Houston Rockets star Russell Westbrook wants to be traded to a different NBA team, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
All-Star guard Russell Westbrook wants the Houston Rockets to trade him to another NBA team, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Per Charania, Westbrook “has a desire to return to his prior, floor-general role” with the Oklahoma City Thunder.” From the story:
Westbrook, who has three years and $123 million remaining on his deal, has expressed the sentiment to Houston officials, sources said. Westbrook has informed team officials that he has been uneasy about the team’s accountability and culture, and has a desire to return to his prior, floor-general role in Oklahoma City.
The news comes the same day as a separate ESPN report that Westbrook and fellow All-Star James Harden “have expressed concern about the direction of the franchise.” Both Westbrook and Harden are under contract for at least two more seasons, so the Rockets are not required to make a move, and Harden does not appear interested in a trade.
A nine-time NBA All-Star and the league’s 2017 MVP, Westbrook averaged 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.0 assists during his first season in Houston, all on a career-best 47.2% shooting clip. Now, if Westbrook has his way, it seems his first year with the Rockets will also be his last.
Westbrook will make over $41 million next season, which would allow the Rockets to take back as much as $50 million (approximately) in salaries from another team as part of a trade package.
It’s been a turbulent offseason for the Rockets, with established GM Daryl Morey and head coach Mike D’Antoni choosing to head elsewhere. They were replaced by Rafael Stone and Stephen Silas, respectively, with each lacking prior experience as the full-time guy in his new role.
Combine that instability at key leadership positions with the reality that Harden and Westbrook are now in their 30s and still seeking their first NBA title, and it’s quite understandable if they have concerns and a heightened sense of urgency. Westbrook turns 32 years old on Thursday.
The NBA is expected to lift its moratorium on offseason trades early next week, with 2020 free agency set to begin on Friday, Nov. 20.
Stick with Rockets Wire for more updates to this breaking story.
Based on recent talks, Houston is “fearful that the superstars’ commitment to remaining with the Rockets could be wavering,” per ESPN.
While neither All-Star has requested a trade, James Harden and Russell Westbrook have each expressed concern about the direction of the Houston Rockets, according to a Wednesday report from ESPN.
Citing sources, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim MacMahon reported that Harden and Westbrook “have expressed concern about the direction of the franchise through direct conversations or discussions with their representatives and the Rockets’ front office.”
The concerns expressed by Harden and Westbrook that Houston’s window as a contender could be closing has left the organization fearful that the superstars’ commitment to remaining with the Rockets could be wavering.
Although neither player has requested a trade at this point, that scenario has become a plausible eventual possibility.
James Harden and Russell Westbrook have expressed concerns about uncertainty of Rockets’ immediate future, sources told @wojespn and me. No trade requests have been made and Harden in particular remains engaged with front office in personnel discussions. https://t.co/kstEVb4EUI
The soonest date that either of the former MVPs could become a free agent is the 2022 offseason. Thus, based on contracts, there isn’t a clear incentive for Houston to rush into any deal. New GM Rafael Stone said last week that the team remains “all in” on a championship push with Harden.
“For the last eight years or so, our goal has been to win a championship because we had James Harden,” Stone said at his introductory press conference. “We’ve still got James Harden. Our goal is still to win a championship. If you’ve got him, you’re halfway there.”
Nonetheless, with Stone replacing a proven GM in Daryl Morey and Stephen Silas taking the spot of a established head coach in Mike D’Antoni, it’s understandable that a pair of 31-year-old veterans could have concerns. The prime years for both guards are likely to wind down in the near future, and they’re each still in pursuit of their first NBA title.
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Beyond instability at GM and head coach, Harden and Westbrook may also have concerns about how the Rockets get better. They finished No. 4 in the Western Conference last season, and their five-game loss in the second round to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers was as close as any West team came to beating them in the playoffs.
It’s certainly not as if the Rockets were that far away. Yet, there’s also no clear route for them to take the next step. When the 2020-21 season begins, five of their top six rotation players (Harden, Westbrook, Eric Gordon, Robert Covington, and P.J. Tucker) will all be at least 30 years old, which limits the potential of organic growth and development. Moreover, Houston lacks any pick in the upcoming 2020 draft, having dealt away their first-round selection to acquire Covington.
