James Harden is a man wanting to increase the chance of his success outside of Houston. The former MVP is looking for a way out of the Rockets and is making a strong case for teams to trade for him. The shooting guard continues to average 39 points per game, and proving he is indeed a scoring champion.
To be sure, NBA teams are racing to win Harden's signature amid the reports that the Rockets superstar prefers a link up with the Brooklyn Nets or Philadelphia 76ers. The Beard is likewise open to play for a team with a solid chance of winning the championship and considering this, the Miami Heat seemed to be a leading contender.
That may be true a few weeks back but it is believed that last season's runner-up to the Los Angeles Lakers had decided to drop out of the race. According to NBC Sports, the Heat backed out of the trade talks because they are unable to meet Houston's demands.
It's hardly surprising that Houston will want a giant return for Harden and reportedly Miami would be willing to send both Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson to the other direction. However, the package remains uninviting for the Rockets.
If the rumors are true, Houston would loosen the grip on Harden if Miami would be willing to release one of their two superstars, meaning any of Jimmy Butler or Bam Adebayo has to be on the table.
Naturally, the demands proved unacceptable for the South Beach Florida squad so the negotiations were reportedly halted. Of course, the Heat still want to get a hold of Harden but they'd rather wait until such time that the discussion becomes more realistic to their perspective.
Meanwhile, the Rockets need not wait for Miami to cave in as there are other suitors out there and some may turn out to be more flexible. A deal could be completed if the Toronto Raptors would enter the picture and open up to possibilities.
According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, a path for Harden's move to the Canadian franchise would be paved if the Raptors would talk with Pascal Siakam as a bargaining chip. The journalist claimed the Rockets are likely amenable to an exchange involving the Toronto star.
"I'm sure it would have to be Siakam ... Siakam is a guy that still has a lot of value because he can play multiple positions, he defends, he plays both ends of the court," Fadeaway World reported Windhorst as saying.
The journalist added that given Houston's interest to sign Siakam, it's a fair assumption that the Raptors are in the lead to land Harden in the coming days. But since the club is somewhat hobbling in the ongoing season, it's a big question mark if The Beard would sign on a stint that has little assurance of a successful title run.
