Tag: Houston Rockets Trades

Hornets may want Russell Westbrook more if LaMelo Ball isn’t available

Per Marc Stein of The New York Times, Charlotte’s interest in trading for Westbrook could grow if Ball isn’t available to draft at No. 3.

Charlotte’s interest in trading with the Houston Rockets for disgruntled All-Star guard Russell Westbrook might rise significantly if they aren’t able to select rookie guard LaMelo Ball early in Wednesday’s draft.

Here’s what Marc Stein of The New York Times says in his latest newsletter, which was distributed on Tuesday afternoon:

In the Hornets’ case, there is a belief in some corners of the league that their appetite for a Westbrook trade increases significantly if Charlotte does not land LaMelo Ball with the No. 3 overall pick in Wednesday’s draft. Michael Jordan, Charlotte’s owner, is a known Westbrook admirer. Should the playmaking Ball be drafted before the Hornets’ turn at No. 3, according to the theory, there is a much stronger case to be made for trading for Westbrook in spite of the cost and attendant risk.

Minnesota and Golden State are the two teams slotted to pick in front of Charlotte in the draft. Neither seems to have finalized its choice.

Per Shams Charania of The Athletic, Westbrook “has a desire to return to his prior floor-general role” from earlier seasons in Oklahoma City. That could make a destination such as Charlotte realistic, since there isn’t another All-Star guard in place (unlike Houston with James Harden).

Here’s what Charania said about the situation late last week:

Sources tell me the Hornets have emerged as a potential suitor for Westbrook. There have been a couple other teams mentioned as a possibility for the one-time league MVP. But in Charlotte, there are movable veteran contracts, as well as the Jordan Brand connection for Westbrook [with Charlotte owner Michael Jordan].

Based on the NBA’s rules for salary matching in trades, Houston could take back approximately $50 million at the high end of a transaction, should they trade Westbrook (who will make over $41 million next season). Those salaries could all come from one team, or it could be spread out, if the trade was expanded to include a third or fourth team.

Charlotte could also absorb part of Westbrook’s large contract into its available cap space, if the Rockets wanted to generate a large traded player exception (TPE) to potentially use elsewhere.

If it was just a two-team deal involving the Rockets and Hornets (player salaries), potential assets in a transaction could include:

Terry Rozier, guard ($18.4 million per year, for two more seasons)
Nicolas Batum, forward ($27.1 million per year, for one season)
Cody Zeller, center ($15.4 million per year, for one season)
Malik Monk, guard ($5.3 million per year, for one season)

The Hornets will also have whatever rookie they select at No. 3 in Wednesday’s draft, but it’s unclear if they would move that type of premium asset for Westbrook — who turned 32 years old last Thursday.

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Shams: Rockets, Wizards discussed Russell Westbrook, John Wall trade

The Rockets and Wizards have discussed a trade involving former All-Star point guards Russell Westbrook and John Wall, per Shams Charania.

The Houston Rockets and Washington Wizards have discussed a trade involving former All-Star point guards Russell Westbrook and John Wall, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

However, Charania says there is “no traction yet” since the Rockets are seeking more assets. Now 30 years old, the 6-foot-4 Wall hasn’t played in the NBA since tearing his Achilles in early 2019.

Wall has played nine seasons in Washington, averaging 19.0 points (43.3% FG) and 9.2 assists in 35.9 minutes per game. The No. 1 overall pick in the NBA’s 2010 draft, Wall has been an All-Star five times.

Wall has nearly an identical contract to Westbrook, with each guard signed for the next two seasons and with a massive player option ($47+ million) for a third season in 2022-23. In addition to leadership qualities, both floor generals are very well regarded around the league for their elite speed, athleticism, and transition play. Westbrook is seen by most as slightly more explosive, while Wall has more range as a shooter.

Besides granting Westbrook’s recent trade request, the potential upside for the Rockets is that Wall is nearly two years younger, and with significantly less mileage in terms of career games played. He’s also shot better than 30% on 3-pointers in each of his last six seasons, whereas Westbrook hasn’t exceeded 30% on treys since his 2016-17 MVP season.

However, there’s also more risk for Houston, since Wall is coming off an Achilles injury and hasn’t proven his form since then. Thus, the Rockets are believed to be wanting more assets to take Wall, per Charania.

Over 12 NBA seasons, Westbrook has averaged 23.2 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.1 rebounds in 34.6 minutes per game.

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Report: Rapper Meek Mill trying to lure James Harden to 76ers

“Rapper Meek Mill has a longstanding relationship with Harden and has been trying to convince him to come to Philadelphia,” per Kelly Iko.

If the Houston Rockets opt to trade disgruntled superstar James Harden, it remains to be seen how much (if any) his list of desired destinations will matter. With Harden under contract for at least two more seasons, any number of teams could take the “risk” of acquiring him without a long-term commitment and then attempt to change his mind at a later date.

