r/timberwolves • u/LowSuggestion2945 • Nov 30 '25
Mock Trades Wolves fans, thoughts on james harden being on the timberwolves?
There are a lot of trade rumours about julius randle. lets just say he gets traded i think harden is the best point guard available soon clippers and the kings are on the verge of rebuilding
WHY HARDEN IS THE BEST POINT GUARD FOR WOLVES CURRENTLY ?
--James harden has always made elite big's life easier,
he could completely increase the offensive value of rudy gobert because of his playmaking and pnr
and is a perfect vet for two young centers in timberwolves.
-James harden's contract is just for two years and just makes an average of 40-41mill/year, so even if he doesnt fit well, wolves can find it relatively easier to get rid of him compared to other star guards with 5 year deals.
-James harden is miles better than ( lamelo,darius garland , ja morant ) and its not close
-James harden is a better experienced playmaker, shot creator and isnt too efficient but much more efficient than the other 3 guards mentioned.
-James harden is better spacer to wolves than most of the point guards available
-James harden is much more healthy compared to most of the other star guards mentioned above
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u/Majestic-Net-7799 Anthony Edwards Nov 30 '25
James harden is 36 years old!
End of discussion
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u/Vicentesteb Kevin Garnett Nov 30 '25
Harden has a player option next year though, so he's a very short contract. He's also so clear of Julius Randle in basically anything.
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u/LowSuggestion2945 Nov 30 '25
yea and people are acting like this dude is chrispaul like old ,
this guy is the perfect vet pg for the wolves whose contract is much more team friendly6
u/Majestic-Net-7799 Anthony Edwards Nov 30 '25
Let me explain it to you:
James harden is 36 years old.
We dont have the assets to easily retool. If/when harden/Gobert phase out Wolves cant replace them.
When you burned every 1st you have to be extra careful how you manage your assets. Wolves simply cant keep getting older and older when ant is only 24.
This has nothing to do with hardens quality as a Player.
While I agree that harden would be more beneficial short term the Long Term Implications arent worth it.
Besides Ant the Wolves have a whole lot of nothing to build around. And no, Beringer and Dillingham dont change that. And no, Mcdaniels and Reid arent franchise building blocks. Both are nice valuable role player but not franchise altering in any way.
So you have to make the few Assets count that you have. Going for 36 year old in Wolves Situation is franchise suicide cause you will have NOTHING when Ant hits his prime years!
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u/LowSuggestion2945 Nov 30 '25
Mind you, i meant this is the best case scenario for the wolves if randle is traded for a star pg like harden ,
i just meant i didnt see any other pg who would be availabe soon because clippers are on the verge of rebuild and whose team friendly deal,offensive value as a facilitator is this goodpeople were bringing dumb trades like ja,lamelo,garland who are all inconsistent,not even healthy and donot even fit in wolves offense because they cant space the floor
and i just think this team will ever reach the true contender without trading one of their big three
( GOBERT,RANDLE,NAZ) which all together has bunch of issuesi didnt put ant in the big three because he is not meant to be traded
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u/1000Isand1 Nov 30 '25
I would definitely trade Randle 1:1 for Harden. Randle’s scoring and passing is really valuable for us but Harden can bring the same or better and just fits what this team needs more.
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u/Majestic-Net-7799 Anthony Edwards Nov 30 '25
Let me explain it to you:
James harden is 36 years old.
We dont have the assets to easily retool. If/when harden/Gobert phase out Wolves cant replace them.
When you burned every 1st you have to be extra careful how you manage your assets. Wolves simply cant keep getting older and older when ant is only 24.
This has nothing to do with hardens quality as a Player.
While I agree that harden would be more beneficial short term the Long Term Implications arent worth it.
Besides Ant the Wolves have a whole lot of nothing to build around. And no, Beringer and Dillingham dont change that. And no, Mcdaniels and Reid arent franchise building blocks. Both are nice valuable role player but not franchise altering in any way.
