Report: Celtics, Nets, 76ers among teams that've called about James Harden

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The James Harden trade rumors just won't go away.

The Rockets star is reportedly available, and according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, several Eastern Conference teams have made contact with Houston, including the Boston Celtics.

"It is not a coincidence that a number of teams such as the Celtics, 76ers, Heat, Nets and Raptors -- teams that are in the "good not great" zone -- have at least made a courtesy call to the Rockets, sources said," Windhorst wrote in a story posted Thursday. "Even the Bucks, sources said, at least had an internal conversation about it and ran it past Giannis Antetokounmpo before deciding not to get involved."

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Windhorst doesn't go into detail on the level of interest from the Celtics. Sam Amick of The Athletic reported last week that Harden has added the C's to his list of "preferred destinations."

Harden's tantalizing talent is difficult to ignore. He's one of the best pure scorers in NBA history, and he's led the league in scoring three consecutive years. He won the MVP in 2018 and has finished in the top three of the voting for the award five times.

There are plenty of risks with Harden, too. 

He's 31 years old. So, not an aging player but also not a young star. Harden is signed through the 2021-22 season with a player option for the 2022-23 campaign, per Spotrac. He currently makes more than $40 million per season, and his next contract figures to be massive as well. Will his next deal age poorly? You could make a good case that it would.

The Rockets reportedly are looking for a young star as part of a return package for Harden. Celtics guard Jaylen Brown and 76ers guard Ben Simmons are examples of that kind of player. 

For the Celtics, does it really make sense to give up Brown when he's already an All-Star caliber player and seven years younger than Harden? Brown is a two-way force and signed to a contract that looks more team-friendly by the day. Brown scored a career-high 42 points in Wednesday's win over the Grizzlies, and he leads the entire league with 140 points entering Thursday.

And if the Celtics give up Brown and other quality assets for Harden, and then the former MVP leaves in free agency a few years from now, what would the C's be left with? 

It's a really tough decision for the teams interested in Harden. Acquiring him immediately makes your team a stronger contender, but the long-term consequences could be immense depending on the situation.

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