Judging by the most recent turn of events, Boston Celtics fans and everyone else in the NBA can see that James Harden really wants out of the Houston Rockets organization sooner rather than later.
The Beard has once again reportedly added two new teams to his wish list of destinations, including the Boston Celtics and Portland Trail Blazers. There’s also his initial picks Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets, as well as other East contenders like the Milwaukee Bucks and the Miami Heat.
While all these teams have the assets to trade for the one-time MVP, can you imagine what Harden would look like in Celtics green?
Under the guidance of Brad Stevens, the youth-laden Celtics squad has emerged as serious title contenders over the last few years. In fact, they were just two wins away from a Finals berth last season.
Will Harden be the final piece to the puzzle that will finally get the Celtics over the hump? Or will his iso-heavy play be detrimental to Boston’s system of team basketball?
Despite the high risk-reward ratio that this blockbuster deal could bring, it would be wise for the Celtics to at least consider such a scenario, especially if it presents itself.
While their current roster is already quite a formidable group to be reckoned with, there’s always room for improvement. As controversial as Harden has been over the course of his career, there’s no denying that at his best — he is one of the most unguardable offensive players of this generation.
Here is the best possible trade scenario for the Celtics, in the event that they decide to pursue a James Harden deal.
Celtics trade Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Daniel Theis, 2021 1st Round Pick, 2023 1st Round Pick to Rockets for James Harden and PJ Tucker
While a lot of Celtics fans will revolt at the idea of losing Brown, a Harden trade package will only happen with him as the centerpiece. Jayson Tatum is practically untouchable, especially after that massive extension. Houston already has a starting-caliber point guard in John Wall, so they’ll probably have no interest with Kemba Walker.
While Brown won’t make up for losing a walking bucket in Harden, Clutch City will welcome a young, athletic swingman who has made significant strides to his game each year. Brown is a borderline All-Star with the Celtics, and he may reach that status if given a starring role in Texas.
The Rockets would also love to get their hands on Marcus Smart of the Celtics, who gives them a gritty defensive-minded backcourt player who can play and defend both guard positions. The 26-year-old guard has also developed a reliable three-point stroke, which would fit great in Houston’s trigger-happy system.
Losing Smart will probably sting the most for the Celtics since he is practically the heart and soul of that team. However, there’s really a steep price to pay to get a megastar like Harden.
Daniel Theis is another guy whose stock rose last season after his solid outing. The Celtics did acquire Tristan Thompson in the offseason, so moving Theis could actually free up minutes for Robert Williams or even Tacko Fall. The Rockets are welcoming bigs back in town this year, so Theis will be a nice back-up to DeMarcus Cousins and Christian Wood.
Houston will probably still not be satisfied with such a haul from the Celtics and would demand future draft picks to get this deal done.
This is where it gets tricky for the Celtics, considering Danny Ainge worked hard to stockpile on the future assets that they have now. Then again, Houston has made it adamant that they also want first-rounders in any Harden deal, so Boston might have to cough up some from their haul.
Plus, Harden puts them in a win-now mode so thoughts of re-building will immediately take a backseat. First-round picks in 2021 and 2023 should suffice, and maybe the Rockets would even agree to just one from the Celtics.
While Boston fans may think that they are giving up way too much for the 8-time All-Star, PJ Tucker is also in the deal to give the Celtics another solid veteran who can contribute right away.
Like Harden, the 6-foot-6 forward is also reportedly unhappy with his current situation in Houston and also wants out. His versatility would be perfect for coach Brad Stevens’ positionless basketball with the Celtics.
Plus, he’s an expiring contract, so they could just let him walk next season if it doesn’t work with the Celtics.
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