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The Philadelphia 76ers trading James Harden to the New York Knicks ahead of the 2023-24 regular season is not something Kento Kato of SB Nation’s Posting and Toasting could see happening.
“As is the case with a lot of these mock trades and hypothetical trade scenarios, it just doesn’t make much sense once you really dig deeper and look at certain things,” Kato wrote in a story published August 1. “Things like player fit, what the team would have to give up, roster construction afterwards, the direction and timeline of the team, the coach, etc. Now, the front office could do a complete 180 and change some of their philosophy and find a way to make a Harden trade make sense. We’ve seen crazier things happen in the NBA. But right now, it doesn’t make much sense and I just can’t see it happening.”
Kato, however, understands why Harden is being linked to the Knicks given that many may see them as being one player away from being a bona fide contender.
“Again, I do get why Harden’s name has been floated around as a potential target for the Knicks,” Kato wrote. “New York is seemingly always star-hunting. By getting Harden, who is very obviously disgruntled in Philadelphia, they could bolster their offensive and improve on what was a surprisingly successful 2022-23 campaign.”
Knicks Should Stay ‘Far Away’ From Sixers Star: Writer
Empire Sports Media’s Dylan Backer stood firm against the idea of the Knicks landing Harden from the Sixers in a story called “The Knicks should stay far away from one blockbuster deal,” in which he outlined the potential pitfalls of landing The Beard.
“The 2018 league MVP is on the brink of becoming an unrestricted free agent after the upcoming season,” Backer wrote in an August 1 opinion piece. “He is reportedly seeking a contract exceeding $40 million in Average Annual Value (AAV) when he enters the market. Such an astronomical sum for a player who may not consistently deliver the level of production that matches this price tag is a significant concern. If the Knicks were to trade for Harden this offseason, it would mean losing numerous draft assets and young talents – vital resources for building a future contender. In addition, they would need to negotiate a contract to retain him at a cost they can manage, a challenging task given Harden’s expectations.”
Harden picked up his $35.6 million option before requesting a trade from Philadelphia. HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto wrote in late June that “there’s been a recent belief” that Harden “could command” a salary exceeding $40 million but did not elaborate or attribute the dollar amount or the “recent belief” notion to a source.
Not only would the Knicks be acquiring either a rental or a long-term contract for a player on the wrong side of 30 who has injury issues, but they’d be landing a player who has requested a trade from his last three employers.
Knicks May Have Best James Harden Offer For Sixers
Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey wrote that the Knicks, by virtue of being able to offer former No. 3 overall draft pick R.J. Barrett are best-suited to acquire Harden.
“Among the teams highlighted to this point, New York might have the best potential offer from Philadelphia’s perspective,” Bailey wrote. “A pick-heavy package that includes at least one player with some potential (like R.J. Barrett) could be flipped to another team for more of a win-now player.”
Barrett is coming off a season in which he averaged 19.6 points per game on a 43/31/74 shooting slash during the 2022-23 season and is entering the first year of a four-year, $107 million rookie-scale extension.
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