Harden or Ibaka...who do OKC keep?

[maybeshewill13]

interesting. i never did the math but i suppose they can give both near max contracts if they amnesty perkins? btw, i think they put durant at the 4 because he's effective in the post in spurts and he's been more vocal about it in the past.

OKC will have a hard time matching harden. i'm a big fan of both but i have to think that harden is more replaceable. ibaka has a more unique skillset and defensive impact. that's why i think OKC should do what it can to win in the next couple seasons. that said, i think wb is the most trade-able piece. he's a better version of monta ellis imo and i just have hard time seeing him as the #2 option as long as he's slotted as PG. people will just say i'm hating but have maynor/harden run PG by committee and i just don't see a major dropoff. if you put rondo on that team, i just think they're dominant especially when you consider his rebounding and TO numbers. rondo is almost tailor made for that team especially since he can initiate fast breaks and is just an elite passer/ball handler

I love Westbrook, and I really do not want to lose him, but I'd be lying if I said I hadn't wondered how the team would run with Rondo at the point. I think Rondo's contract is smaller too? Possibly freeing up some more money to throw at Ibaka/Harden?

[dunksby]

I have faith in Presti, he has not disappointed yet, why would he start now? Harden is a star already, he is smart and knows what's what. Harden will the new and improved Manu.

[Pointguard]

Who would give them max deals?

They're both very unique and solid players. Right now all of the lottery teams would max both of them. And with two more years of development it seems certain, as they will have great playoff experience and one can anchor defense and the other runs the team better than its stars can. Harden is an all around player and has a great understanding of the game. He's a lot like Ginobli but will have better regular seasons numbers across the board. I could see him averaging Gin's peak regular season ('08) for many years. The only weird thing about lefties is that they peak earlier than right handed people do and usually fall a little short of your projection of them - weird but its consistent. But he will know his teammates better and will likely get more minutes just the same and that alone will put him at about 19/5/5 ish.

Ibaka has a lot of potential and if he got the ball more he would be very intriguing. But how many touches can he get in OKC being the fourth option? He's capable of getting DH block numbers and offensive numbers when DH was his age. He won't be the rebounder or overall defender but he has a pretty good touch. There just aren't too many good big men and he could potentially be a top ten big that consistently will lead the league in blocks. So both already have a lot of value - after two years of deep playoff experience they are going to be near max level.

[PP34Deuce]

They may like OKC but if you are a 23-24 year old player who has bee to WCF and had play off success with numbers...the next thing you wanna do is get paid.

Harden can easily command a 13-14 mill a year contract
Same with Ibaka.

you keep the big man who has potential to guard the premier PFs in the league.

[j3lademaster]

If I had to choose between the two, I'd go with Ibaka. Big averaging 3.6 bpg who's shown a decent midrange touch and nice athleticism. How do you say 'no' to that? Ibaka has the potential to be a dominant center (in today's standards), making him to be the rarer talent.

[stallionaire]

Love how OKC fans think that no one will offer Ibaka or Harden better deals than what the Thunder have.

[Qwyjibo]

They probably won't have much of a choice. Unless they get really creative, Harden might be out of their price range so they'll settle on Ibaka and still have a great team.

I don't see any reason why Harden doesn't get whatever the max is for a post-rookie deal contract. Whether he's worth it or not doesn't matter. Market will dictate the price and for a young player like him, some team will risk giving him a max deal. If Harden's agent is smart, he doesn't agree to any extension unless it's a max deal because he will get one if he reaches restricted free agency. As a Raptors fan, I wouldn't mind if they threw that kind of money at him.

[ILLsmak]

They're both very unique and solid players. Right now all of the lottery teams would max both of them. And with two more years of development it seems certain, as they will have great playoff experience and one can anchor defense and the other runs the team better than its stars can. Harden is an all around player and has a great understanding of the game. He's a lot like Ginobli but will have better regular seasons numbers across the board. I could see him averaging Gin's peak regular season ('08) for many years. The only weird thing about lefties is that they peak earlier than right handed people do and usually fall a little short of your projection of them - weird but its consistent. But he will know his teammates better and will likely get more minutes just the same and that alone will put him at about 19/5/5 ish.