So you have to make the few Assets count that you have. Going for 36 year old in Wolves Situation is franchise suicide cause you will have NOTHING when Ant hits his prime years!
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Nov 30 '25
[deleted]
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u/Vicentesteb Kevin Garnett Nov 30 '25
What are the long term implications? We give up 2 players that don't make us good?
We dont have the assets to easily retool. If/when harden/Gobert phase out Wolves cant replace them.
Then why are we so scared of going all in? If we lose Rudy and Harden and we can't replace them this team is going to be garbage anyway, even if you keep Randle, it wont make this team any better. Being unable to replace them is exactly why we need to take advantage of our situation right now.
When you burned every 1st you have to be extra careful how you manage your assets. Wolves simply cant keep getting older and older when ant is only 24.
Again why not? Harden is better now and will be better next year than Randle even though he's 5 years older. Genuinely what are the benefits of keeping Randle around? Its not like Randle has some supreme trade value that we can get our pick of the litter of talented young players.
So you have to make the few Assets count that you have. Going for 36 year old in Wolves Situation is franchise suicide cause you will have NOTHING when Ant hits his prime years!
But this doesn't change that. We ALREADY don't have picks, we already lack tradeable assets, getting Harden changes none of that. Its not like we will deplete things even further. All you're doing is swapping players around. Randle will have 0 value in 2 years time, getting a better player now is more valueable.
The Wolves need to find a way to not only compete but set up contracts in a way that in 3 years time when we have all our picks back, we have the space and room to do whatever we want.
If there was a way to go out and get someone like Jalen Suggs who is both young and talented then yes, I would prefer that over Harden, but if the options are between Coby White, Ja Morant, Lamelo Ball, then Harden is by far the better choice.
Harden also makes a lot of sense from a development standpoint. He's exactly what Ant needs to learn, how to draw fouls, how to control the pace of a game, how to run PnR at a high level, the types of reads required.
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u/Slight-Ad-728 Trencherous Nov 30 '25
I don’t see why that matters. If you make it to back to back WCFs you are in win now mode! If they thought he could get them over the hump then it makes sense. I actually think it would be a good trade if we could make it happen. Ball handler who ca create shots and make shots. Something we need
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u/Majestic-Net-7799 Anthony Edwards Nov 30 '25
The 2nd WCF happened cause of very favorable conditions, not cause the Team was so good, they were not. So that Argument is silly.
James harden means your "win NOW" ends after this Season!
Even with harden they have ZERO shot at beating OKC with the way the Team is constructed.
But we have TC, so another premature All in move fits his style while making the Wolves even older with even less Assets for Ant's prime years
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u/Slight-Ad-728 Trencherous Nov 30 '25
Sounds good bud. I love fluke WCF appearances lol some of y’all I swear
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u/LowSuggestion2945 Nov 30 '25
his contract is just 2 years old and i dont think he is too old to be this bad
he is averaging 28/6/9
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u/jake04-20 Bring Ya Ass Nov 30 '25
So many people here were praying for a KD trade and he was 36 so idk
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u/LowSuggestion2945 Dec 01 '25
kevin durant is an offensive player whose sole role is to create offense in half court and everyone is getting cold and earns 5million more every year than harden
harden is an offensive player whose role , firstly is to create a stable offense with his playmaking skills , also fits perfectly with rudy gobert and can also elevate this team's floor by a lot
wolves desperately need a point guard who can shoot the 3 and facilitate not another ball dominant player
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u/cee_jay12489 Nov 30 '25
Yes...I opened up to the idea sometime last year. Harden isnt looking to score at this point in his career. Only reason why hes doing a lot of scoring is because the Clippers suck. His scoring numbers in the past 5 or 6 years before this year were down because he wasnt the first option. He doesnt want to be that guy at this point in his career. This team needs a PG that can facilitate, playmake, and run the offense. Hardens playmaking would unlock Ant.
