The Milwaukee Bucks have recently been named as a potential trade partner for Philadelphia 76ers star point guard James Harden. He recently picked up his $35.6 million player option of Philly, but under the agreement that he could work on a trade.
Now if you’re anything like me, my initial reaction to these reports was, “No. No way. We can’t make that work.” However, it’s James Harden. There are few guards with his penchant for both scoring and passing in the entire history of the league.
Therefore, it is important to take a step back and really take a look at the pro’s and con’s of such a deal.
The Pro’s of the Milwaukee Bucks Trading for James Harden
Picture this, if you will: a starting lineup of Harden (PG), Jrue Holiday (SG), Khris Middleton (SF), Giannis Antetokounmpo (PF), and Brook Lopez (C).
Holiday is a fine point guard and a great defender, but he does not have the same level of passing abilities as Harden. Being able to play his natural shooting guard position would help improve Holiday’s offensive game.
Of course, Harden’s passing ability would do wonders to help set up Giannis near the rim. Additionally, Harden is adept at creating his own shots in the half-court game, something the Bucks have lacked for years.
Harden just finished the 2022-23 season as the NBA’s assists per game leader (10.7) and shot 38.5% from three. It is not hard to see how, based on those stats, he would be a very exciting part of the Bucks’ offense.
The Con’s of the Milwaukee Bucks Trading for James Harden
Well, there’s the flopping. It’s annoying to watch. Let’s just get that one out of the way.
Anyways, per Sam Quinn of CBS, the Bucks would trade for Harden in exchange for Bobby Portis, Grayson Allen, Pat Connaughton, MarJon Beauchamp, and their 2029 first round pick (the only tradable pick they have). The problem with that is that Milwaukee would have virtually no bench left.
If the Bucks bring Middleton and Lopez back (and they are expected to), they will have about $12-14 million to sign seven more players to their roster. If they trade four of the six players they currently have under contract away, they will have that same amount to sign 10 more. That just does not seem feasible.
There is also the concern about Harden’s commitment to his teams. In the past three seasons, he has played for three different teams and requested a trade away from each one of them. Sure, Harden may bring short-term excitement, but is it worth the long-term mess?
Of course, Harden is essentially playing on a one-year deal now, so perhaps the trade request drama will not be an issue. However, do the Bucks want to mortgage their entire bench for one year of Harden?
In the end, it is a very exciting idea when thinking about the potential starting lineup, but the long-term hit the Bucks would take makes it not worth the risk.
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