They’re also well above the NBA’s $109.1 million salary cap, so there isn’t an easy path to bring in upgrades of significance. They have vowed to spend their $5.7 million Mid-Level Exception (MLE), but it remains to be seen who that would bring in and whether that upgrade is enough.
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Stone could also turn to the trade market for further upgrades. However, if the long-term commitment by Harden and Westbrook is wavering, it might not be advisable to mortgage too much with regards to future draft compensation — should Houston need to rebuild at that time. The Rockets already gave up their first-round picks in 2024 and 2026 to acquire Westbrook from Oklahoma City, but they do still have picks in all other years moving forward. They have full control over their selections in 2022 and 2023, which could make that an optimal time to rebuild.
As such, it’s a delicate balancing act for Stone and the new-look front office. With both Harden and Westbrook under contract for at least two more seasons, there isn’t a reason to panic — especially since neither star has requested a trade, and both presumably lack the leverage to force a deal in 2020. At least for now, staying the course makes sense.
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But that possibility clearly exists down the road, especially when both stars are potentially a year out from free agency in the 2021 offseason. Houston wants to make the most of what could be their last realistic title push of the Harden era, yet they also don’t want to give up too many assets from the years ahead, since a rebuild could be on the horizon.
In theory, the Rockets could consider trading Westbrook before Harden, since the latter is obviously more important to any title push. However, unless another team was willing to trade an All-Star in a Westbrook deal, it’s hard to envision a scenario where downgrading the No. 2 player after Harden would improve Houston’s championship odds. And if they’re not in the mix for a title, then Harden would presumably ask to leave, anyway.
It doesn’t make sense for the Rockets to straddle the line between contending and rebuilding, which forces Stone to choose a lane. For now, it seems to be the former. However, the team’s latest conversations with Harden and Westbrook suggest that the latter might not be too far away.
“I did have multiple sources that I trust tell me that teams believe Russell Westbrook could be had,” said The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor.
NBA teams believe the Houston Rockets could make All-Star guard Russell Westbrook available in trades this offseason, per Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. O’Connor went on to identify the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers as teams who could have interest.
Westbrook will make more than $41 million in salary over the 2020-21 season, so there are numerous possibilities as to potential trade combinations and what could hypothetically be brought to Houston. O’Connor did not name any potentially available players on either team.
In comments made Tuesday on The Ringer NBA Show, here’s what O’Connor said regarding Westbrook, who is a Los Angeles native:
It is interesting, the last 24 hours. I did have multiple sources that I trust tell me that teams believe Russell Westbrook could be had—that Westbrook could be had. And I’ve heard the Clippers have interest, I’ve heard the Knicks have interest in Westbrook. Whether anything materializes there, who knows? Who knows? But the fact is that there is a belief that a guy like Westbrook could become available.
Now 31 years old, Westbrook is under contract with the Rockets for at least two additional seasons (he has a player option on the third year).
A nine-time NBA All-Star and the league’s 2017 MVP, Westbrook averaged 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.0 assists during his first season in Houston, all on a career-best 47.2% shooting clip from the field.
The Rockets have a clear “win now” emphasis, with franchise centerpiece and perennial MVP finalist James Harden now 31 years old, as well. Given that dynamic, as well as the close friendship between Harden and Westbrook, and it’s hard to envision trading Westbrook just to trade him.
However, if the Clippers or Knicks were willing to trade enough quality pieces for Westbrook to improve Houston’s championship odds next season, it would be foolish to rule anything out. O’Connor pointed out that with the class of available 2020 free agents lacking star power, teams could instead explore the trade market for marquee additions.
The NBA’s trade moratorium is expected to be lifted early next week, with free agency set to open a few days later on Friday, Nov. 20.
The new GM is approaching 2020 free agency as though his team’s championship window remains open, according to the Houston Chronicle.