And even if Harden chose not to stay with his next team beyond 2022, any deal would still probably be worthwhile if it results in a title — as it did for the Toronto Raptors after acquiring Kawhi Leonard in 2018.

Nonetheless, being on the preferred “list” does provide an extra layer of security. So far, Brooklyn with close friend Kevin Durant is reportedly at the top of Harden’s wish list, but some reports have indicated that Philadelphia and former Houston GM Daryl Morey is also in play.

One unique reason could be rapper Meek Mill, who happens to be a good friend of Harden. Per Kelly Iko and David Aldridge of The Athletic:

Philadelphia’s interest in Harden has grown in recent weeks, sources said. Morey’s ascension to the top decision-maker spot on the basketball side as president of basketball operations is an obvious link, given the history Harden and he share, but there’s also the lure of the Eastern Conference. Rapper Meek Mill has a longstanding relationship with Harden and has been trying to convince him to come to Philadelphia, according to a source. Billionaire Michael Rubin, a close friend of Meek’s and co-owner of the 76ers, is also very fond of Harden.

According to Iko and Aldridge, Morey would need to insert either All-Star guard Ben Simmons or All-Star center Joel Embiid into any trade proposal, should the Sixers want to strike a deal for Harden.

If Simmons or Embiid were made available, that could make the 76ers a more appealing trade partner for Houston than the Nets, since Durant and Kyrie Irving aren’t expected to be traded. While Brooklyn could offer a range of young players and future draft compensation, none of those assets would have the upside of a proven All-Star player.

Iko and Aldridge say that the “overwhelming expectation” around the NBA is for the Rockets to trade Harden at some point, but they acknowledge that talks could easily be delayed until 2021 — owing to the lack of immediate contractual pressure on Houston to make a move.

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NBA exec: Jrue Holiday trade helps Rockets’ leverage with James Harden

“That deal certainly helps [Houston’s] case,” an opposing NBA executive said Tuesday, according to SNY’s Ian Begley.

The massive return that New Orleans received from Milwaukee in a trade for veteran guard Jrue Holiday would seem to help the Houston Rockets in trade talks involving James Harden, per SNY’s Ian Begley.

In the Holiday trade, the Bucks sent Eric Bledsoe, George Hill, three future first-round picks, and two pick swaps to the Pelicans.

If that’s the level of return for a very good (but not elite) guard in Holiday who is in the final year of his contract, just imagine what the Rockets might command for an All-Star and perennial MVP finalist like Harden — who also happens to be under contract for at least two more seasons.

“That deal certainly helps [Houston’s] case,” an opposing executive said Tuesday, according to Begley.

Besides setting a very high bar for any trade negotiations, the Holiday trade might also help the Rockets in scenarios where they keep Harden.

For Harden to be content returning to Houston after making a trade request to Brooklyn or perhaps Philadelphia, the 31-year-old would probably like to see the front office at least attempt to grant his wish.

Given the massive return that New Orleans received for Holiday, it could make it easier for the Rockets to eventually tell Harden’s representatives that while they did explore deals, they have yet to be offered fair market value. Unless that dynamic changes, Houston appears content to keep Harden with the Rockets for at least the 2020-21 season.

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Rockets trade Robert Covington for Trevor Ariza, two first-round picks

Covington is headed to Portland for Ariza, the No. 16 pick in Wednesday’s draft, and a protected first-round pick in 2021.

The Houston Rockets are trading Robert Covington to Portland for veteran forward Trevor Ariza and two first-round draft picks, as first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The first of the two picks is Portland’s No. 16 overall selection in Wednesday’s 2020 draft. The second is a protected pick in 2021.

Covington, a 6-foot-8 forward, averaged 11.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks in 33.0 minutes per game with the Rockets last season. He turns 30 years old next month, and is signed for the next two seasons at approximately $12.5 million per season.

Meanwhile, the 35-year-old Ariza previously played in Houston during the 2009-10 season and from 2014-15 through 2017-18. He averaged 8.0 points (37.0% on 3-pointers) and 4.6 rebounds in 28.2 minutes per game last season with the Sacramento Kings and Portland Trail Blazers.

Both Covington and Ariza are well regarded for their defense, versatility, and locker-room presence, but Covington is more than five years younger. Thus, Portland had to pay the premium in draft picks.

Ariza’s $12.8-million contract for the 2020-21 season was a team option, but it is being picked up to facilitate the trade for Covington’s salary, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Ariza also has a strong relationship with Rockets star James Harden from their four previous seasons as teammates, and that could potentially be uuseful as Houston attempts to bring Harden back into the fold after a recent trade request.

