Lazar Hayward traded to the Houston Rockets

[jesmu84]

Allegedly Lazar will be moving on to Houston as a part of the OKC/Houston James Harden trade

[MUalum12]

Lazar traded with others to Houston Per ESPN, Yahoo, etc

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8562868/sources-oklahoma-city-thunder-trade-james-harden-houston-rockets

[denverMU]

and James Harden, Daequan Cook, and Cole Aldrich for Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb and future draft picks.  Obviously, the key to the trade was Lazar!

[CrackedSidewalksSays]

Lazar Hayward traded to the Houston Rockets

Written by: noreply@blogger.com (muwarrior92)

Lazar Hayward was traded to the Houston Rockets tonight as part of a bigger deal that saw James Harden going to the Rockets for Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb.

http://www.crackedsidewalks.com/2012/10/lazar-hayward-traded-to-houston-rockets.html

[77ncaachamps]

Yikes! Did you see the Rockets' roster?

I hope Zar makes it!

http://espn.go.com/nba/team/roster/_/name/hou/houston-rockets

[Markusquette]

Their roster is pretty awful

[Otule's Glass Eye]

I honestly love this move for OKC.

[damuts222]

Oh man, Asik and Lin are entirely overpaid

[GGGG]

I think this is a good move for OKC.  They will miss Harden, but he's not a max contract player.  He was the third best player on that team. 

[MUBurrow]

Houston's been desperate for a max contract player, any max contract player, for awhile now. It's also pretty obvious Morey doesn't value draft picks anymore, after spending two years accumulating non-lottery assets to make a run at a big name, only to learn his accumulated assets weren't worth jack. I still think Morey is a good gm, and this throw in the towel trade for any arguably max contract guy just shows that's team building in the NBA is 90 percent luck.

[reinko]

I think this is a good move for OKC.  They will miss Harden, but he's not a max contract player.  He was the third best player on that team. 

True, the third best player on his team, but would most likely be the best player on at least 10-12 teams in the league.

OKC tried to short change him by 5 mil, he passed, and will get his $. 

If you look at the deal, it for an unknown in Lamb, and aging Martin, and some lottery protected picks. 

Don't think any team screwed over another, but like what Houston did in this.

[Skatastrophy]

Big East Prediction Standings:
1. 4everwarriors 23
2. mileskishnish7 22
T3. McHenry Warrior 21
T3. Danny Noonan 21

Very clever spam!

[reinko]

http://www.freakonomics.com/2012/10/29/the-oklahoma-city-thunder-stumble-while-following-the-oklahoma-city-thunder-plan/

Nice Freakanomics breakdown here

[GGGG]

True, the third best player on his team, but would most likely be the best player on at least 10-12 teams in the league.

See I don't think he will be the same player as the top focus on another team.  It is entirely a different beast when you don't have Durant and Westbrook on your team and instead you become "the man."

[MerrittsMustache]

See I don't think he will be the same player as the top focus on another team.  It is entirely a different beast when you don't have Durant and Westbrook on your team and instead you become "the man."

Harden has potential to become the next Ben Gordon.

I really like both players but neither is the type of player you can build a team around. In fact, when is the time a legit title contender was led by a player who did little more than score?

[MUHoopsFan2]

See I don't think he will be the same player as the top focus on another team.  It is entirely a different beast when you don't have Durant and Westbrook on your team and instead you become "the man."

Agreed. I am looking at the Houston roster and Lazar should get some playing time here. He might be an underratted piece to this entire trade no one is talking about. I wish him well. Houston could work for him. I don't want him to get into the rut of always being a guy who is the throw in in trades...Geez this is the 3rd time already for the man. Somebody better play him...if they don't about him and his game they better come back to where he flourished ask somebody!

[MUHoopsFan2]

Houston's been desperate for a max contract player, any max contract player, for awhile now. It's also pretty obvious Morey doesn't value draft picks anymore, after spending two years accumulating non-lottery assets to make a run at a big name, only to learn his accumulated assets weren't worth jack. I still think Morey is a good gm, and this throw in the towel trade for any arguably max contract guy just shows that's team building in the NBA is 90 percent luck.

