NBA Trade Rumors: James Harden Move Doesn't Interest Mavericks

There reportedly is "no chance" of the Dallas Mavericks joining the list of teams as potential James Harden suitors. 

Marc Stein of the New York Times reported the lack of traction on any potential Mavs-Rockets deal. Houston continues to explore the trade market for Harden, who reportedly has requested a trade and pointed to the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers as preferred destinations.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne reported the Rockets have begun to expand their talks beyond Harden's desired landing spots.

The Mavericks have not been mentioned as a serious suitor, nor would a Harden acquisition make much basketball sense. Luka Doncic is perhaps the closest thing to Harden that exists in the NBA, both in terms of role and skill set. Putting him and Harden on the same team could be an oil-water mix that might hurt Doncic's development into one of the game's top stars.

The Mavericks also lack any of the assets the Rockets desire in trade talks. They do not have an available first-round pick for the foreseeable future, with the New York Knicks owning their 2021 selection and a protected first in 2023 from the Kristaps Porzingis trade. The protections on the 2023 pick (1-10 in 2023, 2024 and 2025) make it nearly impossible for the Mavs to trade a first without including the Knicks to remove those protections.

The Rockets would likely pick up the phone if Porzingis was available in Harden talks, but the lack of basketball fit combined with what additional assets Dallas would have to give up in addition to Porzingis makes this an extremely unlikely fit.