Sacramento Kings Land 76ers’ James Harden in Wild Trade Proposal
Drama. The NBA is full of drama. While nobody knows what goes on inside NBA front offices, it is never pretty when a star player speaks out about not wanting to play for a franchise.
The Philadelphia 76ers and their star guard, James Harden, have had a rocky relationship recently. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the 76ers ended trade talks for Harden, planning to bring him back for training camp. Just two days later, Harden spoke out, calling 76ers president Daryl Morey a "liar" and saying he will "not be a part of an organization that he's a part of."
Whether or not James Harden is on the trade block, the All-Star caliber guard leaving Philadelphia could affect the whole league.
The Sacramento Kings have a chance to jump at the opportunity to acquire a third All-Star to pair with De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis.
Bleacher Report's Doric Sam proposed the possibility of a trade that would send Harden to Sacramento:
"The Sacramento Kings are hoping to build off the momentum of last season's third-place finish in the West and could be open to a splash move this offseason. The Kings have multiple assets such as Kevin Huerter, Malik Monk, Davion Mitchell, and Trey Lyles to potentially include in a trade for the 2018 MVP."
With the 76ers unwillingness to trade Harden, the Kings would likely have to give up valuable young assets in a potential deal.
The most likely trade would have the Kings acquiring Harden in exchange for Kevin Huerter, Malik Monk, Colby Jones, and Kessler Edwards. This would give Sacramento their third star and the 76ers would have their needed guard depth in return.
There are multiple reasons why the Kings should not trade for Harden. The veteran guard would likely be a one-year rental, forcing the Kings to go all-in on a 2024 championship run. Trading away multiple young talents for a disgruntled 34-year-old guard is an unfavorable historical trend.
James Harden, a 10-time All-Star and 2018 NBA MVP, is not worth the risk of trading away young assets. While he is a generational offensive talent, he is past his prime. This would not be a good deal for Sacramento unless they could get a deal done while keeping Keegan Murray and at least one of Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter.
Harden is unlikely to get traded and even more unlikely to land in Sacramento.
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