A new report indicates that the Miami Heat could have acquired veteran guard James Harden from the Houston Rockets, but they rejected the opportunity due to the prohibitive price tag that came with the proposed deal.
Harden developed into a scoring machine while with the Rockets, but he ended up forcing the team to deal him to the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday.
While Harden’s ample talent would have been welcome on the Heat, his arrival would have removed multiple young talents from the Heat roster and also put a huge hole in the Heat’s collection of future assets.
Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn had solid rookie campaigns last season, while Duncan Robinson has developed into a threat from beyond. In the case of Precious Achiuwa, he’s in the early stages of his rookie year and offers plenty of promise for the future.
The reality is that the Heat were able to reach the NBA Finals last season and remain a threat to do so without having Harden on their roster.
Harden has only been a part of one team that’s reached the finals, helping the Oklahoma City Thunder get there before they lost in five games to the Heat.
The fact that Harden’s attained plenty of individual accolades is noteworthy, but ultimately not worth the cost for the Heat.