Trade Idea: Rockets Sacrifice Defense, Wing Depth to Reunite with Franchise Legend

Would he be welcomed back with open arms?

Mar 6, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) in action during the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

For years after their split, the Houston Rockets and James Harden flirted with each other. Harden was interested in reuniting with the franchise that made him a superstar and we'd heard that they were interested in the same.

Ime Udoka's arrival put an end to that, as the franchise nabbed Fred VanVleet, but VanVleet's limitations revealed themselves last season. At times, VanVleet developed laser eyes for Alperen Sengun, forcing him the ball when there were better options.

VanVleet also struggled to throw lobs, as the Rockets ranked near the bottom of the league in that category. Granted, VanVleet was still very valuable for the franchise, as his leadership and defensive effort and ability was everything coach Ime Udoka would've hoped for.

However, Harden could still have a role on this Rockets team, in spite of VanVleet's presence on the roster.

The latest trade idea has the Rockets pairing the two together, as Fadeaway World has the Rockets and Harden's LA Clippers striking a deal to bring the franchise legend back to Houston.

The exact framework is below:

Rockets get: James Harden
Clippers get: Dillon Brooks, Jae'Sean Tate, 2026 first-round pick (via Houston), 2027 first-round pick (via Houston)

The rationale is below:

"The Rockets made great progress under Ime Udoka in their first season. A deal like this helps them upgrade their baseline level of offensive production.

Harden averaged 16.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 8.5 assists last season in a year he spent sacrificing and adjusting alongside Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. We saw how dominant he can be as a pure playmaker the season before, as he led the league in assists with 10.7 per game in 2022-23. Even if he isn't the scorer he once was on the Rockets, he's still one of the best passers in the NBA.

Harden would be incredible for Jalen Green's offensive development. Tyrese Maxey has credited Harden with accelerating his development in the NBA, and Harden could do something similar for Green."

The writer continues.

"He still has deep roots within Houston's community and has willingly accepted a smaller role at his last three stops. Completing his story as a returning legend to help the franchise reach its goal is a great story that he'd be motivated to buy into."

The writer suggests a Sixth Man role for VanVleet following the deal. 

The challenge here is that Brooks and Tate are two formidable wing defenders and Udoka doesn't seem likely to want to improve the offense by comprising the defense.

But it wouldn't necessarily be a bad idea, based on the Rockets' 20th-ranked offense.

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