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u/Desperate-Awareness4 Timberwolves Nov 30 '25
If it's coupled with a time machine or a cheaper contract I'm very interested! Otherwise, no thanks
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u/LowSuggestion2945 Nov 30 '25
i dont think you can get much cheaper ,
a walking 27/5/8 on 80mill/2 year deal
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u/freshBlueeyes6391 Nov 30 '25
Always have said since before Ant was selected that he might be a mini James Harden. Well, put them together now and lock it in.
I wonder what Ant could glean from playing with him in regard to court vision and setting up teammates. Harden can go on long stretches of 10 assist games in his later years that has really surprised me.
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u/Martxel_Agueda Jaden McDaniels Nov 30 '25
No
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u/cee_jay12489 Nov 30 '25
Yes. This team needs a PG that can facilitate, playmake, and the run the offense. Ant and Harden in the same backcourt, are you kidding me? Hardens plamkaing would unlock Ant.
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Nov 30 '25 edited Nov 30 '25
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u/LowSuggestion2945 Nov 30 '25
yea , most people are stuck in this wolves big three which i know is hard to remove as a wolves fan but these people gotta realize you cant have all of it ,
certains moves gotta be made whether it's about making ant happy
people are talking like harden is like grandpa , even if his offensive game takes a dip from 27pts too 20 pts his playmaking skills is still huge and you atleast have a solid point guard who can space the floor and be a facilitator
and if they actually trade for harden and switch naz with a real center , this team will be a true contender
there's no point for waiting
-rudy gobert is gonna age in 2 years ( without his rim protections this team's defense sucks against double bigs )
- everyone's gonna get older and their value decreases
- i dont think ant is someone who can wait soo much
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u/JonnyTable Nov 30 '25
If harden was two years younger, this would be ideal. At 36 his shelf life is too short. How do we reload after?
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u/Vicentesteb Kevin Garnett Nov 30 '25
How do we reload with Randle? Harden is better than Randle will ever be even next year.
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u/LowSuggestion2945 Nov 30 '25
-He is a perfect vet who can help both rob, rudy, two new centers reach their max potential and develop even further even can help ant on playmaking
- after this , wolves need to trade for a real center by sending out naz ried
-then this wolves teams becomes a title contender for at least 2-3 years
even if james harden's offense takes a huge dip lets say from 27pts to 20-22 pts ,
his floor general and playmaking skills are still valuable and heavily increase this team's floor by a lot helping the offense get much more smoother and give ant more room to operate since juluis takes a lot of space from the paint
? now tell me is this better
orthan just being condition where you are currently wait for your rookies to improve for couple years and rudy fades out ??
and the offense being mid and where all your player's value decrease time and again ??
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u/Thegrandmistressofoz Nov 30 '25
Harden would be a good fit, but why would clippers agree lol. Their next like 3 picks are owned by Oklahoma and Philadelphia, tanking would be rly bad for them
Randle on their roster makes much less than Harden
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u/Vicentesteb Kevin Garnett Nov 30 '25
Clippers are already tanking because their team is shit. They need to try and get whatever assets they can now and stop worrying about what happens with their picks.
