The Golden State Warriors are among the teams who have been frequently linked to Houston Rockets superstar James Harden this offseason. In a recent appearance on Complex’s Load Management podcast, Shams Charania of The Athletic revealed that the Warriors have called the Rockets regarding a potential blockbuster deal involving “The Beard.” Charania didn’t give any further details on how far the negotiation between the Warriors and the Rockets go, but most fans are definitely intrigued to know that Golden State offered to Houston to acquire Harden.
In a recent article, Evan Massey of NBA Analysis Network suggested what he feels is the best trade package that the Warriors could offer to the Rockets for Harden. In the proposed scenario, Golden State would be sending James Wiseman, Andrew Wiggins, Kelly Oubre Jr., the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 2021 first-rounder, and their own first-round picks in 2022, 2025, and 2027 to Houston in exchange for Harden, P.J. Tucker, and Danuel House Jr.
“First and foremost, this trade would not be able to be completed until December 26th. Wiseman is not eligible to be traded until 30 days after he signed his rookie deal. However, that would not be a dealbreaker, as the Rockets were not going to rush a trade of Harden regardless. One thing that has been reported about the Rockets’ mindset has been the fact that they want young players with star potential and draft picks. The Warriors would be giving them both of those things with this trade.”
It would likely be a tough decision for the Warriors to lose all those precious trade assets in a single transaction. However, it’s the type of move that they might make if they are serious about reclaiming their throne and reviving their dynasty in the 2020-21 NBA season. The successful acquisition of Harden would likely make them one of the heavy favorites to dominate the loaded Western Conference and bring home the Larry O’Brien Trophy next year.
Harden would immediately fill the void left by Klay Thompson, who is set to miss an entire season due to injury, on the offensive end of the floor. He would give the Warriors a very reliable scoring option next to Stephen Curry, a decent playmaker, and an elite three-point shooter. Last season, he led the league in scoring with 34.4 points per game. He also averaged 6.6 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 1.8 steals while shooting 44.4 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN .
Aside from Harden, the proposed deal would also bring two solid role players to Golden State in Tucker and House. Tucker could serve as the primary backup for Green at the power forward position, while House would fill the huge hole in the Warriors’ wing.
Meanwhile, this could be the best offer that the Rockets could get for the former MVP. Acquiring young and promising talents like Wiseman, Wiggins, and Oubre, together with four future first-round picks, could be more than enough for them to jumpstart a rebuilding process. The Warriors’ first-round selections in 2022, 2025, and 2027 would be interesting acquisitions for Houston, especially knowing that Curry, Thompson, and Green are already nearing the end of their primes.
