Boston Celtics: Breaking down hypothetical trade for James Harden

Why the Boston Celtics do it

If the Boston Celtics were to make this trade to bring in James Harden, it would be because they want to put everything on the line for a title right now. Their current roster is well-built on paper, but the question remains whether it will be enough to push Boston to their first NBA Finals appearance in over a decade.

In the immediate future, Harden gives them a much better chance of doing so. The guard is one of the best players in the association today, and his recent play has reminded everyone of that. With Harden under contract for two more seasons and a player option for the third, the Celtics bring in a superstar that can push them into the upper echelon of title contenders for the next several years on impact.

However, the likelihood of Boston agreeing to such a deal seems rather low. Incidents like this where a star has become available have happened repeatedly in recent years, but Boston has never acted upon it. Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Anthony Davis are just a few names that previously had trade links to Boston, and the team elected not to make a move for any of them. Which, to their credit, has worked out for them to an extent thus far, fresh off a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals last season.

A substantial reason for their success has been the play of Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart, two players they would have to part ways with in this hypothetical trade. Smart has been the heart and soul of this team, and Brown is poised to continue his development into a premier two-way star.

Essentially, it is all about what the Boston Celtics want to do. If they want to put their chips in and compete to the fullest extent for the next two to three years, they make a move for Harden. If they want to keep their core intact and continue their internal development to put themselves in a position to compete for the next decade or so, they stand pat.