The NBA trade rumor mill has been heating up lately, with a lot of the attention focusing on the Los Angeles Clippers. While James Harden is continuing to perform at an All-Star level, the Clippers have been the most disappointing team in the NBA so far this year, currently sitting at 6-20 ahead of Thursday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
This being the case, many have speculated that Harden could be a trade candidate for teams looking to add a bona fide floor general to their roster, and one squad that has come up repeatedly is the Minnesota Timberwolves, who don't have a true starting-level point guard on their roster now that Mike Conley has been benched.
Recently, NBA insider Marc Stein confirmed that “…Minnesota, just to name one team, is known to be scouring the league at present for a true playmaker,” on his Substack.
However, Stein added the caveat that “Harden's contract is not easily absorbed, but it also shouldn't be classified as impossible to move, either, at $39.1 million this season and with a $42.3 million player option next season.”
Article Continues Below
Overall, it's easy to see why the Timberwolves would have interest in a player like Harden, who would take a lot of pressure off of Anthony Edwards in the playmaking department and give Minnesota another reliable shot creator, as well as someone who can catch and shoot as well.
It would certainly be interesting to see what the Timberwolves would be forced to give back to Los Angeles in a potential Harden deal, but if they are able to pull one off without having to completely break up the team around Edwards, it might be worth exploring.
In any case, the Clippers and Thunder are slated to tip off on Thursday at 8:00 pm ET from Oklahoma City.