One of the most watched situations before the 2023-24 NBA season starts is the James Harden and Daryl Morey saga.
Earlier this month James Harden called Daryl Morey a liar and said that he will never play for an organization that Morey’s a part of again.
The NBA fined Harden $100,000 for public comments on Aug. 14 and Aug. 17 saying he would not perform the services called for under his player contract unless he were traded to another team.
There has a been a lot of speculation on what’s next for James Harden and if the 76ers will trade him before the season starts.
Christopher Kline of FanSided recently listed three dark horse teams who should trade for James Harden and listed the Raptors as one of the options.
Here’s a snippet of what Kline said about why Harden would make sense for the Raptors:
The Raptors would have two bonafide top-30 players helming the offense. Harden would boost Toronto’s lowly 3-point numbers. He can place OG Anunoby and Scottie Barnes in more advantageous positions to score. Meanwhile, the Raptors have the length and defensive versatility to cover for Harden’s primary area of weakness
The price for Harden wouldn’t be cheap. The Raptors would almost certainly have to give up Pascal Siakam or OG Anunoby to get this done.
The 76ers likely wouldn’t take anything less. As we know Daryl Morey always asks for the most when it comes to his players.
There’s no rush for the 76ers to trade James Harden so this is all speculation at this point, however if Harden’s relationship with Morey and the 76ers is beyond repair they might have no other choice.
James Harden to the Raptors doesn’t make sense
James Harden still has a lot to offer and does elevate his teammates, however at this stage the Raptors trading for Harden simply doesn’t make sense.
The Raptors would have to most likely surrender one of OG Anunoby or Pascal Siakam to get a deal done.
If the Raptors are going to trade one of those pieces or both they should focus on getting younger.
A haul for future picks and assets would be the smart move instead of looking for a quick fix.
Also, trading for James Harden comes with great risk. For as talented as he is, Harden is no stranger when it comes to requesting trades.
The Raptors should hard pass on any potential James Harden deal.
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