Why Wright believes Warriors should explore Harden deal

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With rumors swirling that Houston Rockets star James Harden would like to be traded, it was reported that the Warriors inquired about potentially acquiring the former MVP.

It obviously would have to be a blockbuster deal to bring in a player of Harden's caliber, but NBC Sports Bay Area Warriors analyst Dorell Wright believes the organization should do their due diligence on bringing in the eight-time All-Star.

"James is one of those guys, he's always played with good players," Wright told NBC Sports Bay Area's Grant Liffmann on the "Dubs Talk" podcast. "It wouldn't be hard for him to adapt to other great players, so I could definitely see him here. I'm pretty sure he's tired of getting double-teamed when he touches halfcourt, so just imagine him playing with two other great players, or three other great players. I think he would definitely fit in perfect. Hey, you've got to take a look.

"That's the reason why Bob Myers is who he is. He's going to listen, he's going to see what it is, and if it's something for him to make a big adjustment to the team, he's going to pull the plug for sure."

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Harden and the Warriors have developed a rivalry over the past half-decade, as Houston continuously ran up against Golden State in the postseason. Prior to last season's playoffs within the NBA bubble, the Warriors had knocked the Rockets out of the postseason in four out of five years. 

Houston is amid a major shift in leadership, as general manager Daryl Morey and coach Mike D'Antoni both left the organization after last season, and have been replaced by Rafael Stone and Stephen Silas. 

The Rockets already pulled the trigger on one major trade in the past week, sending former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook to the Washington Wizards for John Wall and a protected 2023 first-round draft pick. As Wright mentioned, Harden has been teamed up with numerous stars over the years including Westbrook and Kevin Durant when he began his career with Oklahoma City, but will he want to try and build with Wall as his new running-mate or look elsewhere as he still chases his first championship?

The reports around the Warriors' interest in Harden centered on him being paired up with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, but Thompson's season-ending Achilles injury also has adjusted Golden State's outlook from a front office perspective.

Myers recently declined to answer questions about any potential trade interest involving Harden, telling reporters that he wouldn't want to speak about every single conversation he's had with executives around the league.

"No, I'm not going to comment on everything that's written about us, true or untrue," Myers told the media. "I'm just not going to do that. I appreciate you have to ask, but if every call we made or didn't make, I had to comment ... I don't think it's productive on my side."

RELATED: Game-by-game predictions for first half of Warriors' season

The Ringer's Bill Simmons believes Thompson's injury situation would preclude Harden from endorsing a trade to the Warriors, saying Harden's chances at a title wouldn't increase much with Golden State.

"Here's the problem if you're Harden -- you're not winning the title if they do that, because Klay Thompson is out for the year," Simmons said Friday on his podcast. "So you're going to play with Steph Curry and Draymond Green and you're not gonna win the title. You're in the same spot you are now. So he'll veto that ... with no Klay Thompson, he's not talking himself into that."

Such a major trade this close to the start of the season seems far-fetched, but given what we've seen from 2020, anything truly is possible.

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