James Harden has asked for two trades the past two years
The final whirlwind of rumors that happened under Ainge was connected to James Harden. Early on in the 2020-21 NBA season the Beard had had enough of Houston. He didn’t want to be part of a rebuilding process and instead wanted to be traded to a contending team.
Boston was one of the teams that had been talking to the Rockets about the three-time scoring champ. The C’s were again, coming off of an Eastern Conference Finals run where they came up short, this time to the Miami Heat in the bubble.
Ainge didn’t end up pulling the trigger on Harden, saying that Houston’s asking price was too high. Brian Robb of the Boston Sports Journal reported that the Rockets asked for Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and multiple first rounders.
The rumors surrounding Boston and the Beard earned a similar reaction from the fanbase to this summer’s Kevin Durant saga. It was a polarizing time. Some fans felt it was a no-brainer to bring in Harden, who had led the Rockets to a Game 7 in the 2018 Western Conference Finals against the juggernaut Golden State Warriors. Others felt that it was a desperation move to give up two key pieces who were directly involved in Boston’s recent success.
Harden ended up in Brooklyn, joining Durant and Irving to make a new “Big Three.” The trio played just 16 total games together in Brooklyn before the Beard once again forced his way out of town. He now resides in Philadelphia with the 76ers and doesn’t look to be the same guy.
It would definitely be tough to justify trading Brown and Smart for a guy who’s quit on multiple teams, pretending to be fat in the process.