In the upcoming 2020-21 season, All-Star guards James Harden and Russell Westbrook will be 31 and 32 years old, respectively. Their aging curve has led some around the NBA to wonder whether the Houston Rockets might keep one eye on a potential rebuild in the years ahead.
Per new GM Rafael Stone, that does not seem to be the case.
In a fresh Q&A with Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, Stone says the Rockets remain “all in” on a championship run, and with a clear emphasis on immediate roster upgrades. Among his comments:
In our situation, lots of people want our players. That’s a great place to be. You have to make sure if you do something, it makes you better. I’m very optimistic the team is going to be very competitive. Whether it is rolling out the same guys and Steve [Silas] is trying to make tweaks here and there and using mid-level, that’s a way of being very competitive. Maybe there’s a deal or two that can help us. We’re going to be very aggressive. …
We’re still in the win-now more than the develop four or five years from now mode.
When Feigen asked Stone whether the Rockets feel the need to more cautious with future assets and draft picks in 2020, the GM replied:
We’re still all-in. Our goal is to win a championship. We’ll do anything we can to get us closer to that goal.
Elsewhere in the Q&A, Stone confirms recent media reports that Houston plans to use its Mid-Level Exception (MLE) — worth $5.7 million last year, at the taxpayer level — and expects to spend into the NBA’s “luxury tax” this season, as determined by total payroll. (They’ve yet to do that when owned by Tilman Fertitta, who bought the team in October 2017.)
New coach Stephen Silas has indicated that he wants to add a center. While using the MLE is one option, Stone also said he is open to trades once the NBA’s moratorium is lifted. “Maybe there’s a deal or two that can help us,” Stone told Feigen. “We’re going to be very aggressive.”
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The Rockets haven’t made a first-round draft selection since 2015, having generally used each year’s pick as trade currency to acquire a veteran to help boost the short-term championship odds of the Harden-led roster. Given Stone’s “all-in” emphasis and with both former MVPs under contract through at least the 2021-22 season, it would seem that next year’s pick could again be used as an asset to sweeten the pot in potential deals. That’s if the right trade target were to come available, of course.
With a total payroll well above the NBA’s salary cap, the Rockets have to send out close to as much money in trades as they take in. In theory, Houston could package a salaried rotation player (or more) with draft compensation as sweetener, in exchange for a perceived upgrade.
Stone also did not rule out trading into the 2020 draft, noting that he believes there are some rookie prospects who “can play right away.” However, that could potentially take place with the Rockets buying a pick, rather than trading away any asset of significance. (Houston still has most of its cash allotment available to use in trades during the 2019-20 league year, which will not conclude until after the Nov. 18 draft.)
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The NBA’s moratorium on trades is expected to be lifted later this month, just ahead of the Nov. 18 draft. From there, free agency is expected to begin within only a few days of the draft, since training camps for the 2020-21 season will open on Dec. 1. As usual, the Rockets should be quite active, even with a new GM in Stone now running the show.
“As of right now, it’s an emphatic no from the Rockets’ side,” Shams Charania said. “It’s really a non-starter for that organization.”
With former Houston GM Daryl Morey now employed in Philadelphia, it’s understandable for the 76ers to have hope that Morey might eventually get Rockets superstar James Harden to rejoin him on the East Coast.
But that time is unlikely to come in the 2020 offseason.
Per NBA insider Shams Charania of The Athletic, Morey’s Sixers are expected to pursue Harden. However, any such transaction is “currently a non-starter” for the Rockets. Here’s what Charania said, via Stadium:
I’m told Philadelphia is expected to be interested in and pursue James Harden, the Rockets’ star who Daryl Morey has a history with. As will other teams.
As of right now, it’s an emphatic no from the Rockets’ side. It’s really a non-starter for that organization. Daryl Morey, though, has a history of being active on the trade market, and pursuing the different opportunities that may exist out there. I wouldn’t expect that to be any different, now that he’s in Philadelphia.
