James Harden wants out…what should the Boston Celtics do?

Verdict

From the Boston Celtics’ perspective, things get a little tricky.

First of all, do you want to add James Harden to the Celtics core? If everything is guaranteed to work out, Danny Ainge should pull the trigger. However, the potential chemistry issues that can present themselves from a proven superstar being added to a rising contender can be dangerous. Look no further than the 2018-2019 Celtics, who re-added Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward to the rotation, and could never figure it out.

Every team that James Harden has been on revolves around him on the offensive side of the ball. With Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown growing as players in their own right, the addition of the beard can limit their growth.

Beyond this, the Celtics would be giving up both Romeo Langford and Robert Williams in this transaction. Langford has seen limited playing time in his career in Boston, mostly due to injury, but it’s a little to early to give up on the Indiana product just yet. The 14th pick in last year’s draft has shown defensive tools that can contribute to a winning team. If he can show anything on offense, he will find his way into coach Stevens‘ rotation when he gets healthy.

Timelord has made a drastic improvement in his third year in Celtic green, playing like the best Boston big 10 games into the season. It’s true that the Celtics have one too many big men, but having to trade your youngest and most promising big men who can become a cornerstone of your team for years to come, is a steep price to ask – especially for an uncertain return.

There are more lucrative offers for Harden being reported and leaked over the past month, but his trade value is only plummeting after his trade request has gone public. At his peak, Harden is a top 6 or 7 player in the league, but he hasn’t shown himself to be productive in the playoffs or a team environment, so the Boston Celtics might want to steer clear of this one.

See what you’ve got with everyone healthy, and evaluate then.