Could the Los Angeles Lakers Pursue 76ers' James Harden?
After a little under two-year run with James Harden playing point guard, the Philadelphia 76ers are not quite ready to move on from the ten-time All-Star.
As Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey addressed the media following the team’s Game 7 loss against the Boston Celtics in the second round of the playoffs, he made it clear that getting Harden back to Philadelphia is a priority.
Although Harden has a player option attached to the contract he signed last summer, the league-wide expectation is that he’ll decline it and search for a multi-year contract.
Throughout the 2022-2023 season, Harden’s future has been a popular talking point. At this time, just two locations have been listed as a possibility for the veteran guard.
The 76ers and the Houston Rockets are among the favorites to land Harden via free agency in 2023.
But what about a team like the Los Angeles Lakers? Recently, Greg Swartz at Bleacher Report kicked around five “surprise” landing spots for notable NBA players, including Fred VanVleet, Kristaps Porzingis, Khris Middleton, Kyrie Irving, and Harden.
While many expect Harden to stay in Philly or return to Houston, BR doesn’t believe a team like the Los Angeles Lakers should be ruled out.
"A backcourt of Harden and Austin Reaves would lessen LeBron James' ball-handling responsibilities, assuming he doesn't retire, of course. Anthony Davis' rim protection can make up for a lot of Harden's defensive deficiencies on the perimeter as well.
A Los Angeles native who played his high school basketball in the area until attending Arizona State, this would be a homecoming of sorts for Harden, who would have a real chance at winning his first title alongside James and Davis."
The Lakers have been on the hunt for a star guard for the last couple of seasons. Last summer, there was smoke surrounding a potential Kyrie Irving-LeBron James reunion out in LA until Irving shocked the basketball world and picked up his option with the Brooklyn Nets months before getting traded to the Dallas Mavericks.
Irving to Los Angeles still makes a ton of sense and could be in the cards, but Harden to the Lakers doesn’t seem super far-fetched.
If there is one thing we’ve learned about the Lakers, it’s that they will do their due diligence on available star players, whether they have a good chance of landing them or not.
Following the 2023 playoff run, Harden mentioned that he wants to be in a situation where the chances of winning are high. Comparing Philadelphia and Houston, it’s clear his current home is in a much better position than his former organization.
But the Lakers could offer a desirable opportunity as well. Although they missed the playoffs just a year ago and were off to a slow start this past season, Los Angeles’ trade deadline activity put them on a winning path, which helped them finish the season with a 43-39 record and eventually clinching the Western Conference’s seventh seed.
After beating the Memphis Grizzlies in round one, the Lakers moved on to face the Phoenix Suns in round two. With back-to-back upsets, the Lakers made their way to the Western Conference Finals for the second time in three years.
Although the Lakers’ run ended in sweeping fashion against the top-seeded Denver Nuggets, their recent playoff run could intrigue free agents this summer. If Harden doesn’t like his offer from the Sixers and doesn’t feel like the Rockets can put together a winning roster in time, perhaps the Lakers could try and swoop in on the situation to lure in the assist champ.
