How the Bulls can benefit from acquiring James Harden

Keeping a disgruntled player on your roster is never healthy for team morale, and in the case of the Philadelphia 76ers, not trading All-Star guard James Harden—who has publicly chastised the team’s president of basketball operations, Daryl Morey—could torpedo the upcoming season.

Trading away a former MVP is never easy, as finding the right package for a star guard of Harden’s caliber is no small task. Enter the Chicago Bulls, who could be an ideal trade partner for the Sixers.

Zach LaVine for James Harden

The Bulls' roster, as presently constructed, does not work well together and is in need of a jolt. Putting Harden as the lead guard of a group could work wonders and maybe inject it with the kind of life that Lonzo Ball once provided before he got injured. With Harden's crafty playmaking and insane shotmaking ability, he could take the pressure off DeMar DeRozan in the backcourt.

"For Chicago, this gives it an expiring contract that ends at least two years earlier than LaVine's and a first-round pick to bolster the rebuild. And if the Bulls are unable to re-route Harden to a third team or find palatable deals for DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vučević, this could be a good situation for Harden to rehab his own value ahead of 2024 free agency," Andy Bailey wrote of the trade the Bulls must explore before the season starts.

Long-overdue rebuild

A move like this would finally rid the Bulls of LaVine's massive contract, paving the way for a long-overdue rebuild. DeRozan is also on an expiring deal, so the Bulls could potentially use him and his contract to bring in more assets to continue their rebuilding process.

"A full-scale rebuild is long overdue for the Chicago Bulls, and that would obviously include trading Zach LaVine. That could be tricky, since LaVine is under contract through 2026-27 (when he has a $49 million player option), but the Philadelphia 76ers are a team that could justify taking on his salary," Bailey shared.

With Joel Embiid commanding a double-team on nearly every possession, LaVine could thrive with the amount of space he’ll have to either shoot the three-ball and drive all the way to the basket.

"Over the last four seasons, he's averaged 25.5 points with a 55.8 effective field-goal percentage. With the amount of attention Embiid commands inside, LaVine's efficiency could get even better in Philly."