"I'm told Philadelphia is expected to be interested in and pursue James Harden"
Now 31 years old, Harden averaged 34.3 points, 7.5 assists, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game last season, and he joined Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson as the only players to ever lead the NBA in points and steals in the same season. With that scoring average, Harden became just the fourth player since the NBA/ABA merger in 1976 to win a scoring title in three straight years. (Kevin Durant, Michael Jordan, and George Gervin are the other three.) Harden is also just the third player in league history to average over 34 points per game in multiple seasons, joining a pair of Basketball Hall of Famers in Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain.
An eight-time NBA All-Star, Harden is the only NBA player to have been an MVP finalist and an All-NBA First Team member in each of the last four seasons. He won the league’s MVP award in 2018. As a result, the Rockets aren’t motivated to move one of the NBA’s best players.
Charania’s assessment of Harden’s market availability at the moment — or lack thereof — is similar to recent comments made by ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, who said last week that Houston has no interest in a potential swap involving Harden and 76ers guard Ben Simmons.
I’ve already been told with a few expletives included by somebody with the Rockets: ‘No, Daryl, James Harden for Ben Simmons is not happening. Don’t ask.’
Morey’s replacement as Rockets GM is Rafael Stone, who was previously the No. 2 executive in Houston’s basketball operations department.
On the surface, Harden-Simmons speculation is understandable. Should Houston ever want to rebuild and/or if Harden ever wanted to leave, the 24-year-old Simmons is seven years younger, and his salary ($29 million next season) is large enough to potentially make the math work on a trade. (Since both the Sixers and Rockets are above the salary cap, each team would have to send out close to as much money as it takes in.)
A two-time NBA All-Star, Simmons averaged 16.4 points (58.0% FG), 8.0 assists, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.1 steals per game last season. But he’s certainly not at the level of Harden, the three-time defending NBA scoring champion and a perennial MVP finalist. It would also be hard for the Rockets to play a backcourt of Simmons and Russell Westbrook together, since both are dependent on driving to the basket and neither has the 3-point shooting to help space the floor for the other.
The only way the Rockets might be incentivized to consider a Simmons-Harden deal is if they feared Harden leaving for no compensation in free agency, and the soonest he could potentially do that is in 2022. (To this point, there have been no indications that he’s unhappy in Houston.)
Even if Harden did want out, though, there’s hardly any precedent for an NBA team trading an elite player of his stature who is under contract for multiple seasons moving forward. Those types of leveraged trades only tend to happen within about a year of the star’s potential free agency, as was the scenario with Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans in June 2019. In the case of Harden and the Rockets, a similar inflection point could be reached in the 2021 offseason, not in 2020.
Moreover, “tanking” isn’t a potential incentive for the Rockets in the 2020-21 season, since Oklahoma City has the right to swap first-round draft picks with them in 2021 from the Chris Paul-Westbrook trade. On the other hand, Houston has full control of its picks in 2022 and 2023, which could make a rebuild more realistic at that time (if Harden wants out).
As a result of those factors, Houston’s likely path for the 2020-21 season is to give it another go with their duo of recent MVPs, and perhaps surround Harden and Westbrook with additional talent acquired via trade and/or through the use of the Mid-Level Exception (MLE).
Speaking on a separate podcast of ESPN colleague Adrian Wojnarowski, MacMahon expressed a similar viewpoint. His comments:
What I can say is right now the Rockets are 100% committed to trying to cash in on James Harden’s prime. They consider him the best player in the league, which you know… He’s without question a perennial MVP candidate. That’s just a simple fact. They’re going to try to win a championship as long as he’s at that level and as long as he’s on board.
I think at this point it’s probably a year-to-year deal. If I’m speculating, I’m going to say that decision is more than likely made by James Harden instead of made by the Rockets. In other words, it could get to a point… And I don’t believe this is imminent. Again, I think it’s a year-to-year situation where at some point James Harden, who has tried repeatedly to pair with a superstar to give him a chance to a championship: first Dwight [Howard], then Chris Paul, and now with Russ. If James Harden wants to pair with another superstar, he’s probably going to have to be the one to pack his bags. Is that next offseason? Is that the offseason after that? We’ll see. Obviously a lot of that depends on what happens with the Rockets over these next one or two years.
