Like Jimmy Butler, Maybe Fourth Team Is The Charm For James Harden
The NBA trade deadline was nothing short of entertaining.
The awaiting blockbuster trade finally took place, with the Brooklyn Nets sending James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Ben Simmons.
Harden joins his fourth team in 13 seasons, but this time in hopes of a championship. By being paired with Joel Embiid, the two create an inside-outside matchup that Harden has never had in his career.
After two disappointing seasons in Brooklyn, where it seemed Harden and the “Big Three” would collect a few titles, he finds himself departing a third team because of a fallout.
The journey feels similar to Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler and may provide some optimism to any doubters.
Butler, too, is playing on his fourth team. After drama-filled stops in Chicago, Minnesota and Philadelphia, Butler has led the Heat to consecutive playoff berths and a Finals appearance in 2020. The Heat are also No. 1 in the Eastern Conference standings this season.
Finding the right fit was clearly the case for Butler. Who says Philadelphia won’t be the case with Harden?
With the trade deadline behind us and the playoffs just a few months away, both of players can now focus on why they’ve been brought to their respective teams.
And that is to secure a championship.
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Corey Holmes is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He is a film and television graduate from Notre Dame and has a master's degree in journalism from Morgan State. He can reached at coreyrholmes4@gmail.com or on Twitter @coreyholmes4
