NBA Trade Rumors: Nets, Sixers sit atop James Harden’s wishlist
NBA Trade Rumors: Nets, Sixers in the lead for James Harden?
Ever since Dary Morey and the Houston Rockets elected to part ways shortly after the conclusion of the 2020-21 NBA season, many have speculated about the potential hard reset of the franchise. That including a potential trade of James Harden.
So far, there have been no real indications that the Rockets are – or would be willing to – listening to trade offers for James Harden. Interestingly enough, that hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from running rampant.
After a weekend of whispers, The Athletic’s Shams Charania is reporting that James Harden wants to play for a contender and that there are two teams sitting atop his list of preferences. Those two teams: the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers.
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.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 16, 2020
Houston is fully comfortable keeping Harden and Russell Westbrook into the season.
The connection between Harden and the Sixers is quite clear. Now that Morey, his former general manager, is in Philadelphia it’s no surprise that he could want to move there. Morey was good to Harden in Houston and the hope is that the two could find more success on the East Coast.
The Nets interest is interesting. While Harden has a playing history with Kevin Durant, he would present an fascinating potential fit with Kyrie Irving. Both players are most effective with the ball in their hands and I’m not exactly sure how they’d play on the floor together.
Even though talent almost always wins out in the NBA, there’d be questions about this fit. The idea of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden seems good on paper – and on NBA 2K – though there’d be questions about their potential long-term success.
But that is something to figure out down the road.
If James Harden is indeed on the trade block, and if the Rockets are going to listen to offers, there are going to be a number of teams interested in a top 5 player. Question is, will Harden even have a say in where he lands.
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If he does, and if the organization is going to “do him right”, then one of the Nets or Sixers is about to be a very happy franchise.