If Celtics Are On James Harden’s Wish List, What Would Trade Take From Boston?

James Harden must have been watching the Boston Celtics top the Milwaukee Bucks in their season opener.

Since the Celtics took down Giannis Antetokounmpo and Co. on Wednesday, the Houston Rockets guard reportedly has added Boston to his list of preferred trade destinations.

Harden has been the center of trade rumors since he reportedly requested to be moved to the Brooklyn Nets, among other teams, and Boston apparently had “exploratory talks” with Houston earlier this week.

The Rockets, though, have made it clear they won’t give Harden away for cheap. Even despite the fact Harden recently broke COVID-19 protocols and feuded with teammates.

So, whether the Celtics are interested in breaking up their core to bring him in or not, let’s talk about what it would take to get Harden to Boston in the first place.

To start, there’s no way a trade goes down unless Jaylen Brown is the centerpiece being offered from the Celtics.

Houston’s hand is being forced, as they very much would prefer to keep Harden. So Jaylen Brown is exactly the proven young starter that the Rockets would demand in exchange, as anything surrounding Jayson Tatum should be off the table. The Rockets also reportedly wanted a massive package of draft picks, but looking at a team with assets like Boston, you can almost guarantee a player like Marcus Smart will have to be thrown in as well, on top of any of the Celtics first-rounders for each of the next few years and perhaps a guy like Grant Williams.

And who knows if that would even be enough to seal the deal.

For fans trying to decide whether or not it would be worth it to break up its promising young core for a 31-year-old former MVP, who has yet to win a ring even with some of the best players in the league around him, there are a few things to consider.

Harden has caused Houston a lot of drama this year, and if it didn’t work out with Boston, would he react similarly until a team finally gave in and got him to Brooklyn (cough, cough Kyrie Irving)?

Trading Brown and Smart certainly would mean Boston has to rebuild its defensive identity and mess up previously-established chemistry.

But if Boston fans think they’re better off without Harden, that opens the door for their Eastern Conference competitors like the Philadelphia 76ers or Brooklyn Nets to step in.

What is a team to do?