- James Harden has +175 odds to be traded to the Philadelphia 76ers.
- Harden's odds for the same result were +650 just a month ago.
HOUSTON - As James Harden spoke with the media on Wednesday for the first time since returning to training camp, the questions about Harden's future came flying out.
Through the mess of questions, the rather relaxed James Harden expressed his focus on being present in Houston.
Still, betting odds on where Harden will end up remain at online sportsbooks.
Odds On James Harden Trade Team
- Philadelphia 76ers +175
- Miami Heat +250
- Brooklyn Nets +300
- Toronto Raptors +400
- Boston Celtics +800
- Denver Nuggets +1000
- Los Angeles Clippers +1800
- Milwaukee Bucks +1800
Originally, the Miami Heat were favored to land the former MVP.
With a potential reunion with Mike D'Antoni, Harden's betting odds shortened to land on the Sixers from +500 just a week ago.
Opening as high as +650 in early November, those who foresaw the potential NBA trade could be earning nearly four times that of the late bettors.
However, the Miami Heat are not out of the grass just yet.
As Miami has expressed their desire not to lose key pieces in exchange for Harden, these plans may be changing with the supermax signing from Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Still, there are plenty of other issues stemming outside of basketball that make Harden a tough asset to trade.
Some believe Harden came into camp with a few extra pounds on after partying the offseason away. Even CBS Sports NBA got in a jab.
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what does James Harden look like he does for a living? wrong answers only pic.twitter.com/d9vACMfqVI
— CBS Sports NBA (@CBSSportsNBA) December 16, 2020
Other sports commentators have even expressed Harden's future as the key guy may be finished.
"We’ve seen the best of James Harden. James Harden ain’t gonna be the best player on any team that wins a championship."@realmikewilbon on revelations in @espn_macmahon's Harden story 👀 pic.twitter.com/hqQV54Vd8f
— PTI (@PTI) December 16, 2020
Despite the beefed-up build, Harden has still all of the skills behind him. After leading the NBA in scoring the last three seasons, he is favored to do so again and is second in line (+500) under Ben Simmons (+250) for the average steals per game odds.
2021 NBA Odds: Highest Points Per Game
- James Harden +150
- Luka Doncic +450
- Giannis Antetokounmpo +550
- Damian Lillard +700
- Stephen Curry +800
In fact, Harden is projected to score 32.5 points per game, where betting odds have his over-under without any shading. Scoring 32.5 would be his lowest average in three seasons, as Harden saw 34.3 and 36.1 points per game previously.
This has led to Harden being at least third in MVP voting for five of the last six seasons.
There is no doubt that Harden is an All-NBA player; however, with the entire new Rockets culture, it will be interesting to see if Harden buys in or continues to mentally opt-out.
Michael spends most of his time betting on over/unders and analyzing algorithms in attempts to beat the book. His focus on statistics comes from an early understanding of mathematics as well as knowledge of opportunity costs. Michael enjoys playing basketball and reading about the NBA whenever he has the free time. When he is not writing, he can be found in Mississippi hitting the sportsbooks and enjoying a margarita… on the rocks, no salt.
