Toronto Raptors: What would a trade for James Harden look like?

Trading James Harden would mean the end of an era for the Houston Rockets, but would the Toronto Raptors package be enough to rebuild upon?

Up until now, less than a week into free agency, the Houston Rockets have made no indication that they actually will trade James Harden before the start of the 2020-2021 season.

But no matter when they do, their immediate path will lie the same: take one season to recoup Russell Westbrook’s trade value and then use the next offseason to jumpstart the rebuild.

The Rockets’ second All-Star, ironically coming off of his ninth All-NBA appearance, has seen his trade value slim down to what most would dub the “salary dump” tier. Westbrook is owed $130+ million over the next three years, and despite his stuffed stat line, isn’t deemed worth the cost.

Any trade with the Toronto Raptors provides the same tools that they’d need under those circumstances, providing enough talent for Houston to compete in their inaugural season without Harden. And the first-round picks wouldn’t hurt their upcoming rebuild, either.

It’d be a gamble for the Rockets’ new front office, but then again, any trade involving a top-5 player will always be considered a dice roll, no matter who’s pulling the strings at GM. But it’s safe to say they could do worse than the aforementioned package from Toronto.

If James Harden is to be traded, Channing Frye wasn’t wrong in saying the Toronto Raptors would be a top destination. Not only would the superstar find a strong supporting cast and overall fluid situation, but a trade would properly set the Houston Rockets up for their future in the NBA.