Dallas Mavericks: Pros and cons of James Harden trade for the Mavs

Cons for the Dallas Mavericks of the Rockets trading James Harden

Without knowing the package the Rockets will receive for James Harden or where he will end up, it is hard to speculate how a trade could hurt the Mavs. One interesting scenario is if the Rockets can flip James Harden for Ben Simmons. At the moment, the Sixers seem uninterested in this deal, but if they are struggling midway through the season this could be a deadline swap to monitor.

For this season, the trade will not directly impact the Mavericks, but Ben Simmons is still young. Many speculate that without Joel Embiid clogging the lane, Simmons could reach his full potential. Receiving an All-Star like Simmons is one of the only ways the Rockets could potentially win the trade and make teams in the Southwest Division nervous for the future. Even with Simmons, the Mavericks should believe that they have the stronger roster.

Another rumor or option is for James Harden to somehow be traded to the Clippers. While unlikely, keeping James Harden in the Western Conference would pose a challenge for the Mavs in the playoffs. Rumors circulated that LA has locker room issues, and it’s unclear how adding James Harden would impact the culture. However, adding an MVP candidate to a team with Kawhi Leonard is always a threat.

Overall, the James Harden saga and trade rumors seem to have way more potential to help the Mavericks than hurt them. Dallas should be focusing on themselves, getting better defensively, staying safe during COVID-19, and building off last year’s success.

Nobody knows what this season has in store for the Dallas Mavericks. No matter what happens with Harden, the Mavs can beat any team in the league, which promises to be exciting for fans. Stay tuned.