James Harden provides expert opinion on Damian Lillard saga

If there's anyone in the NBA who understands what Damian Lillard is going through, it's James Harden. The 2017-18 MVP has been at the core of multiple trade requests throughout his career and has gone to great lengths to force a franchise's hand. No team wanted to trade Harden, but each did so knowing the alternative was keeping an unhappy player on the payroll.

Lillard is in a similar situation with the Portland Trail Blazers. Technically, Portland is not obliged to give the star guard what he wants, which is a move to the Miami Heat. However, failure to appease Lillard would quickly result in Lillard refusing to play or, worse, disrupting the harmony within the locker room. 

During a recent interview with USA Today, Harden shared his thoughts on Lillard's current situation but refused to pick a side.

"I see both sides because I went through it," Harden said. "The organization wants to do what's best for them. They don't want to just give a player that basically is one of the best players they've ever had in their organization away for nothing, so I get the organization's side. And then I get the player's side as far as wanting to play and wanting to be somewhere whether it's because it's the right situation for your family or yourself or whatever that person is going through. ... I wouldn't want an organization to send someone somewhere they wouldn't [want to] be."