NBA Rumors: James Harden to the Charlotte Bobcats?

Not via trade but rather free-agency. The NBA's sixth man of the year is up for a contract extension next season, and with superstar Kevin Durant and All-Star Russell Westbrook already locked into max contracts, the Thunder may not be able to retain the services of James Harden, as PF Serge Ibaka will also be up for a new deal.

That's where a team like the Charlotte Bobcats could jump in. According to IamaGM, the Charlotte Bobcats are interested in trying to either sign or trade for the Thunder swingman. The Bobcats currently own the No. 2 draft pick in this year's NBA draft, and could look to deal it to bring in a more established player such as Harden.

However, the free-ageny option seems much more cheaper and more realistic for the Bobcats who are going to have a ton of cap space to throw at potential free-agents. It would be wise for them to wait a year and see if the Thunder can extend Harden because the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement makes it that much harder for teams to retain players by going over the cap. It'll be interesting to see what happens.