Ibaka has a lot of potential and if he got the ball more he would be very intriguing. But how many touches can he get in OKC being the fourth option? He's capable of getting DH block numbers and offensive numbers when DH was his age. He won't be the rebounder or overall defender but he has a pretty good touch. There just aren't too many good big men and he could potentially be a top ten big that consistently will lead the league in blocks. So both already have a lot of value - after two years of deep playoff experience they are going to be near max level.

You're crazy nobody would give them a max deal. 10 mil, sure... max no.

I'd keep Ibaka, IMO if I had to choose. There is more chance of getting a cheaper replacement for Harden. Is Perkins that bad that they'd amnesty him? I thought he was a vital part of their team, but I haven't watched them this year.

-Smak

[j3lademaster]

Why is it so farfetched for Harden and Ibaka to get big contracts? It's very realistic a bad small market team will offer one of them an over-inflated contract to put butts in seats. Maybe they won't be max contracts, but please believe they can very well be offered contracts well beyond what okc can afford to give them. Just comes down to whether they want $$$ or playing on a contender.

[Qwyjibo]

Why are people laughing at the possibility of Harden getting a max deal? It's very likely and I personally think it will happen if he reaches restricted free agency. If Harden's agent believes the same thing then they shouldn't settle for anything less from OKC and if they really want to keep him, force them to match in RFA.

Ibaka though? I agree. I don't see anyone giving him a max deal.

[Pointguard]

You're crazy nobody would give them a max deal. 10 mil, sure... max no.

I'd keep Ibaka, IMO if I had to choose. There is more chance of getting a cheaper replacement for Harden. Is Perkins that bad that they'd amnesty him? I thought he was a vital part of their team, but I haven't watched them this year.

-Smak

Wow, Ill, you must be crazy. All indications are he will be a 20/6/5 guy that was the stabilizing force on a team that will have great playoff experience. With a max of 22/7/5 which is max money alone, despite contending with two other stars. There will be five or six players with that type of pedigree in the league and none as a second option much less third option on championship caliber teams.

[Nanners]

if i have to pick one, i say keep ibaka. if you adjust ibakas blocks for his lack of minutes, he is close to 5 blocks per 36 minutes.... thats flat out absurd. at 22 years old, it is obvious that ibaka is basically a once in a decade type of talent in terms of blocks. the most overrated coach in the nba should be playing ibaka more than 26 minutes per game

okc is going to get exposed in the playoffs again this year, not because of russel immaturity or the fact the team doesnt have a post scorer, but scotty brooks the horrible coach.


edit: I think harden will get a max deal. there are teams out there with cap space that would love to bring the beard on board. Ibaka is going to get the max too, if not from the thunder, from someone else. I guarantee that one of the 30 teams in the league will be willing to offer the 22 year old #1 shot blocker in the league a max deal. If Deandre got offered 10 million last year, Ibaka will get offered the max.

[D-Wade316]

James Harden

[alenleomessi]

Keep both, waive Durant

[COLOR="White"]Nah im just kidding[/COLOR]

[AMISTILLILL]

I would be shocked if the Thunder didn't contort their cap situation in such a way that accommodated both players and kept them with the team for several more years. Although it does seem Harden could potentially pull in a Rashard Lewis level contract at some point down the line.

Amnestying Perkins takes $25+ million off the books over the span of 3 seasons, which softens the blow of signing other sizable contracts. When comparing their value and overall production, comparisons between Perkins to Harden/Ibaka are laughable.

Perkins brings grit, veteran experience and that familiar Boston attitude to the Thunder front court, but let's be honest: He's been pretty underwhelming in his time with Oklahoma City. The Thunder could replace his impact on the box score through intelligent trades.

Whoever claimed these guys, particularly Ibaka, would demand max contracts needs to get their head checked. While I'm sure they both recognize their impact on the team, they're not yet at a point where they can field those sorts of offers from teams.

Hell, Perkins had his reputation as a defensive stalwart on a championship team and didn't even get close to a max deal... in a league super thin at the center position. Ibaka is already putting up numbers 3 years in equal to, if not BETTER, than Perkins has in his career in multiple statistical categories.