With the NBA trade deadline less than two months away, I think everyone realizes that the Minnesota Timberwolves could use an upgrade to their point guard room. However, if they want to make a trade for a star, Trae Young, LaMelo Ball, and Ja Morant are all troubling for one reason or another. James Harden is somewhat of a sleeping giant in trade talks.
The Los Angeles Clippers are floundering with a 6-20 record. However, it's unclear if they will shake up their core without their first-round pick this year. Trusted insider, Marc Stein, noted that "Harden's status going forward is being monitored closely by various teams," and he suggested the Wolves as a possible suitor.
"Will the Clippers, if things worsen, actually give in and field Harden trade interest? He obviously continues to play at a level (26.0 PPG, 8.1 APG, 5.2 RPG) that should make the phone ring. And Minnesota, just to name one team, is known to be scouring the league at present for a true playmaker," Stein wrote.
I'm not opposed to a possible Harden-Wolves trade, but it would have to be for a lower price, and frankly, I don't think that's likely. The most likely outcome of a possible Harden-Wolves trade would be a deal centered around Julius Randle, which would be a disastrous move to me.
A Harden-Timberwolves trade sounds better in theory than reality
Listen, a backcourt pairing of Anthony Edwards and Harden would be tantalizing. Harden's blend of isolation scoring and playmaking would make him a perfect complement to Edwards. Needless to say, Harden would be by far the Wolves' best point guard.
My biggest holdup (other than price) is the fact that Harden is 36. Frankly, it's shocking that Harden has remained this good for so long, but at some point, he will decline. Trading for him would be shrinking the Wolves' title window by a significant amount. That's not worth it, as the goal should be to build a long-term title contender around Edwards
Say what you will about Julius Randle (I think he's a great co-star next to Ant), but he is five years younger than Harden, which has to be factored into the equation.
Harden makes $39.1 million this year. The easiest path to making the money work and giving the Clippers some value would involve trading Randle. It couldn't be just Randle, though; either some young talent, Donte DiVincenzo, or Mike Conley would have to be included. To me, that's not worth it.
Randle is arguably better than Harden right now, and he fits the Wolves' timeline better. Having to give up him and depth is far from ideal.
The price is unlikely to be right for the Timberwolves
Now, there are some possibilities that would allow the Wolves to make a move without parting ways with Randle. One of which is a deal centered around Naz Reid, DiVincenzo (or Mike Conley), Rob Dillingham, and Terrence Shannon Jr. Rudy Gobert and either Dillingham or Shannon is another possibility.
I would certainly be more open to one of these trade packages. However, I don't see the Clippers being open to Reid or Gobert as a centerpiece of a possible deal. Even if this becomes a three-team deal, what third team would give the Clippers a reasonable return?
As mentioned earlier, the Clippers don't have their pick, so there's no reason to take pennies on the dollar for Harden. Now, if he demands a trade, that could be a different story.
However, at this juncture, I see the Clippers (rightfully) having a high price point for Harden, and that's not something the Wolves should match despite their need for a point guard.