James Harden has been the biggest name on the trading block since the beginning of the offseason. Now that the Houston Rockets have sent Russell Westbrook to Washington, they could look to complete the rebuild and find a trade partner for Harden. This should not be difficult to do and the Toronto Raptors could be a surprising team to keep an eye on.
Harden missed some time early during Houston’s practices but has been playing in the preseason. That has not changed his tone on being traded.
He has been linked to teams like the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers in recent weeks. If the Rockets want to sent shockwaves through the league, they could choose to send him to the Raptors.
The Raptors would not be a bad landing spot for Harden. They are one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference and are expected to compete for a championship. Harden has made it clear that he wants to continue to play for a contender in the upcoming years.
Toronto could look to add another impact playmaker in hopes of a championship, similar to what they did when they traded for Kawhi Leonard. It certainly worked out the last time they took the risk.
If deal is to be made, it could look a little something like this. Toronto would have to give up quite a bit for James Harden, but would be able to keep an intriguing duo together.
