Blockbuster Trade The 76ers And Bucks Should Consider
James Harden has spent the last two seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, but this offseason, the 2018 MVP opted into the final year of his contract in order to reportedly facilitate a trade away from the franchise (ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski first reported in June).
Harden has yet to be moved, and recently shared a bold statement about Daryl Morey (76ers president).
I believe the 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks should look to make a trade centered around Harden and Jrue Holiday.
Why?
Harden and Holiday are both the same age (33) and make very similar salaries that could be swapped out for one another.
The 76ers have 2023 MVP Joel Embiid, so if they were to move on from Harden, they likely would want a player that can keep them in contention for a title.
Holiday is an NBA Champion point guard who plays elite defense, and he spent the first four seasons of his career with Philadelphia.
This past year, Holiday was an All-Star and averaged 19.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 1.2 steals per contest while shooting 47.9% from the field and 38.4% from the three-point range in 67 regular season games (he also appeared in five NBA playoff games).
Meanwhile, Harden is coming off a year where he didn't make the All-Star Game for the first time since 2012.
That said, the ten-time All-Star averaged a very productive 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 10.7 assists and 1.2 steals per contest while shooting 44.1% from the field and 38.5% from the three-point range in 58 regular season games (he also appeared in 11 NBA playoff games).
Holiday is the better defender, while Harden is the better offensive talent.
The Bucks are coming off a season where they were the first seed in the Eastern Conference but lost to the Miami Heat in the first round.
Since winning the title in 2021, they have been unable to get out of the second round.
Therefore, it may be time to make a major change, and Harden, paired with Giannis Antetokounmpo, would make for one of the best duos in the NBA.
As for the 76ers, they were the third seed in the Eastern Conference but lost to the Boston Celtics in the second round.
The situation with Harden could make their leverage in a trade tough, so getting Holiday would be an excellent return.
It's also possible that Holiday could make the 76ers a significantly better overall team.