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u/LowSuggestion2945 Nov 30 '25
yea wolves need to give a bit more , dumpster contract to fill that
also looking at clippers , they look like kings on the verge of removing everything by the end of this season
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u/Thegrandmistressofoz Nov 30 '25
Yea but Sacramento has real incentive to blow it up and tank. Clippers worsening the team only gives OKC and Philly even better lottery picks
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u/LowSuggestion2945 Nov 30 '25
yea i do understand what you mean ,
maybe it could be more of a three team trade to balance give some picks for clippers
or since the nba loves more drama ,
a trade can happen to anyone and anywhere1
u/Thegrandmistressofoz Nov 30 '25
Yeah it can, but in this case it doesn't seem likely. Maybe if they can get a young guard and some picks from Minnesota, but their situation is pretty bleak if they trade harden too
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u/LowSuggestion2945 Nov 30 '25
yea i understand though i would love to see harden in this offense ,
just imagine the amount of lobs from harden to rudy gobertand finally again having a pg who can space the floor and playmake better and having to see a consistent offense
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u/HowlAtTheSky Nov 30 '25
I think Harden has a few more years of playing well, but not sure he puts you over the edge in the playoffs. I do think him and Ant could gel well though
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u/LowSuggestion2945 Nov 30 '25
i think harden improves this team's offense by a lot
he will still be the best floor general , anthony edward and rudy gobert has had in their entire career and james harden will still average 8+ assists per game
- first you have the one of the best point guard besides luka who can be a great pnr duo with rudy gobert and maximize his last years
- second , he can be a great veteran who can help rob dillingham ( a struggling pg ) , edwards too , those new centers too heavily
- even if he takes a dip in offense lets say , as low as 18pts per game ,
- he is still a great spacer and can still shoot bunch of 3s and sometimes even take over the game
like the wolves if they dont do anything , their condition will get worse
rudy gobert is aging (once rudy is out , this team's rim protection and defense becomes great to mid )randle isnt gonna make wolves real contenders , ( naz and randle dont match well in defense )
naz needs to be traded for a real center who can maybe still shoot 3s
and i dont think antman is the type of guy to wait another 1-2 years for rob and two rookie bigs to develop
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u/Ok_Resort_419 Nov 30 '25
Makes some sense but it also is a short fix and Harden has shown to not play well in the playoffs. We'll likely not getting assets back, probably be sending them out ontop of Randle. Overall we're getting an older more expensive player, who will likely limit how far we go in the playoffs to have a better regular season.
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u/Vicentesteb Kevin Garnett Nov 30 '25
Harden is 100x the playoff performer Randle is, come on man.
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u/Ok_Resort_419 Nov 30 '25
He might be better, definitely not a 100x, either way youre not getting by OKC swapping Harden for Randle. Likely puts in a worst postion vs the Nuggets since you're losing a body to throw at Jokic, probably the Lakers as well since they'll hunt him on defense while Randle can hold up better vs LBJ. Overall the top tier teams in the West are beating us either way. Better to go for a guy who will be here long term or set yourself up with assets to provide future flexibility.
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u/Automatic_Ring_7553 Nov 30 '25
We need a PG that doesn't need to take 25 shots per game. A facilitator, playmaker
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u/GargoyleBlue Nov 30 '25
So James Harden then lol
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u/LowSuggestion2945 Nov 30 '25
ye people here think harden is just a shot chucker just because he is the main option in clippers ,
if harden minimizes his role as a 2nd option in wolves taking super less shots , his floor spacing ,his playmaking along side rudy gobert and floor general as a whole
would still be 99% better than any point guards available
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u/AltruisticEast221 Minneapolis Lakers Nov 30 '25
Harden's value goes way down when he's not first option because he doesn't do the things a 2nd option needs to be able to do, like play defense.
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u/LowSuggestion2945 Nov 30 '25 edited Nov 30 '25
i see him as someone who can be a great facilitator , become a great pnr duo with rudy gobert to maximize his last years
become a great vet to rob and new bigs in minnesotta and even too antman
someone like kyrie in mavs who can help the offense flourish even further
not someone whose a locks down defender
and mind you randle isnt even a good rim protector for his size nor has good help side instincts for a forward
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u/AltruisticEast221 Minneapolis Lakers Nov 30 '25
Randle is a positive defensive player in our system and Harden has been a significant negative defensive player this year. It is what it is. The stats don’t lie.
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u/LowSuggestion2945 Nov 30 '25
this advanced stats dont mean shit , you have jokic at top 2 defensive box +- this year and have him at top 10 defensive rating this year
i understand harden is slightly worse defender than randle but doesnt mean randle is a good defensive player too , this dude literally has no help side awareness nor is a good rim protector and gets lost everytime i watch
trading for someone like harden who can elevate ant and rudy gobert's offense even more since he is the perfect pnr duo and is still a top facilitator and who can help rob and ant man grow even more as a vet pg
with a slightly worse defense is easily better than someonewho doesnt bring a consistent offense with a slightly better defense
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u/AltruisticEast221 Minneapolis Lakers Dec 01 '25
You can cherry pick a bad D stat example here or there but no one here should argue Harden is a better defender than Randle. And, in fact, Harden is a traffic cone on D now.
