Getty James Harden and Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers.
The long-lasting tradition of the Miami Heat being interested in every star player who becomes available lives on. According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Miami is expected to pursue Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden this summer, after he requested a trade on Thursday.
“James Harden has decided to opt into his $35.6 million contract for next season,” Charania reported via “The Rally.” “But now him and the 76ers will work on a trade to send the 10-time All-Star out of Philadelphia. And when you look at the landscape around the league, the [Los Angeles] Clippers and Heat are expected to emerge in this process for Harden, I’m told. Teams across the league understand a player like Harden will likely reach a preferred destination. Especially when you look at his exit from Houston went a couple of years ago.”
“The Clippers and Heat are expected to emerge in this process for (James) Harden, I’m told. Teams across the league understand a player like Harden will likely reach a preferred destination…”
NBA Insider @ShamsCharania updates us on James Harden.
Why is Old-Man James Harden a Fit for the Heat?
Harden, now 33 years old, isn’t quite the player he was back in 2018 when he won the league’s Most Valuable Player award. He appeared in just 58 games for the 76ers last season, averaging 21.0 points, 10.7 assists, and 6.1 rebounds per game.
Make no mistake, those numbers are impressive. However, Harden’s average attempts from the free throw line — a main staple of his offensive game– took a dip. He went from averaging 8.9 in 2021-22, to just 6.2 in 2022-23.
On the positive side, the 33-year-old had his best 3-point shooting year — at 38.5% –since the 2011-2012 season where he shot 39.0% from beyond the arc.
From a Heat perspective, a move for Harden could aid the team in multiple ways. For starters, he’s still a talented player even if he’s not the MVP he used to be. He’s excelled in his point guard role in Philadelphia, leading the NBA in assists last season. Miami found themselves without a true point guard this season. Kyle Lowry, who they signed in 2021 suffered from injuries and also regressed with age, and Herro is more of a scoring-oriented guard. A playmaker like The Beard could help elevate the Heat.
Plus, his $35.6 million salary only runs through next season. So Miami would be able to get off of a longer term contract — for example Tyler Herro’s four year, $120 million extension — and alleviate any financial pressure that they’ll suffer under the new CBA agreement.
Heat Interested in Mavs’ Christian Wood
Miami’s summer wish list doesn’t stop at Harden. According to Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer, the Heat also have interest in bringing in Dallas Mavericks’ free agent center Christian Wood.
“After an expensive roster started and stopped its way to the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference and then ripped off a momentous run to the NBA Finals, Miami needs to consider how to improve around Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo while standing dangerously close to the second tax apron — especially after Victor Oladipo exercised his $8.75 million player option for this upcoming campaign. For potential external targets: Christian Wood continues to be mentioned by league personnel as someone on the Heat’s radar.”
Wood appeared in 67 games for Dallas last year, averaging 16.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game. He was efficient in his scoring, knocking down 51.5% of his attempts from the field and 37.6% of those from distance.
The 27-year-old’s ability to drill shots from distance and space the floor would make him a clear fit beside Bam Adebayo. Shooting from beyond the arc was painted as a need for the Heat all season, as they ranked 27th in the league in percentage at 34.4%.