James Harden has been linked with the Miami Heat before, and of course, the rumors are going to swirl. To trade for a player of Harden’s caliber, a team must be willing to give up talented young players, and perhaps some picks on top of that. Needless to say, the Heat may have to sacrifice some of their young players in order to pair Jimmy Butler and James Harden.
The two best trade chips for the Miami Heat are Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson; perhaps one could have been excused for thinking that a deal would involve only one of the two players. However, Brian Windhorst stated on his podcast that the Rockets would probably require both in a potential trade. NBA Central also reported on the situation.
Report: The Houston Rockets would "probably want" both Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson in a James Harden deal https://t.co/DEgT6RYiNt
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 31, 2020
While giving up two extremely talented young players may be a huge ask, the Heat would still get to keep Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler. Adding James Harden to those two players would create an elite big three in the Eastern Conference, one that could compete with the Brooklyn Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks. The league leaves teams who don’t tweak their rosters behind: adaptability is key.
Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro are both valuable shooters that can thrive on any roster. They would fit seamlessly on the Houston Rockets next to John Wall and Christian Wood. If the Miami Heat are looking to compete during the 2020-21 season, then trading for James Harden could be the move to put them over the top.
