76ers trade James Harden to the Heat and land a star in this all-in proposal

Do the Heat have a better trade package for Harden and the 76ers?

At this juncture, the market for James Harden is a moribund one. Even factoring in the theoretical Clippers package, the Philadelphia 76ers only have a disgruntled star and a dream to bolster their chances of rising to the top this season — and those chances as of writing are far from being worthy of a largesse in Vegas.

That’s what makes a return consisting of Tyler Herro, Caleb Martin, and rights to swap a future first-round draft pick more than palatable.

Herro, for all his deficiencies and a sudden drop-off in his league-wide perception, is a fringe All-Star who’s just a mini leap away from becoming an actual one. He is an efficient three-level scorer who can viably be a table-setter on the secondary, and better yet, he’s only turning 23 and is signed through 2027.

That last phrase can be quite portentous to many, but that can be a functional asset for the 76ers if they want to double-down on the present while retaining flexibility. After all, his contract should age well enough to attract suitors down the road.

Miami’s pot sweeteners also deserve explication. Caleb Herro was good enough to almost win — and he should’ve won — the Eastern Conference Finals MVP award. He projects as a starting-caliber forward versatile enough to fit a lot of needs for the 76ers on both ends. And of course, a pick swap will almost always be a favorable add-on that could be more crucial than just supplemental a few years from now.