What are you talking about!? Morey has assembled great draft pick and used them as assets.
What do you mean he doesn't value draft picks? He just used them to get arguably the best SG in the NBA once Kobe hangs it up.
I dont get what you are saying at all! You are way off here. This was a great trade for Houston!
Harden is only 23 years old. Now personally I don't like him as a player but I am no fool, he is an Olympian and he is a game changer.
Harden is a good all around player who I dont think fit with Westbrook or Russell with him long term.
But there is no telling how good he and Jeremy Lin can be. Terrance Jones the rookie can be a monster and so can some of the others like Donatas or the Parsons kid.
IMO you need to re-think this. This was a great deal. Now in this Summer's free agency watch a Star will consider Houston...for sure.
It depends upon who they go with as head coach. Perhaps they bring in John Lucas and so someone radical like that...not sure Kevin McHale will work. 
But I disagree with your assessment. This was a no-brainer for them.

[Pakuni]

Harden has potential to become the next Ben Gordon.

I really like both players but neither is the type of player you can build a team around. In fact, when is the time a legit title contender was led by a player who did little more than score?

Harden is a far more well-rounded player than Gordon. He's a solid defender and excellent ballhandler and playmaker. Also, unlike Gordon, he can score off the drive and has legit two-guard size.

[MUHoopsFan2]

Harden is a far more well-rounded player than Gordon. He's a solid defender and excellent ballhandler and playmaker. Also, unlike Gordon, he can score off the drive and has legit two-guard size.

Agreed. Harden is a top 2-3 SG in the entire league. Great move. No one in their right minds should criticize this for Houston...

[MUBurrow]

What are you talking about!? Morey has assembled great draft pick and used them as assets.
What do you mean he doesn't value draft picks? He just used them to get arguably the best SG in the NBA once Kobe hangs it up.
I dont get what you are saying at all! You are way off here. This was a great trade for Houston!
Harden is only 23 years old. Now personally I don't like him as a player but I am no fool, he is an Olympian and he is a game changer.
Harden is a good all around player who I dont think fit with Westbrook or Russell with him long term.
But there is no telling how good he and Jeremy Lin can be. Terrance Jones the rookie can be a monster and so can some of the others like Donatas or the Parsons kid.
IMO you need to re-think this. This was a great deal. Now in this Summer's free agency watch a Star will consider Houston...for sure.
It depends upon who they go with as head coach. Perhaps they bring in John Lucas and so someone radical like that...not sure Kevin McHale will work. 
But I disagree with your assessment. This was a no-brainer for them.

Re: draft picks, operative word was "anymore." Morey has spent a half decade accumulating assets in prep for the summer of lebron and beyond. He undoubtedly valued draft picks more than any gm in the league until recently. But over the last 3 years, he's a) accumulated cap space only to be spurned by Chris bosh et al, then b) turned that cap space into draft picks to trade for Chris Paul, Paul gasol, Andrew Bynum or Dwight Howard only to find his assets weren't enough. This trade is the culmination of all those efforts. After acquiring assets Morey thought would net superstars, he's got a "superstar" that couldn't find the floor in the finals, Jeremy Lin and Omer asik. My argument was that Morey didn't do anything really wrong to get to this point, but James harden is a player he's resigned to pin his job on, he's not the type of player he set out to acquire.

I'll agree that if harden makes top free agents look at Houston this might work out, but with Lin and asik's. deals the cap space now ironically isn't there. This was a trade Morey had to make, but its only a "good" one relative his inability to do better up to this point, not compared to moves that win championships.

[MUfan12]

Looks like Lazar will be waived by Houston.

Hope he can catch on somewhere.

[Otule's Glass Eye]

Looks like Lazar will be waived by Houston.

Hope he can catch on somewhere.

Yep.

johnhollinger John Hollinger
Rockets have now cut *six* players with guaranteed money -- Brockman, Livingston, Fisher, Forbes, Hayward, Johnson. But total only about $6M
51 minutes ago

[jmayer1]

I'll agree that if harden makes top free agents look at Houston this might work out, but with Lin and asik's. deals the cap space now ironically isn't there. This was a trade Morey had to make, but its only a "good" one relative his inability to do better up to this point, not compared to moves that win championships.

Actually, they still have enough cap space to sign a max player next year.

[MUBurrow]

Actually, they still have enough cap space to sign a max player next year.

i definitely stand corrected then. I do have to say that surprises me, given the crazy poison pill in asik's deal.

[🏀]

i definitely stand corrected then. I do have to say that surprises me, given the crazy poison pill in asik's deal.

I'm happy that Omer cashed in, but that contract is baaaaaaaad.