It certainly is premature to consider James Harden out of Brooklyn. With that being said, it’s been rumored that he’s considering “opportunities outside of Brooklyn,” and will continue to do so throughout the season and during the summer. Having Harden around likely gives the Nets their best opportunity to win a title, but perhaps they’d trade him before things go sour. Here are three Harden trade ideas the Nets can consider.
Three James Harden Trade Ideas
Heading to Canada
The trade: Brooklyn sends Harden, Cam Thomas, Nic Claxton, and James Johnson to the Toronto Raptors for OG Anunoby, Gary Trent Jr, Chris Boucher, and Khem Birch.
Brooklyn has plenty of shortcomings on their roster that are masked by the superstardom at hand. This trade helps them address some of those. Anunoby is a fantastic defender who’s also making strides in his offensive game. He’s creeping up as a player with legitimate fringe All-Star qualities. Trent Jr also exploded onto the scene after arriving in Toronto last season. Pairing him with Joe Harris gives the Nets outstanding three-point shooting. Boucher can step in and allow the Nets to have a better option in the frontcourt than some of their older veterans, while Birch provides frontcourt depth as well.
The last time Toronto went all in for a star it worked out pretty well. They also get to keep a core group in Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, and Scottie Barnes. It may be worth the risk. In addition, Thomas and Claxton not only provide depth but are two very solid young pieces to develop as well.
Keeping another superstar happy
The trade: Brooklyn sends Harden, Johnson, and Day’Ron Sharpe to the Portland Trail Blazers for CJ McCollum, Jusuf Nurkic, and Larry Nance Jr.
McCollum doesn’t compare to Harden’s stardom. With that being said, he can do many similar things. McCollum remains a pure scorer and can still handle facilitating duties while other guards are on the bench. With the talent around him in Brooklyn, McCollum will have no issue dropping 20+ points per game.
Brooklyn needs frontcourt help as well. Nurkic is still a very good NBA center, and he’ll make a major difference in Brooklyn. In addition, Nance Jr. is an almost perfect backup for Kevin Durant. Nance Jr. could also possibly start alongside Durant as well.
Portland makes this move to keep Damian Lillard happy. Harden does have a past of not living up to expectations while paired with top point guards, but it’s hard to not want to have a Lillard-Harden duo. Portland also gets a solid young piece in Sharpe.
The Brooklyn Nets end one drama with their own Harden drama
The trade: Brooklyn sends Harden and a second-round pick to the Philadelphia 76ers for Ben Simmons, Danny Green, and a first-round pick.
If the rumors about Harden are true, that leaves two high-paid superstars wanting to leave. It wasn’t long ago when Harden was on the Houston Rockets and he was constantly rumored to be traded for Simmons. In this case, it finally happens.
Simmons, putting aside his shooting woes, is an extremely versatile player. From ball-handling to a post game to elite defense, he can be thrust into any line-up, let alone one with Durant and Kyrie Irving. The Nets will surely find a way to utilize the All-Star talent. Green is another veteran shooter, and they get a first-round pick.
Simmons is done in Philadelphia. The 76ers, led by Joel Embiid, need to make a move because they’re built to win. A team with Harden and Embiid is clearly a major contender, so the 76ers should pull the trigger here.
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