Dallas Mavericks: Why they should get in on the James Harden sweepstakes
The Houston Rockets won’t sacrifice value to move James Harden
Houston is understandably not looking to trade Harden away for pennies on the dollar. While they aren’t guaranteed to pry away one of the stars from Brooklyn or Philadelphia – or the Milwaukee Bucks or Miami Heat, the other two teams Harden prefers a trade to – Charania’s report peeks behind the curtain’s at Houston’s thinking: they’re looking to swap Harden out for another star and a boatload of other assets.
Porzingis makes the most sense for Dallas to move in exchange for Harden. A 25-year-old 7’3″ floor spacing, rim protector is a valuable centerpiece of a trade package. Even though he comes with a rehabbing meniscus that will sideline him for the beginning of the season and a history of several other injuries, Porzingis is a unique talent.
Related Story. Why the Sixers shouldn't trade Ben Simmons for James Harden. light
Despite missing the entirety of the 2018-19 season due to a torn ACL, Porzingis averaged a career-high in rebounds at 9.5 per game to go along with 20.4 points, 2.0 blocks and 2.5 made 3-pointers last season. The Unicorn alone isn’t enough to pry away the Beard, though. Dallas would have to send other assets or possibly get a third team involved.
While Harden would be a clear upgrade over Porzingis and whatever sweeteners Dallas sends away, is it worth altering the Mavericks’ championship window? With Porzingis, the Mavericks have at least a couple more years to find ways to make the team around him and Doncic championship-worthy. With Harden, the Mavericks will be expected to compete for the title now.
The answer to that question is just three letters long: yes.
Talents and friendship with Doncic notwithstanding, Porzingis will not raise Dallas’ title hopes as much as Harden does. Even if he develops into a Harden-caliber player – which would be an incredible leap to make – his injury history is not something to take lightly. Having a costar that is frequently unavailable derails championship-chasing momentum.
Harden, meanwhile, has been one of the most durable stars in the league. Since being traded to Houston ahead of the 2012-13 season, he has never missed a playoff game and has played in at least 72 regular-season games in every season. Last season is the lone exception: Houston only had 72 total regular-season games but Harden played in 68 of them.