The Toronto Raptors made an offer for an NBA superstar on an expiring contract in the hopes of winning an NBA title. The year was 2018, and the player was Kawhi Leonard. He went on to lead an ensemble cast to the 2019 NBA Finals and bring a championship to Canada.
Could the Raptors repeat the magic of 2019 and trade for another star player on an expiring contract? James Harden is opting into the final year of his contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, with the hope of working out a trade to another team.
JUST IN: James Harden is opting into his $35.6 million deal for next season – in order for the 10-time All-Star and the 76ers to work together on a trade out of Philadelphia, league sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2023
James Harden is on an expiring contract, and as a result of signing a two-year extension a year ago, he is not eligible for a contract extension. Any team trading for Harden, including the Raptors, would have no option other than letting him hit free agency next summer.
Could the Raptors work out a trade for James Harden?
Harden may have ups and downs in the playoffs, but he is also an incredibly talented scorer and passer in a way that no one else on the Toronto roster is. If the price is right, could they work out a deal?
To answer that question, we first have to identify the price. What would a Harden trade even look like?
Laying out a trade package for James Harden
There are a few different ways that a trade could be built between the two teams. One construction would swap Harden for Pascal Siakam, exchanging one expiring deal for another and allowing Toronto to alleviate their logjam at power forward by adding an on-ball guard. Would Toronto give up a franchise icon for a rental? And would Philadelphia want to play this same game in a year? Probably not on both accounts.
The 76ers probably pitch a deal where they get back Gary Trent Jr. and OG Anunoby, which makes all the sense in the world for Philly but completely misses the fact that Harden was essentially a free agent opting into his deal for a trade. It’s not quite the same as the Kristaps Porzingis deal, as he maintained his leverage down to the wire, but the Sixers aren’t getting a king’s ransom back for an expiring Harden.
The sweet spot, then, might be a deal like this:
Philadelphia will need another perimeter player to support Tyrese Maxey, and Gary Trent Jr. can either start at the shooting guard spot or come off the bench behind De’Anthony Melton and Tobias Harris. Otto Porter Jr. has been frequently injured, but he’s also just one calendar year removed from starting NBA Finals games. Boucher is insurance to let Paul Reed walk.
It’s not the haul they would want, but it’s also better than nothing if Harden were to walk in free agency simply. This allows a middle road to stay competitive and have moveable contracts to pivot at the trade deadline.
If Philly would say yes…would Toronto?
Would the Raptors say yes?
James Harden is the kind of player that draws a lot of “hate” from opposing fans. He’s an extremely talented player, but one who seems to prioritize himself over his teams at times. Add in a dollop of playoff failure (which sometimes replaces hate with respect), and many fans in Toronto likely don’t want to add Harden at any cost.
However, the reality is that the cost is incredibly low relative to how good he is. Trent is a valuable player, but the organization would probably have been acceptable to see him walk in free agency; he was coming off the bench down the stretch last season. Boucher is what he is, and Porter is dead money. The first-round pick matters the most, as they currently owe protected picks that would encumber them moving forward.
Adding Harden and retaining all three of their forwards maintains their high foundation. Re-sign Jakob Poeltl, and they have a potential starting lineup and a pick-and-roll partner for Harden. Would a team lining up to contend be enough to entice Fred VanVleet to stick around? An absolute bomber like Gradey Dick would fit right into the rotation as well.
There are downsides. Harden tends to make an offense look a lot like him, and with a rookie head coach, there will be some growing pains to feed all of the mouths. Yet Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby know what it takes to win; Harden hasn’t paired with high-level players who have won a championship on a real team (not sure what to call the Brooklyn experiment). The infrastructure in Toronto might be enough to make it work.
There are risks, but the cost is so low that the Raptors would be justified in taking a swing. It worked with Kawhi Leonard; could it work again with James Harden?
Grade: B+