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Houston Rockets superstar James Harden reportedly wants to be traded to an Eastern Conference contender.
While the Cleveland Cavaliers certainly don’t fit that description, Athletic’s Joe Vardon explained how Cleveland could make a competitive bid for Harden.
Vardon proposed a deal focused on draft picks and some of the young Cavs’ youngsters, including Collin Sexton, Darius Garland and Kevin Porter Jr. as possible options to trade.
“The Cavs would still need to add players to the deal for salaries to work (Harden will receive $ 41 million this season),” Vardon wrote. “Cleveland selected Collin Sexton with the No. 8 pick in 2018 and Darius Garland with the No. 5 pick in 2019. Kevin Porter Jr., the last first-round pick in 2019, has shown real promise, perhaps more than Sexton or Garland. Do the Rockets see any advantage in these players that the Cavs see? If so, they could be exchanged for Harden, because of course they could.
Then there are the future Cleveland picks. The Cavs control their own first-round picks for the foreseeable future, as well as the Bucks’ first-round in 2022. That Milwaukee pick isn’t protected; Imagine his worth if Giannis Antetokounmpo doesn’t sign the maximum and ends up somewhere other than Milwaukee in 2021-22. The Cavs also have a ton of second-round picks to offer, including the one they already have from the Rockets in 2022. “
It’s an interesting idea for a Cavs team that already has solid veterans like Kevin Love and Andre Drummond.
However, acquiring Harden may not be enough to push Cleveland to the top in the East.
The Cavs would have to decide whether their future is worth mortgaging for a player of Harden’s caliber.
On top of that, there is no guarantee that Houston will accept the offer. However, the Cavs have as many assets as anyone else to strike a potential deal.
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