The Houston Rockets traded superstar James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday for a massive haul of draft picks.
The Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers were also involved in the deal that now pairs Harden with his old teammate Kevin Durant.
Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge revealed that the Celtics discussed a potential deal for Harden, but they felt the asking price was too high.
Danny Ainge on 98.5 Boston this AM on Harden: "We had numerous talks, but the price really wasn't changing. The price was really high for us, and it was just something we really didn't want to do … We decided it wasn't the time for us and it wasn't the price."
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) January 14, 2021
The Celtics already have two young stars in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
If Boston were to trade for Harden, it likely would have had to part ways with Brown and a large number of draft picks.
Boston also could’ve dangled point guard Kemba Walker in a deal, but his value isn’t as high as he recovers from a knee injury. Walker has yet to play this season.
While the Celtics may have thought about Harden, they will now have to worry about him and the Nets in their division and the Eastern Conference.
If the two teams meet in the postseason, it would be a very entertaining series.
