Are Celtics a dark-horse team to trade for James Harden?

The NBA world received shocking news earlier this week when Shams Charania of The Athletic reported the Philadelphia 76ers would look to deal 33-year-old star James Harden. A trade of the 2018 MVP—still one of the best players in the league—could have ripple effects across the NBA.

Per CBS Sports, the Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat and New York Knicks are considered likely trade destinations for Harden. Meanwhile, ESPN's Kevin Pelton suggested the Boston Celtics could be a dark-horse candidate for "The Beard." 

The deal could go down in two ways. 

The first is a trade involving Boston's Jaylen Brown, a focal point of the Celtics' championship quest. Brown, however, has struggled with turnovers, especially in crucial playoff games. In Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against Miami, when Boston needed Brown to step up because an ankle injury limited Jayson Tatum, he had eight turnovers.

The Celtics seem willing to break up their core to improve, so a deal of Brown would not be a stunner. Earlier this month, Boston traded Marcus Smart, the heart of the team, to acquire Kristaps Porzingis of the Wizards. 

Although Harden has his own issues with turnovers, he is a more reliable playmaker than Brown. The league leader in assists last season, Harden could be the playmaker the Celtics need. Including Brown in a trade might allow Boston to acquire versatile Tobias Harris from Philadelphia as well.

The second option for Boston might be keeping Brown out of a potential trade for Harden and including Malcolm Brogdon and Robert Williams III instead.

If the Celtics kept Brown and still acquired Harden, they'd have the best quartet in the NBA in him, Tatum, Brown and Porzingis. Boston would immediately become a favorite to win the NBA title.

No matter which option, the Celtics would be sacrificing some of their youth to win now.