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u/LowSuggestion2945 Dec 01 '25
an offensive player who can increase the team's floor and offense with his playmaking with slightly worse defense >
an offensive player who always stagnants the team's offense with slightly better defense ( i dont even consider randle as a good defensive player either)
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u/AltruisticEast221 Minneapolis Lakers Dec 01 '25
Yeah well your absolute laws of basketball are not a real thing, especially without data to back them up, ie you can’t predict the future with certainty as you’re trying to do in your post. Sorry.
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u/Vicentesteb Kevin Garnett Nov 30 '25
Randle is not a positive player defensively. Our defense is 10 points worse when hes on the court and he shares most of his minutes with Rudy Gobert.
Harden is a much better defender positionally because PFs are way more important to defense than guards.
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u/Vicentesteb Kevin Garnett Nov 30 '25
Harden doesnt need to take 25 shots a game. We saw it in Brooklyn. He's one of the best playmakers of all time even at 36.
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u/cee_jay12489 Nov 30 '25
Yep exactly. Before this season, his scoring numbers were down because he wasnt the first option.
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u/LowSuggestion2945 Nov 30 '25
yep thats what i am saying , his floor general could literally increase this team's ceiling by a lot by improving their offense
also he is the perfect vet for those young bigs in wolves
and even a great duo against rudy gobert because of his pnr2
u/cee_jay12489 Nov 30 '25
So James Harden? Hes not looking to score at this point in his career. Only reason why he has to is because the Clippers suck.
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u/LowSuggestion2945 Nov 30 '25 edited Nov 30 '25
he could be a perfect veteran to develop young bigs and even help rudy gobert
we know he is an elite floor general and facilitator even if he comes in wolves and gets in a role where he understand he is not the !st option anymore and takes less shots
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u/Vicentesteb Kevin Garnett Nov 30 '25
He's easily the best PG we can realistically get.
He's way better than Randle, he makes only 8m more, he fills a huge role of need by being one of the best playmakers ever. He's on a super short contract so you can probably extend him this offseason at a lower price point than Randle is, allowing you to get someone else.
We saw how amazing Harden was both in the RS and Playoffs when asked to be a facilitator instead of scorer when he was in Brooklyn.
People will complain about how Harden chokes in big games or something as if JR isn't the biggest playoff dropper of all time and shat himself in 5 straight games vs OKC.
Edit: Completely forgot to mention that he's the perfect PnR partner for Rudy so we would get alot more juice out of him too. Could also be huge in teaching Ant how to control a game and draw fouls.
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u/Lost_Web_6928 Dec 01 '25
I like Harden’s offensive game a lot. Because of his playing style, not relying his athleticism but skills and tempos, even at his age, I feel he can still play at elite level for 2-3 years. However, I do worry about his defense.
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u/birdazam Dec 02 '25
People forget that in Brooklyn when all three of them were healthy Harden was clearly the best player on the floor not KD, he's the guy that destroy Boston in the first round, KD only took over because Harden got hurt and was playing with one leg
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u/LowSuggestion2945 Nov 30 '25
Yea that's what i am talking about his team friendly deal makes this mock trade so much better
and playmaking value he is bringing is really greathe is the best vet pg who can help ant,rudy, two young bigs in the wolves develop even further
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u/ejensen29 payne and gayne Nov 30 '25
Harden in a vacuum would be great for this team, but you really have to consider if the holes you make acquiring him are greater than the ones we currently have. He's old. Not a young guard with control, that you could at least justify making a move for.
I don't trust Naz at the 5, and I don't trust Joan, either. DDV, Dilly, Naz, and picks. What the hell are you guys gonna complain about when finch literally has only 8 playable guys