James Harden wants out of Houston, and according to reports, four teams are on his list of places where he’d like to go. The Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers have been known for some time, and recently, it was reported that Harden expanded his list to include the Milwaukee Bucks and the Miami Heat.
All of these spots would be interesting to one extent or another, but Miami is particularly curious, because they have been viewed as a team that’s trying to maintain as much flexibility as possible for the 2021 offseason, which is expected to have a loaded offseason class. Players like Harden don’t come available all that often, though, and according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the former MVP’s interest in Miami is reciprocated.
The Heat would have interest in Harden if the Rockets decide to trade him, according to the source. At this point, Houston has displayed no particular interest in granting his trade request.
Mapping out a package for Harden from Miami isn’t too hard, at least in terms of identifying a headliner. It stands to reason that the Heat would have to include 20-year-old breakout star Tyler Herro, and although there had been reports that the former Kentucky sharpshooter would not be included in any deal, Jackson says that’s not the case.
But the source disputed any suggestion that Heat guard Tyler Herro would be untouchable in such a deal. Though the Heat loves Herro, the source advised against any conclusion that he wouldn’t be made available in a Harden deal if serious talks eventually happen. He would be in play.
The rest of a deal is a little tricker, and depending on what other teams could offer up, there’s a chance Miami just does not have the pieces — both in terms of players and future draft picks — to pull this off. But if they decide to get in on the fun, it appears that Herro would be put on the table.
