Wouldn’t the Minnesota Timberwolves love to pair up NBA All-Star PG/SG James Harden with NBA All-Star Anthony Edwards? While a bit more difficult to pull off than simply picking up the phone and asking the Philadelphia 76ers to trade away one of their leading scorers, it is one of the trade scenarios that we have featured in the past.
After all, the factors leading up to a 76ers trade of James Harden do point towards the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Daryl Morey hopes to convince James Harden to stay with the Sixers next season, per @wojespn:
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) July 4, 2023
- Sixers would love to keep Harden next season. Morey believes his relationship with Harden could help change his current thoughts on returning.
- Still talking to teams about a… pic.twitter.com/YH5HZm5mTO
Reason I: After all, Harden himself has asked for a trade.
In the hope of pairing up Anthony Edwards and developing his optimal potential, perhaps all the way to an NBA MVP, who better to add to the Timberwolves roster than a player who has himself achieved NBA MVP status in the past?
Reason II: Harden and Edwards would automatically be considered among the Top NBA backcourts.
Still, Hardin has a reputation for unruliness. After becoming a fixture for the Houston Rockets, he has made trouble in the locker room with the Brooklyn Nets and with the Philadelphia 76ers. And yet, he does share a past with Timberwolves Head Coach Chis Finch
Reason III: Coach Finch and James Harden share history together.
Still, amidst all of the chaos and confusion, let’s not lose our heads completely. After all. we know that the price tag to garner any interest to trade away Harden is already astronomical, but if the following report is factual, it becomes an automatic deal-breaker for the Minnesota Timberwolves before any deal is mentioned:
Rachel Nichols says James Harden wants to be the No. 1 option on a team again
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 31, 2023
“He thinks he should be leading the show. The reason why he wanted out of Philadelphia in the first place is that it's the Joel Embiid show right now.”
(Via @undisputed / h/t @ClutchPoints ) pic.twitter.com/en8A9t4FjX
That pretty much takes any potential trade scenario for Harden off the table.
This team is now and will continue to be built around and feature All-Star shooting guard Anthony Edwards. If any current player on the Timberwolves roster has a problem with that, they will be shown the door. But if some other NBA player has a problem with that?
They will never get past the bouncer at the front door.
Whether or not you wanted to see a pairing of James Harden and Anthony Edwards in the same NBA backcourt, that idea just died. There is no way that James Harden gets top billing on the Minnesota Timberwolves roster.
In fact, if his reputation continues to nosedive, there is little chance for him to get top billing on any NBA team right now.