Assistant coach John Lucas could be holding together the suddenly strained relationship between the Houston Rockets and disgruntled All-Star guard James Harden, who requested a trade last month.
Per Shams Charania of The Athletic, Harden has “maintained dialogue” with the 66-year-old coach through the process, even while being non-communicative with the Houston front office at times.
Here’s what Charania writes in his latest Inside Pass notebook:
Harden has been non-communicative with the front office at times, sources say, but has maintained a dialogue with Rockets assistant coach John Lucas. He is expected to have a workout in front of Rockets personnel soon, according to sources. …
For now, the Rockets and Harden are together again and moving toward the upcoming season. Houston’s perfect world scenario is a Harden-led roster racing to a strong start, reinvigorating his belief in the franchise as a championship threat.
Sources: James Harden now has the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat among his preferred trade destinations, along with the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets.
More on Inside Pass at @TheAthleticNBA: https://t.co/Cp1Irm2VZN
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 10, 2020
Harden reportedly gave Lucas his endorsement in the offseason to replace former head coach Mike D’Antoni. While that job ultimately went to Stephen Silas, the Rockets were able to keep Lucas in an elevated role as an assistant. Lucas had worked with Harden over the last four years as the player development coach under D’Antoni, but his position on Silas’ staff represents a significant increase in duties and stature.
Lucas has ample experience as a former NBA player and head coach, which may have helped him build a strong relationship with Harden over the years. As of now, it hasn’t been enough to convince Harden to drop his trade request — but it appears the lines of communication remain open. In turn, that could offer at least some hope as the Rockets work to re-convince Harden on the merits of a long-term partnership in Houston.
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