As reported by The Stein Line, before the trade deadline, James Harden was interested in joining the Minnesota Timberwolves, but the interest wasn't mutual. Avoiding Harden was the right call at the time, and it's only continued to age better.
To nobody's surprise, Harden wasn't the right man to help the Cleveland Cavaliers reach their championship aspirations. Sure, it was nice for the Cavs to make the conference finals, but getting swept against the New York Knicks was embarrassing.
Harden, in particular, had a disastrous series, averaging 16 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4.3 turnovers on 38.9/17.9/81 shooting splits. Not being able to provide second option level scoring production is one thing, but not contributing as a playmaker is a complete disaster. The Beard had a fitting end to his season, notching 12 points on 2-for-8 shooting, committing five turnovers, and two assists.
Plus, he was relentlessly hunted by the Knicks on defense throughout the series. To say he was the sole reason for the Cavs being swept would be false, but there's no denying that his play was incredibly underwhelming. After seeing Harden collapse in the playoffs, the Wolves absolutelyfeel good about passing on him.
The Timberwolves still need a second option, but they avoided a nightmare
Without a doubt, the Timberwolves still need a dependable second option alongside Anthony Edwards. Minnesota will do everything in its power to fill this need in the offseason. Regardless, Harden was never the right choice to fill this void, and these playoffs emphatically proved that.
Harden has long been known as a massive playoff dropper, and at 36 years old, this problem won't be solved. Even when he's counted on to provide more of a playmaking role (like he was with the Cavs), Harden has underperformed.
As noted earlier, Harden was interested in joining the Wolves. Thus, if this interest was mutual, it's possible that Harden would have forced his way to Minnesota rather than Cleveland.
On paper, Harden's blend of shot creation and playmaking is ideal next to Ant. However, the Wolves are searching for someone who can help them get over the championship hump. It's always been clear that Harden couldn't help accomplish this goal, and the Wolves were wise to avoid him. And then there's Harden's need for a new contract, which he'll demand top dollar for.
The Wolves face an offseason of difficult decisions, and finding Ant a second option won't be easy with Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert being the team's primary trade candidates. Still, the Timberwolves can rest assured that they bypassed a James Harden disaster.
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