Depending on what happens in the 2020-21 season, the Morey-Harden connection might eventually make a reunion in Philadelphia possible. After all, acquiring a young All-Star in Simmons who is under contract through the 2023-24 season is certainly a better scenario for the Rockets than losing Harden for no compensation in 2022 free agency.
But the soonest that would likely be realistic is the 2021 offseason. For now, it’s understandably not seen as an option from Houston’s end.
It’s hard to see what the appeal of the trade would be for Philadelphia, but the ESPN analyst attempted to explain it on Friday.
With longtime Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey headed to Philadelphia, it’s natural to consider trade possibilities involving his former team.
On Friday, ESPN analyst and former NBA player Jalen Rose got in on the action. His latest suggestion, however, might appear to be too good to be true, from a Houston perspective. Here’s what he said:
If I’m Daryl Morey, I tried to find a way to parlay Joel Embiid for Russell Westbrook and/or P.J. Tucker. In Houston, they’re going to have to play more traditionally, so therefore you have James [Harden] with the ball on the perimeter, and you have Embiid as his big man. In the Eastern Conference, you have two guys in Ben Simmons and Russell Westbrook that no one is ever going to stop from getting to the basket.
Both those guys have found ways to not be able to shoot jump shots and still basically flirt with triple-doubles, and Russell’s been an MVP of the league. You say ‘Well, that’s not Morey-ball.’ Morey-ball is actually also getting layups and dunks, and getting to the free-throw line. Those two guys do that, too.
For starters, let’s take the “or” out of Rose’s statement. Before even considering the basketball merits, Embiid will make nearly $30 million next season, whereas Tucker isn’t even at $8 million. With both the Sixers and Rockets above the league’s projected salary cap, each team has to send out close to as much money in trades as it takes in.
For the Rockets to take in Embiid, Westbrook’s salary (~$41 million) is much closer to a financial match.
But then there’s the basketball side. At just 26 years old, Embiid is already a three-time NBA All-Star. For his career, he averages 23.9 points (48.0% FG), 11.5 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks in 30.4 minutes per game.
Westbrook, of course, is a nine-time All-Star and former MVP who averaged 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.0 assists this past season. In Morey’s analytics-driven system with the Rockets, Westbrook shot a career-high clip of 47.2% from the field. That’s the good news.
The bad news, at least from the perspective of Rose’s hypothetical trade, is that Westbrook will turn 32 years old on Nov. 12. That makes him more than five years older than Embiid, and that’s before considering how each player’s game might age. In theory, a seven-foot center with post moves could have a friendlier aging curve than a guard who depends largely on athleticism — rather than 3-point shooting — for his excellence.
Jalen Rose suggests Sixers move Joel Embiid to Rockets for Russell Westbrook https://t.co/KKH8wAWs1X
Even though Morey seems to like Westbrook, it’s hard to envision giving up an All-Star center who is only 26 to get him. It’s also fair to wonder how Westbrook would fit next to Simmons, since both guards need space to attack the rim and neither is respected as a 3-point shooter.
By contrast, James Harden is nearly a year younger than Westbrook. He’s also a superior player and, at least on paper, a better bet to age more gracefully (thanks to his superior jump shot). It certainly wouldn’t be a shock if Morey broached that subject, even if it required moving Embiid. However, the Rockets have understandably shown no interest in trading their perennial MVP candidate, so that doesn’t seem to be an option.
Trades involving role players on the Sixers and Rockets — even high-profile ones like Tucker, Eric Gordon, and Al Horford — might be a possibility, assuming Morey still has affinity for his former players in Houston. However, it’s tough to see any trade fit in 2020 involving the four All-Stars of Westbrook, Harden, Embiid, and Simmons.
It’s hard to see what the appeal of the trade would be for Philadelphia, but the ESPN analyst attempted to explain it on Friday.
With longtime Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey headed to Philadelphia, it’s natural to consider trade possibilities involving his former team.
