James Harden's disgust with the Houston Rockets continues. How does this quagmire conclude? Here's a thought: how about the Indiana Pacers acquire Harden?

Yes, the Pacers have been bounced out of the first round of the playoffs in each of the last five seasons. Also true: Harden reportedly wants to play for a contender. Simultaneously, Harden could make Indiana a contender, and they have plenty of ammunition to get a deal done with Houston.

James Harden Trade proposal #1

James Harden Trade, Pacers

Pacers acquire: James Harden

Rockets acquire: Victor Oladipo, T.J. Warren, and Aaron Holiday

The Pacers would be acquiring Harden for a facelift and to be their undisputed go-to scorer. The future Hall of Famer would be surrounded by a talented Pacers roster that complements his tendencies.

Malcolm Brogdon could play more off the ball, sticking three pointers (Brogdon is a career 38.5 percent shooter from beyond the arc), finding the open man, and playing tight defense; Domantas Sabonis is a highly productive inside player with a capable jump shot; Myles Turner stretches the floor and is a defensive backbone; when healthy, Jeremy Lamb is a scoring jolt; Doug McDermott is an outside sniper.

James Harden is lethal in the halfcourt, as he's an elite shooter who gets to the rim, draws fouls with ease, and is money from the charity stripe. The Pacers have been a defensive-minded team who has, for the most part, operated in the halfcourt. What they'd lose defensively in Oladipo they'd gain in Harden's scoring ability.

From Houston's perspective, they get a proven scorer and defender (Oladipo), a forward playing the best basketball of his NBA career (Warren), and a young guard to backup John Wall (Holiday). A healthy Wall and Oladipo could make for an exuberant backcourt given their track record as prominent scorers. If the pairing doesn't yield positive results, the Rockets can let Oladipo walk in free agency next offseason.

Like Oladipo, Warren would help aid the scoring vacancy Harden's departure would create. The forward would also provide a considerable frontline scoring presence, which Houston has been devoid of. Holiday, meanwhile, is still 24. His best days are ahead of him.

Trade proposal #2

James Harden Trade, Pacers

Pacers acquire: James Harden

Rockets acquire: Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis, Pacers' 2021 first-round draft pick, and Pacers' 2021 second-round draft pick via Utah Jazz

In this trade proposal, Indiana still gets Harden but they go smaller. Brogdon and Turner would keep their starting roles, and the offense would revolve around Harden with Warren providing outside scoring (he averaged a career-high 19.8 points per game while shooting 40.3 percent from beyond the arc last season).

This trade would give head coach Nate Bjorkgren more speed, as they're trading Sabonis, an inside player. They'd have a lot of athleticism out on the perimeter, frontline shooters, and the Pacers would be retaining Aaron Holiday, who averaged 9.5 points per game last season.

Oladipo and Sabonis would be instant starters for the Rockets and give head coach Stephen Silas a bevy of rotation options. An inside pairing of a healthy Sabonis and DeMarcus Cousins would be tenacious in the paint. Another option is Christian Wood, an athletic scorer and threat from distance, starting at the five with Cousins coming off the bench.

Therefore, the Rockets would be going big inside, as Wall and Oladipo spearhead the backcourt with the likes of Eric Gordon, P.J. Tucker, and Danuel House roaming the perimeter and playing tight on-ball defense.

If they want more immediate production, Houston could look to flip Indiana's 2021 picks for another veteran player.

The Pacers and Rockets can help each other

In any James Harden trade, the Rockets would want a star in return. However, at some point they're going to have to entertain alternative offers, and a return that includes at least two of Oladipo, Warren, and Sabonis would be a phenomenal baseline. They get players who are instant starters and could be part of a retooling project.

Rebuilding in the Western Conference is like trying to walk through the woods at night without a flashlight: it's nerve-racking, and success is anything but a given. A handful of teams that missed the playoffs last season had balanced rosters and/or loaded young cores; their competitors were merely better than them. If the Rockets throw their hat in the rebuilding ring, they enter the conglomerate of uncertainty. How long does it take for them to rebuild and get back in contention? Three years? Maybe five years?

Silas likely didn't sign up for a rebuild, and Houston has invested too much in being a contender that they'd just wave the white flag. Trading Harden to Indiana keeps them in the race while adding roster flexibility to change course if they underwhelm in the upcoming NBA season.

The Pacers aren't going anywhere with their current core. Yes, the head-coaching change could potentially produce a more compelling offense. That said, how many teams in the presumptive Eastern Conference playoff picture are they better than? For starters, they don't have the playoff success and/or star power of the Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors, and Brooklyn Nets.

Oladipo is a free agent after the upcoming NBA season, and the Pacers likely won't have the cap space to retain him. They played well without him last season and could use his salary, as well as Warren/Sabonis, to get Harden, who's under contract through the 2021-22 season. In doing so, they get the NBA's best scorer.

The Pacers have two choices: rebuild or compete in the East. They're closer to the latter than the former and have the pieces to enhance that process. Trading for James Harden doesn't make the Pacers the favorites in the East, but it gives them a fighting chance.