5 Surprising Teams That Should Risk James Harden Trade
All signs are pointing to the James Harden trade request resulting in him joining Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in Los Angeles, but the Clippers appear hesitant to put their best offer (or even anything close to their best) on the table with no one else in the bidding.
Of course, there was a long stretch during this summer when it was easy to view the Damian Lillard situation through a similar lens. It almost seemed like a given that he'd end up on the Miami Heat, but the Milwaukee Bucks crashed the party and left Miami in a lurch.
So, even as recent reports suggest Harden could be a Clipper soon, we're going to explore an outcome similar to Lillard's.
Are they any teams that could come out of nowhere with something enticing enough to get the Philadelphia 76ers to move Harden? Given the fact that he's very visibly quit on each of his last three teams, are there any other teams that can justify going after him?
There's at least a case to be made for each of the five below.
Chicago Bulls
1 of 5
Even with three high-level individual offensive players in Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vučević, the Chicago Bulls only managed 113.8 points per 100 possessions in 2022-23. Years ago, that mark would've been fine, but it gave them the league's 24th-ranked offense last season.
And with starting point guard Lonzo Ball reportedly set to miss his second straight campaign recovering from a knee injury, the Bulls could use a table-setter like Harden to put the offense in better alignment.
For all the understandable criticism of Harden's playoff performances and his ugly exits from multiple teams, he's still one of the game's best playmakers. He's averaged at least 20 points and 10 assists in each of the last three seasons, and he'd undoubtedly moneyball the Bulls' offense right out of the bottom 10.
The issue, of course, is what Chicago might have to offer.
A ready-made rebuilding package with Ball's contract, Patrick Williams and multiple draft picks might not interest the win-now 76ers, unless they could turn around and move most or all of that for a star (which may not be impossible).
Building the deal around LaVine might make sense if Chicago is looking for a way out of this core. He could conceivably keep Philadelphia in the title hunt as part of a trio with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
And for the Bulls, Harden's contract ends next summer, while LaVine's is through 2026-27 (assuming he picks up his player option). If a roster led by Harden, DeRozan and Vučević works, great. If not, Chicago can let him and DeRozan walk in free agency and see what it can get for Vučević on the trade market.
Los Angeles Lakers
2 of 5
From just about the moment the Los Angeles Lakers signed D'Angelo Russell to his new two-year, $36 million contract, it felt like he would find his way into some trade rumors.
The deal is movable, and when combined with Rui Hachimura's salary and maybe a draft asset, it might be able to fetch L.A. another star.
The assumption from some is that that combination could be used to land LeBron James' old running mate with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the explosive second option Kyrie Irving.
But what if the Dallas Mavericks just aren't interested in that?
In that case, and assuming the Lakers hit a point where they actually feel they need a jolt, perhaps that same package would interest the 76ers.
Russell and Hachimura can't be moved until December 15, and if Harden is still in Philadelphia then, the Sixers might start to feel a hint of desperation.
And while lineups with Harden, Austin Reaves and LeBron could be highly susceptible to the "too many cooks" issue, maybe James is the kind of alpha personality Harden has always needed to survive a deep playoff run.
Toronto Raptors
3 of 5
The Toronto Raptors almost always seem to come up in these conversations. They did with Lillard. Once upon a time, they actually landed Kawhi Leonard. So, we won't break tradition here.
A trade package with Toronto isn't as obvious as it might be with L.A. or Chicago. Spacing with Pascal Siakam and Embiid in Philadelphia might not be great. And something built around O.G. Anunoby may not push the Sixers close enough to the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics' tier.
There's also the obvious observation that this version of Harden is not the playoff killer that Leonard was when Toronto acquired him in 2018. Masai Ujiri may not deem Harden worth that kind of risk, but he could provide him with a runway to a rebuild while also giving the Raptors a short-term direction.
They had a middle-of-the-road offense last season and lost Fred VanVleet for nothing in free agency. Harden would, at the very least, elevate them on that end. And again, if it just blows up, his contract expires after this season.
Toronto could move on with a new core built around Scottie Barnes after watching Harden walk.
Miami Heat
4 of 5
Miami may have come up short in the Lillard sweepstakes, and hanging onto Tyler Herro is probably a safer long-term play than acquiring Harden.
However, it would be hard to argue Herro would put the Heat closer to a championship in 2024 than Harden would (even with all of his well-publicized warts).
Dunks and Threes' estimated plus-minus is one of the most trusted catch-all metrics in NBA front offices, and Harden ranked in the 96th percentile last season. Herro was in the 82nd percentile.
And if there's an organization that might be able to rein in some of the drama that's plagued Harden over the years, the one with the vaunted #HeatCulture feels like a good bet.
Plus, Miami boasts one of the best playoff risers we've seen in Jimmy Butler. He and Bam Adebayo could carry Harden through the postseason struggles he seemingly can't shake on his own.
San Antonio Spurs
5 of 5
Speaking of teams that might be able to lend a little stability to Harden's career, the San Antonio Spurs were the model for that for a solid two decades.
Now, almost 10 years since their last title, they have another generationally talented big man in Victor Wembanyama. Slow-playing his development alongside several other young players makes sense, but Harden is one of the most prolific playmakers in NBA history.
And it would be tough to concoct a softer on-court landing for Wembanyama than one that included all the wide-open looks Harden would generate for him.
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