NBA Offseason 2020: 5 blockbuster James Harden trades

2. Brooklyn Nets

The original report, before Wojnarowski even reported that the Brooklyn Nets were at the top of Harden’s potential wish list, revolved around Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie, Taurean Prince and Jarrett Allen. Whether or not this package materializes remains to be seen, and it’d probably take another draft pick or two for the Nets to really force Houston’s hand, but nobody can sleep on a potential reunion with Kevin Durant now.

In all honesty, this is not and will not be the best deal on the table. LeVert is a two-way stud who stepped up as Brooklyn’s No. 1 guy with KD and Kyrie Irving sidelined, but his injury history is troubling. Dinwiddie is coming off a career year, averaging 20.6 points and 6.8 assists per game while filling in for Irving, but he’s an outright poor 3-point shooter and probably isn’t a star. Allen is promising but still raw. Prince has potential but hasn’t showcased it often enough. The Nets’ 2021 pick would come in a great draft, but a team with Harden, KD and Kyrie would likely be drafting near the tail-end of the first round. It’d likely take another pick to get the job done.

But if that did happen, this return wouldn’t be a complete loss for the Rockets, who’d be doing one of the greatest players in their franchise history a solid by not only trading him where he wants to play but also by sending him to a legitimate contender. There’s only one ball to go around, but good luck trying to defend a Big 3 of Irving, Harden and KD, especially with shooters flanking them on the perimeter.

For the Rockets, they can probably do better on the market than this, but if LeVert can stay healthy, he’s a bona fide star in the making at only 26 years old. Dinwiddie is still only 27, Prince is 26 and Allen, whose growth was stunted behind DeAndre Jordan but came back to life in the bubble, is only 22. Throw in a couple of first-rounders and that’s not a bad haul by any means. It’s not the perfect return, but the minute Harden’s eventual desire to be traded goes public, Houston loses leverage. If other teams aren’t stepping up, Brooklyn’s potential offer could still be competitive.