The Los Angeles Lakers are a solid team as of right now, with LeBron James and Anthony Davis at the helm, surrounded by solid role players. However, there is a chance that a move prior to this year’s trade deadline or even earlier could help them have a better chance of competing for a championship.
In fact, NBA analyst and former player Kendrick Perkins recently suggested that the Lakers should make a move for James Harden.
“If I’m the Los Angeles Lakers, I might be looking to trade for James Harden… Harden wants to go to the Clippers… but to be honest with you, Harden to the Lakers makes the most sense. For Anthony Davis, if you want to give him good easy looks like Harden did for Joel Embiid last season… how about trading for him?”
Kendrick Perkins makes the case for the Lakers to trade for James Harden to make AD’s life easier.
Do you agree?
— 🦉 Lakers Vino (@VinoUncorked) October 27, 2023
The Lakers could use another good 3PT shooter and competent ballhandler, and there are definitely ways in which Harden could help them win at a high level. He could take on a lot of the point guard duties in the regular season, and help ensure that James is fresh for the playoffs.
Last season, Harden averaged 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 10.7 assists per game for the Philadelphia 76ers. He wouldn’t necessarily cost too much to get from an asset perspective, and it’ll be interesting to see if the Lakers end up joining the Harden sweepstakes in the future.
James Harden Is Expected To Suit Up For The 76ers After Their Road Trip
Even though Harden was away from the 76ers for a period of time, he might end up suiting up for the franchise in the future. In fact, it was previously reported that Harden has returned to Philadelphia and is expected to play for the team after their road trip.
“James Harden hasn’t practiced with Sixers since October 15 and plan is allowing him to stay at Camden practice facility and work with team development staff to get the live action necessary to get him playing games once Sixers return from Milwaukee-Toronto trip, sources said.”
Suiting up for the 76ers might be beneficial for Harden, as that means he could increase his value on the trade market and leave the team sooner. It is well-known that Harden wants to join the Clippers, and perhaps seeing a few good games from Harden could nudge the franchise into offering just a little bit more in a trade for him and satisfying the 76ers’ demands.
The Los Angeles Lakers Have A Good Team Even Without James Harden
Even if the Lakers do not trade for Harden, it is fair to say that they have a good team. Having two superstar-level players surrounded by a lot of depth means that more likely than not they will be a contending team.
With that being said, more star power is generally always better when the goal is a championship. Harden could take the team to the next level, and help them keep up with teams such as the Phoenix Suns and the Denver Nuggets.
There are definitely pros and cons to the Lakers acquiring Harden. It will be interesting to see where he ends up in the future, but it is clear that the Lakers should at least be monitoring the situation.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
