Grade the Trade: 76ers swap All-Stars in stunning blockbuster proposal
![James Harden, Philadelphia 76ers (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) James Harden, Philadelphia 76ers (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/84a7c979b7fa81aae2429ece0ce291e7a77caed7302a4a23d1422bbf4ea6331a.jpg)
Why the 76ers should entertain a Harden-Holiday swap
Quite frankly, this is a pipe dream scenario for Philadelphia. With James Harden remaining adamant on moving high heavens to force his way out of town in his contract year, any prospect of landing a star should be a lucky proposition in and of itself.
Jrue Holiday similarly doesn’t offer much like Harden in terms of roster control, as he can opt out of his contract next year, but for a team in dire need of even more firepower around Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, it’s rather easy to see Holiday thrive as he has already done in Milwaukee as the third option.
Holiday doesn’t possess the same offensive ceiling and floor that Harden has in lofty fashion, but he is arguably more consistent on that end, especially in the playoffs where he’s a known performer. Not only is he fundamentally solid on both ends of the court, but he also shows up in clutch moments as a high-impact player who doesn’t need the ball in his hands all the time to be effective, unlike the former MVP.
Even his lack of roster control could actually do favors for Philly. If his addition pans out, both parties can easily agree to an extension. If not, the 76ers front office can simply just let him opt out and test the waters while the team goes after its reported big targets next year.
For all intents and purposes, this is a rather risk-averse trade framework that the 76ers should quickly cater to if it ever surfaces on the offer table.