Good, bad, ugly: 3 deals the 76ers might actually be able to get for James Harden

The Ugly James Harden trade: The Miami Heat get Harden and the Sixers punt 

The Miami Heat, fresh off a run to the NBA Finals, whiffed in their pursuits of Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday. The relationship between the Sixers and James Harden is damaged beyond repair. The offseason has been ugly for both franchises, so why not a trade to match? 

In a depressing and underwhelming move, the Sixers send James Harden to the Miami Heat for Kyle Lowry’s expiring contract, Caleb Martin, a 2024 pick swap, and a 2028 unprotected first-round pick. The trade all but concedes 2023-24 will be a lost season for the Sixers, while the Heat get their third-choice trade target at point guard.  

The Heat desperately need to upgrade their roster if they want any chance of repeating as Eastern Conference champions. The Celtics and Bucks, the two best teams by record in the conference last season, made massive upgrades to their roster, while the Heat have seen crucial role players depart in free agency. James Harden won’t vault them past the Celtics and Bucks, but he’d make the Heat a real threat. 

The Heat had the 25th-ranked offense last season (113.0 points per 100 possessions) and the ninth-ranked defense (113.3). James Harden, for all of his flaws, has been a near lock to pilot a top-ten offense. Giving up Caleb Martin and a 2028 unprotected first-round pick is a lot for a rental, but switching Harden for the corpse of Kyle Lowry would make the Heat dramatically better, even if it wouldn’t vault them to the top of the conference. 

The Sixers sending Harden to Miami for an unprotected pick, swap rights, Kyle Lowry’s expiring contract, and Caleb Martin would be an underwhelming return. The trade gives them two assets to play with, but they’ll be significantly worse this season. It’s an ugly return for an ugly situation.