On Friday, ESPN analyst and former NBA player Jalen Rose got in on the action. His latest suggestion, however, might appear to be too good to be true, from a Houston perspective. Here’s what he said:
If I’m Daryl Morey, I tried to find a way to parlay Joel Embiid for Russell Westbrook and/or P.J. Tucker. In Houston, they’re going to have to play more traditionally, so therefore you have James [Harden] with the ball on the perimeter, and you have Embiid as his big man. In the Eastern Conference, you have two guys in Ben Simmons and Russell Westbrook that no one is ever going to stop from getting to the basket.
Both those guys have found ways to not be able to shoot jump shots and still basically flirt with triple-doubles, and Russell’s been an MVP of the league. You say ‘Well, that’s not Morey-ball.’ Morey-ball is actually also getting layups and dunks, and getting to the free-throw line. Those two guys do that, too.
For starters, let’s take the “or” out of Rose’s statement. Before even considering the basketball merits, Embiid will make nearly $30 million next season, whereas Tucker isn’t even at $8 million. With both the Sixers and Rockets above the league’s projected salary cap, each team has to send out close to as much money in trades as it takes in.
For the Rockets to take in Embiid, Westbrook’s salary (~$41 million) is much closer to a financial match.
But then there’s the basketball side. At just 26 years old, Embiid is already a three-time NBA All-Star. For his career, he averages 23.9 points (48.0% FG), 11.5 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks in 30.4 minutes per game.
Westbrook, of course, is a nine-time All-Star and former MVP who averaged 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.0 assists this past season. In Morey’s analytics-driven system with the Rockets, Westbrook shot a career-high clip of 47.2% from the field. That’s the good news.
The bad news, at least from the perspective of Rose’s hypothetical trade, is that Westbrook will turn 32 years old on Nov. 12. That makes him more than five years older than Embiid, and that’s before considering how each player’s game might age. In theory, a seven-foot center with post moves could have a friendlier aging curve than a guard who depends largely on athleticism — rather than 3-point shooting — for his excellence.
Jalen Rose suggests Sixers move Joel Embiid to Rockets for Russell Westbrook https://t.co/KKH8wAWs1X
Even though Morey seems to like Westbrook, it’s hard to envision giving up an All-Star center who is only 26 to get him. It’s also fair to wonder how Westbrook would fit next to Simmons, since both guards need space to attack the rim and neither is respected as a 3-point shooter.
By contrast, James Harden is nearly a year younger than Westbrook. He’s also a superior player and, at least on paper, a better bet to age more gracefully (thanks to his superior jump shot). It certainly wouldn’t be a shock if Morey broached that subject, even if it required moving Embiid. However, the Rockets have understandably shown no interest in trading their perennial MVP candidate, so that doesn’t seem to be an option.
Trades involving role players on the Sixers and Rockets — even high-profile ones like Tucker, Eric Gordon, and Al Horford — might be a possibility, assuming Morey still has affinity for his former players in Houston. However, it’s tough to see any trade fit in 2020 involving the four All-Stars of Westbrook, Harden, Embiid, and Simmons.
“I’ve already been told with a few expletives included: ‘No, Daryl, James Harden for Ben Simmons is not happening. Don’t ask.'”
With former Houston GM Daryl Morey headed to Philadelphia, it’s natural for many around the NBA to speculate on whether Morey might try to lure Rockets star James Harden to rejoin him on the East Coast.
But it’s highly unlikely that such a transaction could occur in 2020. Per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, who covers the Rockets, the team has no interest in a potential swap involving Harden and 76ers guard Ben Simmons.
I’ve already been told with a few expletives included by somebody with the Rockets: ‘No, Daryl, James Harden for Ben Simmons is not happening. Don’t ask.’
On the surface, the Harden-Simmons speculation is understandable. Should the Rockets ever want to rebuild, the 24-year-old Simmons is seven years younger than Harden, and his salary ($29 million next season) is large enough to potentially make the math work on a trade. (Since both the Sixers and Rockets are above the salary cap, each team would have to send out close to as much money as it takes in.)
