Houston Rockets: 3 dark horse trade destinations for James Harden

(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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Houston Rockets: James Harden, Denver Nuggets: Torrey Craig
Houston Rockets, James Harden (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /

James Harden trade destination No. 3 – Denver Nuggets

Fresh off a trip to the Western Conference Finals, the Denver Nuggets appear to be one of the brightest teams in the NBA moving forward. That promise could cause controversy if their name came up in trade links to James Harden, but they could be an under the radar option.

The Nuggets have a formidable duo in Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, but is that tandem good enough to lead Denver out of the bolstered Western Conference with the top teams only getting better? That is the big question. Landing James Harden, one of the NBA’s premier stars today, could undoubtedly make them a more prominent name in any discussions about contenders to keep an eye on.

Denver surely has a stash of assets that could gauge Houston’s interest, including draft capital, Gary Harris, Will Barton, and Michael Porter Jr., who is the most desirable of the bunch. MPJ showed significant promise last season, enough to potentially make him untouchable in trade talks.

However, star players of James Harden’s stature do not come around so often, and if Denver believes that he could push them over the edge in the Western Conference, Porter might become expendable. Standing pat is also on the table for the Nuggets, but they are all a name to keep an eye on with the Harden sweepstakes ongoing.