NBA Trade Rumors: Wizards Could Swap John Wall For James Harden
Despite the Washington Wizards’ plan to run it back with All-Star point guard John Wall and Bradley Beal in the 2020-21 NBA season, rumors are circulating that Wall wants off of the team. Instead of keeping a disgruntled superstar on their roster, most people would agree that it would be best for them to find him a new home this fall. One of the dream trade targets for the Wizards in a potential deal involving Wall is James Harden of the Houston Rockets.
According to Brett Siegel of NBA Analysis Network, the Wizards could explore sending a package centered on Wall to the Rockets in exchange for Harden. The Wizards are definitely aware that it would take more than Wall to convince the Rockets to send “The Beard” to Washington. However, Siegel believes that they could come up with an offer for Harden which could persuade Houston to engage in a blockbuster deal.
“Ultimately, if the Wizards wanted to move John Wall, they could package him to acquire James Harden. Washington does not fit the description of ‘immediate title contender’ for Harden, but pairing up with Bradley Beal in a big market city could lure another superstar talent to want to team up with them in Washington D.C. The Wizards have plenty of draft assets and young core players that they could offer up with John Wall in a lucrative trade offer to the Houston Rockets that would be hard for them to turn down.”
Bringing a player of Harden’s caliber to Washington would undeniably be expensive. They wouldn’t only be asking the Rockets to trade their best player to Washington, but they would also be sending them an injured star who’s owed $132.8 million over the next three seasons. In a deal that would send “The Beard” to Washington, Houston would likely demand the inclusion of Rui Hachimura in the trade package, together with at least three future first-round picks.
Sacrificing all those assets would make sense for the Wizards, especially if they want to keep Beal happy and give him a legitimate chance of contending for a championship title. Harden would tremendously boost their performance on the offensive end of the floor, giving Beal a new running mate who’s a former MVP and one of the best scorers the league has ever seen.
The pairing of Beal and Harden would be a match made in heaven. With Beal’s ability to excel in an off-ball capacity, he would fit nicely alongside a ball-dominant star like Harden in the backcourt. If they mesh well and find the right chemistry, the Wizards could form the most explosive backcourt duo in the 2020-21 NBA season.
