James Harden, Philadelphia 76ers
Would it be that crazy of an idea for the Miami Heat to pivot toward James Harden if they missed out on Damian Lillard? In a vacuum, the Heat would seem like a good fit for Harden. I’m not sure how Harden’s playstyle would work in Erik Spoelstra’s offensive system but the Heat does need a starting point guard and, for all his critiques, he’s one of the best playmaking guards in the league. On the flip side, he is past his prime and has consistently left much to be desired in the playoffs.
That may not be something the Heat can get fully onboard with, especially if the asking price for Harden is indeed astronomically high. Miami likely isn’t willing to trade Tyler Herro for Harden and would likely only want to include a first-round pick, maybe a young player, and a salary filler. That may not be enough for the Sixers to pull the trigger.
Then again, desperate teams tend to do desperate things. Maybe Miami gets to a point where they become desperate to land a star and shift their focus to the most available one after Lillard.
It’s not that outlandish of an idea.