3 potential landing spots if James Harden, Russell Westbrook hit trade block

We'll start with the scenario that got Bucher talking about the concept of trade hypotheticals in the first place. Too much makes sense here to ignore.

There's the Morey hire. There's the lack of postseason success and consistent success in general that has come as a result of the Ben Simmons-Joel Embiid pairing. There's the precedent set by Morey in a recent interview that seems to assert that Embiid is the franchise piece, meaning that Simmons could be the player that Morey would want to include in the trade (though Embiid's future in Philadelphia is by no means set in stone either). The more important takeaway is that neither Embiid nor Simmons has so steadfastly entrenched themselves within the organization that they can't be considered in negotiations for a star player like Harden.

There's also the lack of a reliable shot creator that has plagued the Sixers as of late, and Harden is the best in the league at creating his own space and finding ways to score no matter what the defense looks like. Simmons would also act as a nice fit in Houston — especially if Westbrook moved elsewhere too — considering the Rockets play a near-positionless game and possess a roster filled with capable shooters like Eric Gordon, Robert Covington, Ben McLemore and Danuel House.

Charania, whom I mentioned earlier as the insider who called a Harden move a "non-starter" for Houston, also mentioned that Philadelphia was interested in pursuing a trade. Then again, it's just as likely that the Sixers truly think that, under Morey, the Simmons-Embiid pair can lead to a lot of success. It's all speculation.

You couldn't have a backcourt of Harden, Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. One piece would inevitably need to go, and it certainly wouldn't be Lillard.

Thus, if the Blazers' experiment of Lillard and McCollum finally comes to an end, a move for Harden could be that last step up that pushes the Blazers ahead of the pack.

What's McCollum's trade value? It's up there, at least according to NBA analyst and former player Channing Frye, who appeared on the "Talkin' Blazers" podcast and commented on the current buzz surrounding a McCollum-Celtics deal (h/t Sean Deveny of Heavy).

"You would have to put, to be honest, if you want C.J. McCollum, you would have to give me Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart. That is what I see C.J.’s value as. It would have to be Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Gordon Hayward, or big Williams."

Teams clearly value McCollum highly, but Houston would obviously need more. Bubble breakout Gary Trent Jr. could be another name who helps to push the needle, as would developing big man Zach Collins if the Blazers don't see him fitting next to Jusuf Nurkic down the road. The Blazers have control of all their first-round picks going forward too, including the No. 16 selection in the upcoming NBA Draft next Wednesday.

Zach LaVine would be the primary piece to go here, as his name was one that was brought up in rumors earlier this offseason and represents the team's biggest trade asset, as K.C. Johnson of NBC Chicago has noted. There are some other expendable pieces (Thaddeus Young comes to mind), intriguing young big men (Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter Jr.) and a load of draft capital that the Bulls could add on, with every one of their next seven first-round picks and beyond still in their possession.

That includes the No. 4 pick next week, and ESPN recently labeled wing Anthony Edwards as an ideal match for Chicago. Edwards has gotten comparisons to — wait for it — Harden, among other notable NBA guards.

Of course, the NBA is about star talent, and that's what the Bulls need. Harden would easily replace the scoring that LaVine has provided and do so in a more efficient fashion. He'd be capable of the ball-handling and passing responsibilities that haven't exactly been easy to come by in Chicago -- Tomas Satoransky led the team with 5.4 assists per game last season. The Bulls also struggled to get to the line, finishing 28th overall in free throws-per-field goal attempted, one of the four factors on offense. That's something Harden does better than anyone.

It'd be a massive move that completely changes the trajectory of the franchise, but I think it's intriguing to look at.

This is one that I don't personally love, but it's also one that has been reported. Ian Begley of SNY wrote about rumors circulating that the Knicks would look into such a deal:

"Something else to keep an eye on: some agents who represent top point guard free agents believe the Knicks would poke around on a potential Russell Westbrook trade if Houston makes him available. It’s worth noting that Westbrook, per sources, saw New York as a welcome landing spot last summer when Oklahoma City was talking to teams about potential trades."

Kevin O'Connor of the Ringer also mentioned that the Knicks have shown interest.

But where would the franchise go from there? Nowhere fast, as John Schmeek of WFAN has noted. His massive contract would weigh down the team for years to come, his style of play doesn't exactly promote the development of young players who desperately need to develop and the acquisition of Westbrook seems like a win-now move, while the Knicks are nowhere near win-now mode.

But it's been reported, which is more than I can say for some of the other destinations that appear on this list, and it would fall in the realm of a Knicks-type move should it come to fruition.

The other team that O'Connor reported as having an active interest in Westbrook is the Los Angeles Clippers, and a true super team would be the result. This would be a landing spot that would lead Westbrook and the prospective team to a lot more success, so long as it came without the subsequent dismissal of Paul George.

After all, as good as the duos of LeBron James-Anthony Davis, Stephen Curry-Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant-Kyrie Irving and many others around the league are, the trio of Westbrook, George and Kawhi Leonard is an absolutely terrifying thought.

In the process though, due to salary issues, the Clippers would have to completely dismantle the team surrounding these three stars, as Brad Botkin of CBS Sports noted. Patrick Beverley, gone. Lou Williams, gone. Landry Shamet, gone. Ivica Zubac, gone. The trade really isn't possible unless the Clippers unload a massive amount of talent, and for that exact reason I wonder whether the Clippers have genuine interest. I wouldn't have included the Clippers had it not been reported due to the questions that Bucher posed in the introduction of this story.

But again, they're reported to have real interest in Westbrook should he become available, and the powerhouse of stars that could come as a result makes it something to monitor.