Portland Trail Blazers: Breaking down hypothetical James Harden trade

Why the Houston Rockets do it

The Houston Rockets continue to drag out this James Harden saga, but it keeps getting uglier with each passing day. No matter how long they hold out, Harden is not going to change his mind and sing Kumbaya with Houston’s management anytime soon. He wants out, and he wants it now.

As the Rockets survey the league for what they view as a fitting return for Harden, this one has to stand out. Along with the three-future first round draft selections, they get a trio of promising players. Zach Collins and Gary Trent Jr. both can be vital rotational players on a contending team, but the centerpiece of this deal is unquestionably CJ McCollum.

Since he won the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award for his breakout season in 2015-16, McCollum has been a premier player at the shooting guard position. Throughout the past five seasons, the guard has averaged 21.7 points on .456/.398/.840 shooting splits, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. As Bontemps reported, the Rockets want a young star involved in any deal for Harden, and unless the Philadelphia 76ers budge on including Ben Simmons, their options remain slim.

Those future first round selections from Portland also set Houston up nicely over the next several seasons while remaining in contention now with these three players. Most importantly, the Houston Rockets would finally get to move on from this nightmarish James Harden saga with a clean slate.