James Harden was on the top of the trading block this offseason. However, he has not been acquired by any NBA team yet. Could the Toronto Raptors acquire him after trading Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks as a part of their rebuilding process?
Clippers or Knicks for Harden? NBA Insider Links MVP to Raptors Amid Sixers’ High Price Tag
James Harden requested a trade this year after picking up his player options for $35.6 million. Harden’s preferred trade destination is the Los Angeles Clippers. He was also interested in joining the New York Knicks. However, no team acquired him from the Sixers due to a steep asking price.
Now, an NBA writer has linked Lillard with the Toronto Raptors. Andy Bailey of the Bleacher Report wrote that Harden could be traded to the Sixers.
Bailey wrote:
“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.”
Throwback to this three-point contest between Kyrie and James Harden 😂🔥
pic.twitter.com/7U0iBMYWkA— Kyrie Center (@kyriecenterig) October 15, 2023
The Philadelphia 76ers could trade him to any team they want, as Harden has a no-trade clause in his contract. The Sixers must trade the upcoming free agent, Harden.
Could the Raptors Trade for James Harden? Is the Beard Star Worth the Risk?
The Raptors will have to trade a superstar player like OG Anunoby or Pascal Siakam in order to acquire James Harden from the Sixers. However, the Raptors may not be able to make this bold move as they recently tried acquiring Lillard, and they were unable to do it.
If the Raptors acquire Harden from the Sixers, it would be a highly risky move for them since they have to give up on their best players like Siakam or Anunoby. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that James Harden would help them in contending for the title.
Harden averaged around 21 points in the last season, alongside 10.7 assists. Moreover, he led the league with the highest assists for the second time in his NBA career.