A two-time NBA All-Star, Simmons averaged 16.4 points (58.0% FG), 8.0 assists, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.1 steals per game last season. But he’s certainly not at the level of Harden, the three-time defending NBA scoring champion and a perennial MVP finalist. It would also be difficult for the Rockets to play a backcourt of Simmons and Russell Westbrook together, since both are dependent on driving to the basket and neither has the 3-point shooting to help space the floor for the other.
The only way the Rockets might be incentivized to consider a Simmons-Harden deal is if they feared Harden leaving for no compensation in free agency, and the soonest he could potentially do that is in 2022. (To this point, there have been no indications that he’s unhappy in Houston.)
Even if Harden did want out, though, there’s hardly any precedent for an NBA team trading an elite player of his stature who is under contract for multiple seasons moving forward. Those types of leveraged trades only tend to happen within about a year of the star’s potential free agency, as was the case with Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans in June 2019. In the case of Harden and the Rockets, a similar inflection point could be reached in the 2021 offseason, not in 2020.
Moreover, “tanking” also isn’t a realistic option for the Rockets in the 2020-21 season, since Oklahoma City has the right to swap first-round draft picks with them in 2021 from the Chris Paul-Westbrook trade. On the other hand, Houston has full control of its picks in 2022 and 2023, which could make a rebuild more realistic then (if Harden wants out).
As a result of those factors, Houston’s likely path for the 2020-21 season is to give it another go with their duo of recent MVPs, and perhaps surround Harden and Westbrook with additional talent acquired via trade and/or through the use of the Mid-Level Exception (MLE).
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Speaking on a separate podcast of ESPN colleague Adrian Wojnarowski, MacMahon expressed a similar viewpoint. His comments:
What I can say is right now the Rockets are 100% committed to trying to cash in on James Harden’s prime. They consider him the best player in the league, which you know… He’s without question a perennial MVP candidate. That’s just a simple fact. They’re going to try to win a championship as long as he’s at that level and as long as he’s on board.
I think at this point it’s probably a year-to-year deal. If I’m speculating, I’m going to say that decision is more than likely made by James Harden instead of made by the Rockets. In other words, it could get to a point… And I don’t believe this is imminent. Again, I think it’s a year-to-year situation where at some point James Harden, who has tried repeatedly to pair with a superstar to give him a chance to a championship: first Dwight [Howard], then Chris Paul, and now with Russ. If James Harden wants to pair with another superstar, he’s probably going to have to be the one to pack his bags. Is that next offseason? Is that the offseason after that? We’ll see. Obviously a lot of that depends on what happens with the Rockets over these next one or two years.
Depending on what happens in the 2020-21 season, the Morey-Harden connection might eventually make a reunion in Philadelphia possible. After all, acquiring a young All-Star in Simmons who is under contract through the 2023-24 season is certainly a better scenario for the Rockets than losing Harden for no compensation in 2022 free agency.
But the soonest that would likely be realistic is the 2021 offseason. For now, it’s understandably not seen as an option from Houston’s end.
It was October 27, 2012, when Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey agreed to one of the most impactful trades in the history of the NBA.
It was October 27, 2012, when the Houston Rockets agreed to one of the most impactful trades in the history of the NBA.
In that transaction, the Rockets acquired James Harden, Daequan Cook, Cole Aldrich, and Lazar Hayward from the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, two first-round draft picks (which became Steven Adams in 2013 and Mitch McGary in 2014), and a second-round pick (which became Álex Abrines in 2013).
Knowing what we know now, it was a small price to pay to acquire one of this era’s transcendent superstars. Since 2012, Harden has blossomed from a Sixth Man of the Year with the Thunder to a perennial All-Star and MVP candidate in Houston. Among his many accolades:
Harden leads the NBA in total points since 2012-13.
He’s eight-for-eight in All-Star appearances since the trade, and the Rockets have made the NBA playoffs in all eight seasons after missing out in the previous three without Harden. (Houston now has the NBA’s longest active playoff streak.)
He’s the only player to be an MVP finalist in each season since the “finalists” format began in 2016-17. (This includes his 2018 win.)
Harden is the only player to make the All-NBA First Team in each of the last four seasons.
