Rockets: 4 teams James Harden should take off his wishlist

3. Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks were a surprise addition to Harden’s list, for countless reasons. For one, Harden is known to enjoy the night life, as he’s enjoyed hosting and attending parties both in Houston and in other larger hubs, such as Las Vegas and Atlanta.

The Bucks have a hard-nosed, hard-working, blue-collar culture, which is much easier to impose in a small market like Milwaukee. The Bucks’ front office is reportedly uninterested in making a move for Harden, as explained by Sam Amick of The Athletic.

“So, is Harden now on that proverbial list? Bucks sources say no. Harden, it seems, is not seen as a good fit for this Bucks culture that has been so carefully curated by Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, general manager Jon Horst, coach Mike Budenholzer and so many others.”

If the Bucks aren’t all that enthused about the idea of getting Harden, they surely won’t give a sufficient enough package for his services. It’s not hard to understand why Milwaukee wouldn’t want Harden, as their team was built around two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo,  and….well, you don’t need me to remind you of the back and forth that has taken place between the star players over the years.

Giannis traded barbs with Harden, as he stated that he didn’t want Harden on his All-Star team because he wanted someone that would pass the ball, and later said that his team’s strategy was to strategically attack Harden when he was a defender. Harden responded saying that he has to actually have skill to play his position because he’s not just 7-feet, stating that it doesn’t take skill to be tall enough to simply dunk the ball, which was an obvious jab at Antetokounmpo.

Both players would struggle to play together, as they are accustomed to having the ball in their hands and controlling the flow and pace of the offense, and the Bucks would seem to not be wiling to pay the asking price for Harden anyways, not to mention the fact that they don’t have the necessary draft capital, since they just sent three first-round picks to the New Orleans Pelicans for Jrue Holiday.

Harden shouldn’t hold his breath waiting for a deal from Milwaukee to transpire.

Next: No. 2