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3 reasons the Phoenix Suns should avoid James Harden at all costs

Luke Duffy|
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MARCH 27: James Harden #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers handles the ball against Chris Paul #3 of the Phoenix Suns during the second half of the NBA game at Footprint Center on March 27, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the 76ers 114-104. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MARCH 27: James Harden #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers handles the ball against Chris Paul #3 of the Phoenix Suns during the second half of the NBA game at Footprint Center on March 27, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the 76ers 114-104. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – APRIL 15: James Harden of the Philadelphia 76ers and Mikal Bridges of the Brooklyn Nets. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – APRIL 15: James Harden of the Philadelphia 76ers and Mikal Bridges of the Brooklyn Nets. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

3 reasons the Phoenix Suns should avoid James Harden at all costs.

1. The team needs depth, not another star

Although the Suns would make the Durant trade every time, they did lose Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson in the process. Bridges in particular was a key player for the team, as he was the link between the stars and the rest of the roster who played his role perfectly.

He could carry them offensively for small stretches and was a fantastic defender, but also recognized where he sat in the pecking order. Bridges has been showing the Suns just what they are missing since landing with the Nets, and if the organization should be prioritizing anything this summer, it is reclaiming some of the depth they lost.

To add Harden to this group would make them even more top heavy than they already are. It would also give them even less wiggle room when trying to fill out the rotation, which is on the small and light side as it is currently being headlined by Cam Payne, Terrence Ross and Landry Shamet.

Even if some of these guys don’t return, the Suns need to look at making some trades for players on rookie or cheap contracts, who are going to put a shift in every time they hit the court. What they don’t need is another player who can pour in 25 a night while not defending particularly well. Booker and Durant can both do that, and be better defenders in the process.

The era of a “Big Three” style team appears to be over. Nowadays a top two with a high level supporting cast is what gets teams over the line. The Denver Nuggets and Celtics are two such current examples, but it is the Los Angeles Lakers who the Suns should look to for inspiration here.

They remade their team on the fly before the trade deadline, and ditched Westbrook in favor of players like Rui Hachimura, Lonnie Walker IV and Jarred Vanderbilt. They also gave Austin Reeves more run.

This resulted in a group of players surrounding the ageing LeBron James and often hobbled Anthony Davis in a run to the Western Conference Finals. Sound familiar? This is what the Suns should be doing, not adding Harden to the mix ahead of a crucial season for the franchise next year.

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