Knicks Not Trading for James Harden: Smart or Stupid?

James Harden trade rumors are swirling, and even though the New York Knicks have been labeled a potential landing spot, a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers seems unlikely.

Jeremy Brener | Jul 6, 2023

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New York Knicks

The New York Knicks are following last year's dynamic offseason with one that doesn't have as big of a splash.

After completely shifting the foundation of their team to Jalen Brunson by signing him to a four-year, $104 million contract last summer, the Knicks are looking to further build their squad around their point guard.

All that has meant so far is signing Donte DiVincenzo, his college teammate at Villanova, and trading away Obi Toppin before he entered the final year of his rookie contract. The Knicks could have made a bigger trade, like dealing for disgruntled Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden, but New York has gone against that ... for now.

That's part of the reason why the Knicks were given a "B" on Bleacher Report's offseason report cards.

"The New York Knicks haven't made a big splash this offseason. They're among the teams that have been connected to James Harden, but what they've done so far might actually be the wiser route," Bleacher Report writes.

"No, Donte DiVincenzo is not as good as Harden, but he won't do anything to derail the ongoing rise of Jalen Brunson. A more organic build around him makes sense, and DiVincenzo's rebounding, playmaking, and outside shooting should be purely additive."

Harden is also on an expiring contract, which makes it difficult to trade for him because he has a sound chance to simply leave a year from now if he isn't impressed with his current situation, something he's now done three times with the Houston Rockets, Brooklyn Nets, and 76ers.

While Harden lifts the ceiling for the Knicks, it is a massive risk ... one that probably isn't worth taking considering how much the team has already invested in Brunson.

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Published Jul 6, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.