This Sixers-Bucks trade proposal swaps James Harden, Jrue Holiday

In the wake of James Harden requesting a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers, one NBA writer is proposing that the Milwaukee Bucks trade Jrue Holiday to the Sixers for Harden.

Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report proposed that the Bucks send Holiday and a 2024 second-round pick to the Sixers for Harden.

“Bumping Middleton down to the third option and slotting the Beard in between him and Giannis Antetokounmpo could have folks fearing the deer again,” Buckley wrote. “Harden-Antetokounmpo pick-and-rolls could be unstoppable. Middleton-Antetokounmpo pick-and-rolls would be, too, if Harden bought into an off-ball role.

“As for the Sixers, they’d essentially be placing the opposite bet. In their eyes, they could create an elite, soul-crushing defense built around Holiday, Joel Embiid and P.J. Tucker while still fielding a good-but-maybe-not-great offense with the reigning MVP still leading the charge.”

Harden has opted into his 2023-24 player option with the Sixers and wants to get traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. However, Philadelphia can trade Harden anywhere since the 2017-18 MVP doesn’t have a no-trade clause.

Harden is extremely upset at the way in which the Sixers handled his possible free agency and has made his dissatisfaction clear to the franchise. The 10-time All-Star averaged 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds and 10.7 assists in 2023-23 while shooting 44.1% from the field, 38.5% from beyond the arc and 86.7% from the free-throw line. Harden led the NBA in assists per game for the second time in his career and helped Joel Embiid win the MVP Award.

The Sixers lost to the Boston Celtics in the 2023 Eastern Conference Semifinals in seven games. Doc Rivers was fired as head coach and replaced by Nick Nurse, who won the 2019 championship with the Toronto Raptors.

Nurse and Harden met in Houston in June and the meeting went well. However, money has gotten in the way between Harden and the Sixers, as Harden wants a max contract and Philadelphia doesn’t want to give him one.

The Bucks would likely never trade Holiday for Harden since Giannis Antetokounmpo loves playing with Holiday and has criticized Harden’s game in the past. However, anything is possible in the NBA.