Miami Heat Rumors: 3 Must-Haves In Any James Harden Deal

The Miami Heat must protect themselves if they are going to try and land James Harden. It seems only right.

Protective Flexibility

If the Miami Heat are going to make a deal for Houston’s James Harden, they must consider everything. Mainly here, this is in reference to protecting themselves on the backside of such a move.

With an extremely high salary this season, something he’s sure to command again next season, he is actually a free agent after the year. The Miami Heat need a way to retain him if they choose to, while also not having to put themselves in a situation where they guarantee him anything crazy monetarily.

Basically, they have to find a way to get a team option, a non-guarantee, or something that gives them a choice but doesn’t lock them in. Sounds greedy and almost impossible, but it can and would need to be done if they are thinking about making the deal.

This gives them optimal flexibility in any situation. If they want to keep him, they have the means to make that happen.

If they want to let him walk, they can do that without being on the hook for anything crazy, thus maintaining peak flexibility. They must find a way to do both of those things at the same time.

This is especially if they have to give up prime young assets to make the deal happen. That’s where we are headed next.