Could the Warriors be dark horse contenders for James Harden?

The Golden State Warriors are more than likely going to be stay put at the 2022 NBA Trade Deadline. However, there’s no denying that they have the pieces it would take to bring in a high-profile star. Many fans had their figurative eyes on Bradley Beal in the offseason

That said, there are going to be a few star available as the deadline nears. The most notable are Ben Simmons and potentially James Harden.

The Golden State Warriors have the pieces to bring in a superstar, but is James Harden the right fit as he’s emerging as a player that could be traded?

Simmons desire to get out of Philly has been known for months now; however, given Brooklyn’s struggles, it appears Harden has grown frustrated with the Nets organization. Right now, it looks like both parties may be looking into what a Simmons-Harden trade could look like.

Given the Simmons-to-Golden State buzz we heard earlier in the year, it should be understand that the Warriors have the assets it would take to bring in Harden. Obviously, they don’t need Harden to be a championship contender.

Along those lines, his isolation-style play doesn’t make much sense for Golden State. Yet, at the end of the day, if you can acquire one of the best scorers in the league for young pieces and future picks, it may be worth it for Golden State to look into a trade.

Harden is shooting just 41.4% from the field, the second-lowest percentage of his career. Harden has a .401 assist percentage this season.

The Warriors are the most unselfish team in the league with the highest assist rate. Harden would have to understand the system and morph his game to how the Warriors play, but his superstar status is certainly not in question with his poor play.

With Kevin Durant having had major success in Golden State, Harden could easily help repeat the results they had a few years ago. The Warriors could use another key scorer as well.

However, one aspect of this trade that makes it unlikely is that Brooklyn wouldn’t just take picks, Andrew Wiggins and James Wiseman. They would need Jordan Poole and several first-round picks along with those pieces, which Golden State would certainly pass on.

Nonetheless, Harden would make the Warriors a better team, but they shouldn’t be considered a dark horse candidate for him.