All the moths are coming to the light now that James Harden is officially available for trade.
Shams Charania of The Athletic said Thursday in an appearance on “The Rally” that the reigning Eastern Conference champions Miami Heat are expected to emerge as a suitor for the former MVP Harden. Charania adds that teams are expecting Harden to likely zero in on a preferred destination.
Bombshell news broke earlier Thursday that Harden is picking up his $35.6 million player option in order to work on a trade with the 76ers. Harden had been expected to return to the team in free agency this summer, but now it suddenly appears that he has played his final game for Philly.
Miami already tried unsuccessfully to acquire Harden when he requested a trade from the Houston Rockets in 2020. This time around, they still have plenty of capital to work with since their pursuit of Bradley Beal fell through and since any potential run at Damian Lillard remains on pause.
Multiple other championship hopefuls are reportedly in on Harden, who turns 34 in August but still averaged a 21-11 double-double last season. But the Heat may have the advantage as a proven playoff winner in a desirable location with the assets to entice Philadelphia in a return package as well.
