4. The championship window is closed otherwise
How far can the Toronto Raptors really get with Pascal Siakam as their best player? We probably saw them cap out last season in an exhilarating second-round defeat in seven games at the hands of the Boston Celtics. Siakam is a nice player, and the Raptors did win their championship with him as their second or third-best, but that was alongside a true superstar in Kawhi Leonard. Ideally, he’ll play that second-fiddle role for a championship contender. You’re in a great spot if Siakam is your second-best player, less so if he’s your lead dog.
The fifth reason the Toronto Raptors need to trade for James Harden is the simplest one of all.
5. He’s James Harden
Sometimes we overcomplicate things when analyzing the NBA. For that matter, sometimes teams overcomplicate things as well. Ultimately, whatever deal ends up happening with James Harden will come down to this: He is James Harden. He can do things that nobody else in the NBA can do, with heavier workloads than anybody else can carry. Maybe he enjoys the strip club on off days instead of playing NBA 2K like Joel Embiid, but when he plays there’s nobody quite like him, and he plays every game.
All these other reasons to trade for James Harden are secondary. This one, the one that reminds us that there’s only one player like him, is the prime reason to just pull the trigger and do whatever it takes.