NBA superstar James Harden has been the face of the Houston Rockets for 8 years. But with little team success to show for his heroics, and the recent trade request made by Russell Westbrook, Harden’s future in H-Town has never been so uncertain.
According to numerous reports, the former MVP is growing increasingly intrigued by the idea of being traded to a contender, with the Nets and Sixers being named as his preferred landing spots.
Rockets star James Harden wants to be on a contender elsewhere, and Brooklyn and Philadelphia are believed to be his top desired trade destinations, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
Houston is fully comfortable keeping Harden and Russell Westbrook into the season.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 16, 2020
Obviously, of the two teams, the Nets have emerged as major frontrunners in the Harden sweepstakes, and you can expect them to do their due diligence and explore a potential deal in the next few days.
But would Brooklyn go about securing the arrival of one of the best scorers in basketball history? To start, they’d need to offer the Rockets some players that will boost their future.
The trade: Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie, Jarrett Allen, and the 19th pick for James Harden.
Rockets Rebuild
If the Rockets do trade their franchise star, it’d be the beginning of a major rebuild. Therefore, it would make sense that they seek players/assets that can help them in the long-term.
27-year-old Spencer Dinwiddie isn’t exactly star material, but he’s definitely a starting-caliber point guard with insane scoring ability. Just last season, he averaged a career-high 20.6 points, 6.8 assists, and 3.5 rebounds on 41.5% shooting. Caris LeVert is another notable acquisition in this (potential) trade. Like Dinwiddie, he also had a career-year, averaging 18.7 points, and 4.4 rebounds per game in the wake of a transition year for the Nets.
Both players add depth and are capable of putting up big numbers for the Rockets. And, most importantly, both players are locked in for at least another full season, meaning they’d make good trade chips down the line if Houston wants to add additional draft picks.
Nets Create Superteam
In Brooklyn, the acquisition of Harden would deliver a huge boost to their title run. When Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant joined last summer, the team was projected to be among the best in the NBA when fully healthy. Both players are superstars, Champions, and unstoppable scorers.
Add James Harden to the mix, a 3x Scoring Champ, and it’s easy to think that they’d become title favorites. While many have expressed concern about how three alphas would co-exist on one roster, it’s worth noting that these players have experience working with star teammates. For both Kyrie and Durant, they’ve found amazing success playing with some of the best basketball players on the planet — including LeBron James and Steph Curry. While ball-sharing might be an early issue with the ball club, there’s no reason to assume a team with three superstars couldn’t adjust and co-exist together on the same roster.
In the end, it’s now or never for the Nets — and trading for a third star would be a pretty convincing way to show the world they’re all-in for a Championship.
