WATCH: Should Celtics have tried harder to trade for James Harden?

The Boston Celtics ultimately passed on trading for James Harden — but was it the right call?

The Houston Rockets have finally pulled the trigger on a James Harden trade, sending the disgruntled superstar to the Boston Celtics Atlantic Division competitor Brooklyn Nets in exchange for a deal that dwarfs Boston’s 2013 Blockbuster with Brooklyn.

Should the Celtics have tried to pry the foul-drawing, 3-point shooting offensive wizard loose instead with an offer built around budding star forward Jaylen Brown? Would such a move even be in Boston’s best interest long-term? Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix joins the NBC Boston Sports show “Early Edition” to try and answer exactly these questions after the four-team mega-deal went down on Wednesday.

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With twin stars in Brown and All-NBA star forward Jayson Tatum already in the fold and under contract for years to come, it’s been a contentious question since Harden trade rumbles first surfaced.

Watch the video embedded above to hear for yourself what Mannix believes.

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