Toronto Raptors: What would a trade for James Harden look like?
In return for James Harden, the Toronto Raptors would need to send the Houston Rockets a bevy of first-round picks, and talent to match.
There’s no real recent data to help us support a trade for James Harden. The closest thing I can think of is the Los Angeles Lakers trade for Anthony Davis from a year and a half ago. New Orleans got Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and three first-round draft picks in return for the big.
The Pelicans didn’t have much leverage with Davis’s trade request more than public, but they used the Lakers’ desperation in accordance with LeBron James’ timeline helped them get the most out of Los Angeles as possible. Would it take a similar package to pry Harden from the Rockets?
My answer is yes, but my answer is also no.
Similar to New Orleans during their sage with Davis, Houston has little to no leverage in a trade involving Harden. Sure, he’s under contract for two more seasons-but when a star wants out, a star wants out–and you’ve only got so long before the best possible offer flies out the window.
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It’s likely that the Rockets’ new front office leadership would prefer not to trade Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers, where their ex-general manager Daryl Morey now presides over things.
So, counting on the likelihood that Houston wants to trade him out to the Eastern Conference, a potential trade between the Rockets and Raptors could look something like this:
Toronto would be sending Houston a starting-caliber guard in Kyle Lowry, three future first-round picks, and wing players that could net you a fourth or fifth first-round pick via trade after the fact.
It’s not the king’s ransom that the Rockets would likely prefer, but it’s enough that they won’t be looking back with grief, nor will the league mock them over the next few years and beyond.
They get to send Harden to a team that isn’t the 76ers or Nets (his preferred destination) but still manage to send him out of conference, where they won’t face him in a return to playoffs.