With only a tad more than a week before the 2023-24 NBA season officially kicks off, the Philadelphia 76ers still find themselves stuck at crossroads with regard to the fate of James Harden. Unfortunately, with each passing day, the same old redundant tidbits flood the newsstand, to the point where it’s highly likely that the team will have to do with him still in the loop to start their campaign off.
Once again, the LA Clippers remain the only team with firm interest in trading for the former MVP. But that has been an idle wheel for quite some time now, and their refusal to bid against themselves has prevented both camps from agreeing on a potential deal despite the clear benefits to the clubs involved.
Do the 76ers have another bona fide suitor for James Harden?
A quick glance at the team expected to be in the pool to compete for a championship is not particularly inspiring for those cogitating the long overdue scenario of a relatively clean, Harden-less slate for Philly. However, there could be one team that presents an ideal fit for him at this stage in his career — a team that actually was just three wins away from hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy last season — the Miami Heat.
The Heat’s core remains the same at large, but considering the massive buffs their fierce rivals gained in the offseason, it’s only natural for them to covet a player than can put them on equal footing. Here’s how the 76ers can “help” them do just that while they solidify the team in hopes of a big bounce-back season after a disappointing semifinals exit in the postseason.
76ers trade James Harden to the Heat and land another star in this all-in proposal
In this trade proposal hashed out by Bleacher Report just recently, the Philadelphia 76ers trade James Harden to the Miami Heat for Tyler Herro, Caleb Martin, and rights to swap a future first-round draft pick.
After striking out embarrassingly in the Damian Lillard sweepstakes, the Heat will basically banner the same core that has given them two NBA Finals losses in the last four seasons. That’s better than how almost all teams have fared during that span, but Miami is not just playing to be a Finals participant.
Hence, to shake things up, Pat Riley and co. should make a run for Harden and give the Clippers a run for their money. While older than Herro, the All-Star guard is still the best playmaker in the league, and touts a still-lethal scoring prowess that, in theory, fits like a glove next to Jimmy Butler’s all-around game and Bam Adebayo’s stylings as a force in the paint.
Clearly, the Heat would benefit from adding Harden to form a Big Three of their own. But on the other side, how can this trade benefit (or sink) the 76ers in their still-boisterous edict to win a championship as soon as possible?
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.
Why the 76ers should steer clear from the Heat’s trade package from Harden
Philadelphia has been in penury since embracing its championship hunt, but the franchise will finally have landscape-altering spending power next year. So, for this deal to even strike a optimistic nerve for the 76ers, they really must love the idea of the troika of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Tyler Herro carrying them for the foreseeable future.
In the spirit of frankness, that would be utter hubris on the part of the front office. The East is now admittedly top-heavy, and those in the topmost echelon will not perspire themselves seeing that Big Three try to oppose them.
Embiid may be the MVP, but he has just as much to prove in the playoffs as most of his compatriots. Maxey is still a tier or two from achieving the degree of stardom needed to qualify as a legitimate second option on a championship team. Herro is an up-and-coming star with more downs recently due to injury concerns.
Circling back to this deal, even if the Clippers fail to enrich their Philly-bound pot for harden, the 76ers could be much better off just holding onto what they currently have. Sure, the immediate impact could redound to a sacrificial lamb in the form of a year-long state of punting, but for the massive cap space and optionality the front office can delight in next year if they stand pat, the rewards could be tremendous.
The Philadelphia 76ers endured a five-year long process. A much, much shorter one that won’t require unpleasantly chasing ping-pong balls shouldn’t faze them.