Houston Rockets: Five teams that need to trade for James Harden

James Harden remains a Houston Rocket but teams have not lost their interest in him. After the first opening slate of games, these are the five teams that need to swing a trade for Harden.

When James Harden informed the Houston Rockets that he wanted out the conventional wisdom was that the Rockets would try and make a move before the season started. The advantages of making a move in the offseason, for both sides, are numerous.

The team trading for Harden gets him for the entire season and has time to integrate him into their system before the games count and the Rockets have more time to see where the franchise is headed and how the players they receive will fit in. However, a trade never materialized and now the season has begun and James Harden has done nothing but prove his worth.

Through four games, Harden is averaging a league-best 33 points per game to go along with 10.8 assists. Any team that gets Harden will receive the league’s best offensive player in top form and on a mission to win a championship.

Every team in the league has played at least five games now and there are a few contenders that are in desperate need of help. In a 72 game season, each game matters more and the congestion of the schedule could make it near impossible for a team to dig itself out of an early hole.

It also shouldn’t be forgotten that there is a real possibility that fans could be allowed back into stadiums by the time the NBA playoffs arrive and having home-court advantage could be the difference after players have grown used to crowd-less games. These are the five teams that need to make a serious push for James Harden if they want to turn into a real contender.

Next: Team No. 5