First reported by The Athletic, James Harden has reportedly added the Portland Trail Blazers to his list of preferred trade destinations.
In a surprising turn of events, the Portland Trail Blazers have been thrown right into the James Harden sweepstakes.
As reported by The Athletic’s Kelly Iko and Sam Amick ($$), Harden, who requested a trade from Houston several weeks ago, has added the Portland Trail Blazers and Boston Celtics to his preferred landing spots. These two teams find themselves alongside the Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Miami Heat as teams mentioned on the disgruntled star’s list.
Now, the Blazers, fresh off of a roster retooling this offseason, must consider whether or not they want to shake up their foundation some more by making a move for the former league MVP. If they choose to do so, here is a look at what a hypothetical trade may look like.
The hypothetical James Harden to the Portland Trail Blazers trade
Since James Harden first requested his trade, the Houston Rockets assured him that they would not let him go just to fulfill his desire to skip town. This team wants a king’s ransom of pieces in return that can help them stay afloat and contend in the Western Conference and also set them up nicely for the future. As ESPN’s Tim Bontemps detailed in a previous piece:
"“The Rockets are demanding an especially steep return for Harden, a perennial MVP candidate who has led the NBA in scoring the past three seasons: a proven, young star as a centerpiece along with a massive picks package, according to sources.”"
While the Portland Trail Blazers might not have the best assemblage of assets to send to Houston, their package has to be compelling. With a potential trade outlined, why might each team consider agreeing on such a proposal?