He’s the three-time defending NBA scoring champion. Since the NBA/ABA merger in 1976, Harden is just the fourth player to win the scoring title in three straight years, joining Kevin Durant, Michael Jordan, and George Gervin.
Harden is just the third player in league history to have averaged more than 34 points per game in multiple seasons, joining a pair of Basketball Hall of Famers in Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain.
Happy James Harden Day. Since being traded to the Rockets 8 years ago today:
The Harden trade was only possible because the Thunder weren’t willing to offer the full max salary to Harden at the time, and they didn’t want to risk losing him for nothing in free agency the next offseason. Rockets GM Daryl Morey believed in the 23-year-old prospect and was willing to make the offer that Oklahoma City wouldn’t, and the rest is history.
Eight years later, as part of Morey’s recent farewell letter to Houston, here’s what the veteran GM wrote about his future Hall of Famer:
James Harden changed my life. An entire page could be dedicated just to James. He not only transformed my life, but he also revolutionized the game of basketball — and continues to do so — like almost no one has before. The game is played differently because of James, and on every playground in the world, the next generation of talent is studying and imitating his game.
I can’t believe I won’t be able to have another strategy session with James. I loved working together on how to get his incredible Hall of Fame teammates Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, and Russell Westbrook to the Rockets. I will be rooting for James to win a championship for Houston. It’s how this story should end.
Over eight seasons in Houston, Harden has averaged 29.6 points (44.3% FG, 36.2% on 3-pointers), 7.7 assists, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game. He’s led his team to the playoffs in all eight years, including a top-four seed in the loaded Western Conference in six of the last seven years.
With his latest selection to the All-NBA First Team, Harden tied Hakeem Olajuwon for the most total First Team spots (6) in franchise history.
See below for highlights from Harden’s first game with the Rockets, which occurred on Oct. 31, 2012 — only a few days after the historic trade. With only minimal practice time under his belt with new teammates, Harden had 37 points (56% shooting), 12 assists, and four steals while dragging his team to a surprising victory in Detroit. With the benefit of hindsight, it was a clear sign of what was to come for Harden and the Rockets.
The deal didn’t get done, but with Noel set to become a free agent this offseason, Houston might again pursue the athletic big man.
According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, the Houston Rockets didn’t want to completely commit to smaller lineups as part of their flurry of moves at this past season’s trade deadline in February 2020.
Rather, it happened in part because a planned deal for an established backup center didn’t work out following the blockbuster trade of center Clint Capela for versatile forward Robert Covington.
Per MacMahon, Houston’s target was Nerlens Noel of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Here’s how he described it on Zach Lowe’s podcast:
They obviously went all in on micro-ball, but they thought at the time that they could find a bargain big man. If Clint Capela was a full-service Marriott, they thought they could find a Courtyard by Marriott type of big man to at least be in the rotation. .
For example, they had discussions before the trade deadline and were optimistic and thought that they could get a deal done to bring in Nerlens Noel.
Lowe Post podcast: @espn_macmahon on Daryl Morey leaving the Rockets, his legacy there, the backstory of the Westbrook trade, what's next in HOU, Ty Lue getting Clippers job, more:
The Rockets did trade for Bruno Caboclo in the final hours before the deadline, in hopes that he could potentially fill a similar role. However, he struggled in limited opportunities with the Rockets.
As for Noel, the deal likely fell apart because the Thunder were much closer to contention than expected, and thus less likely to be a seller at the deadline. (Oklahoma City, of course, ended up pushing the Rockets to seven games in a tightly contested first-round playoff series.)
Now 26 years old, Noel averaged 7.4 points (68.4% FG), 4.9 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 18.5 minutes per game this season. Noel made the minimum salary and is set to become a free agent this offseason, so he very plausibly could again become a target by the Rockets — assuming they still want the option of larger lineups. As an athletic center, he could potentially provide both rim protection on defense and a lob threat on offense (like Capela did) as a pick-and-roll partner for James Harden.
Noel was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft by Philadelphia. During his career, he’s played four seasons with the Sixers; one season in Dallas; and the last two in Oklahoma City, where he played alongside current Rockets star Russell Westbrook in the 2018-19 campaign.
