Miami Heat Rumors: If Pat Riley wants James Harden, now is the time to move

The Miami Heat have been rumored to be in the mix for James Harden. Now is the time to move.

The Miami Heat are in a very peculiar spot. They have the talent on their roster to make a run, as they did last season, however, they could make things exponentially easier upon themselves if they were able to go out and land another impact guy.

For so long this season, James Harden of the Houston Rockets, has potentially been mentioned as that guy. That was all up until a few weeks back though.

This is when reports started to circulate about what it might take for the Miami Heat to land Harden from the Houston Rockets. The reports tended to indicate that, at the moment, Houston’s asking price was just too much for the high-output floor general.

Fast forward to Tuesday night though and things may have just ramped back up on that front. After the Houston Rockets lost again to the Los Angeles Lakers, the second time within a few times and the umpteenth time over the last few years, James Harden had apparently had enough.

Check out this appearance from after the game.

Needless to say, he’s ready to leave Houston. Is Miami ready to go get him though?

If they are, the time would be now. I am not so sure that’s in the cards though and here’s why.

Miami faced Philly Tuesday without their top three guys. That performance shows why any team would want them and why Miami must keep their pups.

The Miami Heat faced off against a Philadelphia 76ers team on Tuesday with two of their three big guns in tow, their top two, if you ask me. While the Miami Heat were without their top three guys, Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Goran Dragic, you didn’t even notice until the final moments.

I said that to say, in those final moments where one of those guys would have more than likely helped calm the Heat, you noticed it then. Even still though, had it not been for a blown call, a few more of the phantom variety, and a career-night from Joel Embiid, they still wouldn’t’ have beat the Miami Heat on Tuesday.

That’s just it though. The guys that are at the center of every trade conversation for the Miami Heat were the guys responsible for that.

They were the guys that went out there, competed against All-Stars, and almost bested them. That’s why every team that looks to deal with Miami wants them.

In a deal for James Harden, it would absolutely take at least two of Precious Achiuwa, Duncan Robinson, and Tyler Herro and at least two or maybe even three of Gabe Vincent, KZ Okpala, Kendrick Nunn, and Max Strus on top of that. Not to mention that it would probably cost draft capital as well.

It’s a boatload to think about giving up but what it would take to land him. If they want to do it though, they better get their offer together now.

Harden isn’t long for Houston, especially after Tuesday night. Should the Miami Heat finally pull the trigger though?

The Miami Heat shouldn’t trade for James Harden. It’s just that simple.

When it comes to James Harden and the Miami Heat, I am of this thought. No.

Just, no. It would cost too much to land him, first of all.

When you trade for James Harden, you speed up your window for winning and realize that after that window, you are going to have to rebuild for at least two seasons.

This is because landing him is going to take completely gutting your roster and resources. On top of that rebuild, you also have to worry about what else you are going to put around him when he arrives to your team.

That’s our next point. If they were to land Harden, it would for sure be Jimmy Butler, James Harden, and Bam Adebayo but what else?

We know they wouldn’t trade Jimmy or Bam to get it done, but they would nearly have to move everything else. Even with James Harden, could the Miami Heat put together a good enough roster to win after gutting themselves to land Harden?

I don’t know the answer to that question but I don’t want to find out either. The Big 3 Era taught me a lot about operating that way and it was tough enough with LeBron James leading your team.

I can 100 percent say with certainty that I don’t want to see it with James Harden as the leader. This Miami Heat team can compete with what they have, while they can also still go out and make a move.

There are guys out there and/or will be in the future. Victor Oladipo still has to be in mind, as he seems to be fully back from injury, playing well, and still on the last year of his deal with Indiana.

He is just one guy, for example. There are others out there but no matter what they do, I just don’t want them to land Harden.

We can’t say what Pat Riley will do for sure. If he wants to make the move, all signs say that now is the time.

I truly hope he doesn’t though.