The Covington-Ariza swap will not be finalized until after Wednesday’s draft, since the Trail Blazers are not allowed to trade first-round draft picks in consecutive years (Stepien rule). They can, however, make the trade after the 2020 selection is officially a player.

If Houston retains the 2020 pick and does not move it in a subsequent deal, it would effectively be the team’s first selection in the draft’s opening round since Sam Dekker in 2015. (Technically, Portland would be announced as making the No. 16 pick, but Houston would make the call.)

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Woj: James Harden declined $50M+ per year extension from Houston

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Harden is focused on a trade to Brooklyn, where he believes he has a better path to a title.

According to a new report, Rockets superstar James Harden recently turned down a contract extension offer that would have made him the first player in NBA history to make more than $50 million in a season.

Harden declined the offer because he desires a trade to the Brooklyn Nets, where he believes he has a better opportunity to win a championship than in Houston, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Including a player option for the 2022-23 season, Harden is currently owed more than $132 million over the next three seasons. The extension offer would have payed him over $102 million for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, when he’ll be 34 and 35 years old, respectively.

However, at least for now, that wasn’t enough to dissuade Harden from his goals of rejoining former teammate Kevin Durant in Brooklyn.

The problem for Harden, however, is that he lacks leverage to force a move there — since his current contract prevents him from reaching free agency until 2022 at the earliest. Confirming other reports, Woj reports that the Rockets and Nets have yet to have any meaningful dialogue.

Now 31 years old, Harden has played eight of his 11 NBA seasons with the Rockets, and he’s made the playoffs in all of them. Over the latter stages of that run, “The Beard” has led the league in scoring in each of the last three seasons (34.3 points per game in 2019-20), and he’s the only NBA player to have been both an MVP finalist and an All-NBA First Team member in each of the last four years. Harden was named MVP in 2018.

Despite the personal accolades, though, he’s still searching for his first NBA title — and time isn’t on his side, at least as far as his prime years. That seems to be pushing the situation to a head. With training camps for the 2020-21 season opening on Tuesday, Dec. 1, both Harden and the Rockets would like to find a resolution sooner rather than later.

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Shams: Rockets want Durant or Irving to consider Harden-to-Nets trade

“I’m told there’s not much interest on Houston’s part in any type of deal with them, unless it includes Kyrie Irving or Kevin Durant.”

Multiple media reports have suggested that All-Star guard James Harden wants Houston to trade him to either the Brooklyn Nets or Philadelphia 76ers. However, what’s less clear is whether the Rockets would be satisfied by the potentially available assets from either team.

With Harden under contract for at least two more seasons, he doesn’t appear to have the leverage in 2020 to force a deal. From the perspective of the Rockets, who aren’t interested in rebuilding in part because they lack control of their first-round draft choice in 2021, they would likely need to acquire other All-Star level talent for a deal to be worthwhile.

Per Shams Charania of The Athletic, who broke the earlier story of Harden’s trade request, that means either Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving from Brooklyn, or Ben Simmons from Philadelphia.

Here’s what Charania said on NBA TV on Monday night:

The Nets, I’m told there’s not much interest on Houston’s part in any type of deal with them, unless it includes Kyrie Irving or Kevin Durant.

As far as the Sixers are concerned, unless they’re putting in Ben Simmons — which I’m told they’re not inclined to do right now — I don’t see a deal structure that makes sense with Philly, outside of a guy like Ben Simmons. The Sixers and Nets are going to have to see if they can cobble a deal together, but I don’t think there’s tremendous pressure right now on Houston.

It seems quite unlikely that the Nets would make Durant or Irving available in a trade for Harden, since the presence of those two former All-Stars is likely among the primary reasons that Harden reportedly sees Brooklyn as a better fit for him than the current Rockets.

As a result, there doesn’t seem to be any traction toward a potential deal. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Sunday that Houston GM Rafael Stone would require a “monstrous return” in exchange for Harden, and that the Rockets and Nets have yet to hold any trade talks.

With training camps for the 2020-21 season set to open in two weeks on Tuesday, Dec. 1, both the Rockets and Harden would undoubtedly like to resolve this uncertainty as soon as possible.

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James Harden also has 76ers on trade list; Rockets open to keeping him

Philadelphia has joined Brooklyn as a preferred destination, but Houston remains “fully comfortable” with keeping both Harden and Westbrook.

In addition to the Brooklyn Nets, Houston Rockets superstar James Harden also has the Philadelphia 76ers on his list of preferred trade destinations, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.

However, Houston is “fully comfortable keeping Harden and Russell Westbrook” into the 2020-21 season, per Charania. Both All-Star guards are under contract for at least two more seasons.

According to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, the Rockets are intent on trying to restore Harden’s confidence in Houston as a contender by bolstering their roster during the current offseason.

