James Harden wants out of Houston. If the Portland Trail Blazers pursued him, what type of hypothetical trade packages could they put together?
Superstar James Harden wants out from the Houston Rockets. The Portland Trail Blazers may not throw their hat in the ring to make a move for him, but if they do, what kind of hypothetical trades could they put together?
Harden is one of the greatest scorers of all-time, and although he hasn’t made the NBA Finals or won a title, his scoring and shot creation is second to none in the NBA.
If you have a chance to make a trade for a top-five player, teams should make this trade every time. With Damian Lillard in his prime, putting another top-five player alongside him could push the Blazers to the championship level that Dame is striving for.
Which three blockbuster trades could the Blazers make for James Harden?
Trade #1
This trade will be hard to stomach for some fans as CJ McCollum would be the main piece sent out. But, the assets that the Blazers are sending out would bring back an A1 scorer who is a better defender and playmaker than McCollum.
At the highest levels, Harden would impact winning more than McCollum. He and Dame would also form one of the deadliest guard pairings in NBA history.
Dame and Harden would make the Blazers instant championship favorites. Though neither of these two are off-ball players, they could make it work if it meant championship success. They would have two or three years of championship contention.
The Rockets could bring back a player in McCollum who is two years younger than Harden and a strong playmaker. He could help reset the Rockets franchise alongside newly signed Christian Wood and newly traded to Houston John Wall.
Attaching a first-round pick and Anfernee Simons would also give the Rockets a couple of other options to rebuild if they worked out. They could see if things worked this season, and if they didn’t, could tank properly in 2022.
McCollum would be sorely missed in Portland, but if I were Neil Olshey, I would make this trade ten times out of ten.