The James Harden sweepstakes remain ongoing after the superstar had confrontations with several teammates at practice on Tuesday, including an incident where he catapulted a basketball at rookie teammate Jae’Sean Tate.
While the Sixers appear to be the frontrunners, other teams have entered into discussions with the Rockets for the former MVP. The Nets have been in the loop and Marc Stein of The New York Times reports that the Raptors, Celtics, and Nuggets engaged in exploratory trade talks with the Rockets.
It’s not exactly clear what the Rockets would receive in return in each of the proposals. The Nuggets are not open to trading Jamal Murray in a potential deal for Harden, as we relayed earlier today. Perhaps the Rockets would be interested in Michael Porter Jr. as the centerpiece in the deal, though it’s hard to envision that type of package tops Philadelphia’s offer of Ben Simmons—assuming the Sixers will actually put their former No. 1 pick on the table.
The Celtics are not trading Jayson Tatum, leaving Jaylen Brown as the most likely blue-chipper available, though there’s no word on whether Boston would include him in a deal for Harden.
The Raptors’ best package for Harden likely involves Pascal Siakam but moving him as the centerpiece remains a shaky proposition given the uncertainty around whether Harden would want to stay in Toronto (Tampa Bay for now) long-term. The club could put together a package around Kyle Lowry, though it’s hard to imagine that entices the Rockets.