Moreover, the Rockets aren’t particularly incentivized to begin a rebuilding process this season, since Oklahoma City has the right to swap first-round draft picks with Houston in 2021 (but not in 2022 or 2023). That’s why the general expectation has been for Houston to delay any blockbuster moves until at least the 2021 offseason.

However, if the Rockets were blown away by an offer in the interim, it’s possible they could move up the timetable to 2020 — especially if they concede that Harden is likely to leave at some point, regardless (and if they’re skeptical in their ability to legitimately contend for a title next season, even if they keep him). Per ESPN, Houston “would require a monstrous return of players, draft picks, and pick swaps.”

That’s where the presence of the 76ers and former GM Daryl Morey on Harden’s preferred list could be important. With a 24-year-old All-Star in Ben Simmons potentially available and under contract for the next five seasons, he appears to be a far superior asset than anything from Brooklyn (assuming that Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving aren’t options).

The NBA’s trade moratorium was officially lifted Monday, and free agency is set to open on Friday evening. With training camp for the 2020-21 season starting on Tuesday, Dec. 1, the Rockets and their former MVPs would like to find a resolution to this saga sooner rather than later.

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Report: James Harden eyes Nets, wants to move on from Rockets

“Harden wants to move on from the Rockets, and is trying to force his way via trade to Brooklyn,” according to the Houston chronicle.

All-Star guard James Harden is eyeing a move to the Brooklyn Nets and wants to move on from the Rockets, according to a Monday update from Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle. The NBA’s trade moratorium is now over, which allows transactions to occur at any time.

However, with Harden under contract for at least two more seasons, it’s unclear whether the Rockets would actually move him.

Here’s what Smith writes in his latest column:

But Harden wants to move on from the Rockets, the Chronicle has been informed, and is trying to force his way via trade to Brooklyn, allowing The Beard to form the NBA’s next superteam and rejoin forces with former Oklahoma City teammate Kevin Durant.

According to Jonathan Feigen, Smith’s colleague at the Houston Chronicle and a longtime Rockets beat writer, the Rockets “believe they can bring in the help” to improve the roster and restore Harden’s confidence in the team’s status as a title contender. As such, they are not believed to have held any trade talks with the Nets involving Harden.

“The Rockets have no interest in tearing things down to restock shelves with draft picks and prospects and start over,” Feigen writes. He correctly points out that with Oklahoma City having the right to swap picks with Houston in the first round of the 2021 draft, there’s minimal incentive for the Rockets to consider rebuilding scenarios at this time.

As such, it seems that Houston will try to delay any blockbuster moves until the 2021 offseason — all while hoping that a stronger-than-expected showing in the 2020-21 season might change the dynamic.

While things could change quickly, Feigen says recent trade talks by new GM Rafael Stone have been closer to “listening” and “exploring,” rather than “shopping,” at least as it pertains to the team’s stars.

With free agency not opening until 5:00 p.m. Friday, it sounds as if the Rockets may wait until after that point to finalize decisions regarding Harden and Russell Westbrook — since the current objective is restoring their confidence in Houston as a contender, and free agent signings and/or other trades could play a large role in their assessment.

Now 31 years old, Harden has played eight of his 11 NBA seasons with the Rockets, and he’s made the playoffs in all of them. Over the latter stages of that run, “The Beard” has led the league in scoring in each of the last three seasons (34.3 points per game in 2019-20), and he’s the only NBA player to have been both an MVP finalist and an All-NBA First Team member in each of the last four years. Harden was named MVP in 2018.

Despite the personal accolades, though, he’s still searching for his first NBA title — and time isn’t on his side. As such, the pressure is on the Rockets to convince Harden that he can still make it happen in Houston.

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Podcast: Analyzing the latest James Harden, Russell Westbrook rumors

Sunday night’s episode of Locked on Rockets features a broad discussion of recent trade talk involving James Harden and Russell Westbrook.

Sunday night’s episode of Locked on Rockets features a broad discussion of recent trade rumors involving James Harden and Russell Westbrook.

Featuring Houston sports media personalities Jackson Gatlin and Ben DuBose, topics discussed on the new podcast include:

— Factors leading to Harden’s reportedly wavering commitment to the Rockets;
— Under what circumstances Harden and/or Westbrook trades would make sense, and what Houston should look for in exchange for either of the former MVPs;
— Why “running it back” with both All-Star guards could be an increasingly viable scenario for the 2020-21 season;
— How Harden potentially reuniting with former GM Daryl Morey in Philadelphia should be seen by Houston fans;
— The potential impact and significance of Houston’s recent assistant coaching hires (Jeff Hornacek, Will Weaver, Rick Higgins) on the 2020-21 outlook.

Resolution on many of these issues could come soon, with the NBA’s trade moratorium ending Monday and free agency opening Friday.

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