Milwaukee Bucks: 3 red flags to consider with a James Harden trade

While the Milwaukee Bucks are reportedly among the preferred destinations for James Harden, facilitating a trade for the one-time MVP is quite an obstacle.

Whether they are willing participants or not, the Milwaukee Bucks have indirectly entered the unfolding James Harden saga.

Thursday afternoon brought the news, which was first reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania, that the Bucks are high on the list of preferred destinations that the 31-year-old superstar wants to go to in light of wanting out of Houston.

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Between his flirtations of holding out at the outset of training camp and reportedly turning down an extension that would have paid over $50 million for two seasons, the one-time MVP has made it clear that where his head is at regarding his future with the Rockets.

Of course, the Rockets see it another way entirely and as ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported last month, the organization is willing to get uncomfortable with the pressure they’re feeling to deal away their leading superstar. And it’s clear that Harden is holding them to that as it spills over into the start of preseason.

Whether the Bucks will actively explore a move for Harden remains to be seen at this point, especially as they dealing with a pretty big unknown themselves with their own superstar in Giannis Antetokounmpo. In the event that they do, let’s look at three red flags that stand out in trying to manufacture a trade for James Harden.

Red flag no. 1 – Timing and chemistry

With less than two weeks to the start of their 2020-21 campaign and two days away from kicking off their preseason run, the Bucks have quite the challenge of integrating their many changes from the offseason.

Their big acquisition of Jrue Holiday certainly headlined the Bucks’ offseason and their ability to reload and make good on their championship potential this season. But that doesn’t come without many challenges and integrating their many additions deep in their depth chart as they reshuffled their bench unit entirely.

Meanwhile, the Rockets face their own set of unique challenges in training camp, in large part to how the whole Harden saga has unfolded over the last week. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported Wednesday that it will take six consecutive negative COVID-19 tests for Harden to be cleared and practice with the team.

That clearance could come as soon as next Monday if those tests were to come back negative. But a positive test, which may be likely with Harden’s reported exploits leading up to his late arrival to camp, could pose as a more extensive problem to this whole ordeal.

The challenge of trying to integrate someone of Harden’s caliber and ball-dominant nature is already is one in of itself. Now adding his unhappiness and the cause and effect of his brief holdout to camp adds an extra messy layer to this whole drama.

Milwaukee is clearly serious about wanting to win a title and Harden is one of the most talented players as they come. Players of his caliber don’t just become available overnight. But there are factors that have to be weighed in examining what’s best for the Bucks and Harden’s exploits haven’t made that any easier, to say the least.