After the Boston Celtics acquired Jrue Holiday from the Portland Trail Blazers in a follow-up deal to Damian Lillard’s exit from the Rose City and arrival with the Milwaukee Bucks, the Miami Heat might be stuck with one of the NBA’s biggest locker room issues, James Harden. Tyler Conway of Bleacher Report suggested Harden as a backup option for the Heat’s backcourt when Miami’s front office was unable to sign Lillard or Holiday.
“Adding Harden to the mix would eliminate some of the same issues a Lillard trade would have,” Conway prefaced before saying, “Harden has averaged at least 35 minutes per game in each of the last 11 seasons and has not had many major injury issues.
“Miami would likely have to part with Kyle Lowry, Nikola Jovic and a future first-round pick in any Harden deal, which is less than the price it would have paid for Lillard.”
Heat may become desperate after Jrue Holiday will be stolen by the Boston Celtics.
Harden and Heat culture sounds like oil and water. In what universe does a one-way star who relies on volume fit into a team predicated on defensive tenacity and maximum effort?
That Miami is approaching the point where landing Harden would at least make the fanbase feel something after being led on for Lillard and outbid for Holiday by Boston — who perhaps landed Holiday in part due to how good a fit the All-Defensive First Teamer would’ve been in South Beach — shows how behind the eight-ball the Heat are.
In response to the team’s offseason failings, Jimmy Butler, dubbed “Ball Out Boy” for his startling Miami Heat Media Day hairdo, appears to have gone emo. While signing Harden may seem exciting on paper, Heat supporters should view it as an even greater incentive for Butler to dress as Pete Wentz and embrace his darker side.
