like a spectacularly bad fit next to Harden. I think that the reported off court factors drove a good chunk of this deal.

Stealing this from Nate Duncan, but I agree that Morey isn't long for the Rockets if this doesn't work out. He's clashed with the new owner, and could probably get a new GM job in a minute if he wants out, so the picks down the line don't mean that much for him.
 

Ale Xander

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Trading bad chemistry (CP3 is one of the most hated players/teammates/opponents in recent league history) for a "spectacularly bad" fit (there's a reason OKC got rid of Harden in the beginning) seems like a lateral move.

This looks like lose-lose trade, unless OKC can replicate the drafting skill. You basically have the 2 most on-the-ball players in the league sharing the same backcourt now.

NBA is quickly lacking any parity.
 

ElUno20

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Trading bad chemistry (CP3 is one of the most hated players/teammates/opponents in recent league history) for a "spectacularly bad" fit (there's a reason OKC got rid of Harden in the beginning) seems like a lateral move.

This looks like lose-lose trade, unless OKC can replicate the drafting skill. You basically have the 2 most on-the-ball players in the league sharing the same backcourt now.

NBA is quickly lacking any parity.
This is where im at. I get it. You get younger but cp is an all time nba IQ guy and now you replace that with Westbrook (one of the most self-unaware players ever). I mean see playoffs, all.

I just dont get Morey at all. He's rarely shown any semblance of how to construct a team built to win in the playoffs. When he did have it, he traded all the pieces for cp.
 

luckiestman

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This is where im at. I get it. You get younger but cp is an all time nba IQ guy and now you replace that with Westbrook (one of the most self-unaware players ever). I mean see playoffs, all.

I just dont get Morey at all. He's rarely shown any semblance of how to construct a team built to win in the playoffs. When he did have it, he traded all the pieces for cp.
It took a horrific shooting performance for them to not win the title against an all time great team. How is that bad GMing?
 

DJnVa

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Got a push on my phone tonight around 6:45 saying "RWB to Miami is 'inevitable'". Finished my game to getting push notifications saying it was Houston. NBA is nuts.
 

DJnVa

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NBA is quickly lacking any parity.
I don't know---seems like a lot of parity in the West. There's like 4 or 5 teams that seem ridiculous--Clips, Lakers, Rockets, Denver, Utah, plus Portland and Golden State and Spurs. I mean, that's fun.
 

Sprowl

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Thread title changed...

***

Now the narrative shifts to whether or not Harden and Westbrook can share one basketball. I think the two of them need at least three basketballs between them.
 

DJnVa

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OKC has at least 2 first round picks in 6 of the next 7 drafts. LOL
 

JCizzle

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Yeah--I mean, the Western playoffs will be INSANE.
Hell, even the east will be good despite two teams that I think are clearly a cut above. Toss in the Pacers, Celtics and Nets with an improved Heat as well. Not the West for sure, but will be fun
 

cheech13

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NBA is quickly lacking any parity.
What do you mean? This is easily the most wide open I can ever remember the NBA being. There are a half dozen or more teams that could easily claim to be the title favorite next year. The West in particular is going to be a bloodbath.

I just dont get Morey at all. He's rarely shown any semblance of how to construct a team built to win in the playoffs. When he did have it, he traded all the pieces for cp.
They had one of the best teams in NBA history dead to rights last year and it took an injury their 2nd best player and the biggest fluke shooting performance in history for them to lose. He’s easily a top 5 GM; you could argue he’s the best given how competitive they are each year while never rebuilding and never really having cap space. No one has been better at mining the idiosyncrasies of the CBA to a team’s advantage.
 

cheech13

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Weirdest facts about the trade:

-Harden and Westbrook are former teammates which I had somehow forgotten

-This is the second time Chris Paul has played for a team based in Oklahoma City

-Deron Williams has been out of the league two years and yet somehow contemporary Chris Paul has three more years on his deal
 
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