Tag: NBA Trade Rumors

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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Report: Rockets’ goal is to make it work with Harden, Westbrook

The Rockets want “to make their core players believe again in the team’s championship chances,” per the Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen.

Despite a whirlwind of recent trade rumors involving All-Star guards James Harden and Russell Westbrook, the Houston Rockets aren’t currently interested in tearing apart the team, according to the media member that knows them best.

Per longtime beat writer Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, the franchise’s goal remains “to make their core players believe again in the team’s championship chances.”

A big part of that process would be improving the surrounding roster. With the NBA’s trade moratorium ending Monday and free agency opening Friday, the Rockets “believe they can bring in the help” to regain Harden’s confidence in their status as a title contender, per Feigen.

“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 of Sunday, Westbrook had formally requested a trade, while Harden had not. However, Feigen indicates that the Rockets are hopeful that they can salvage the relationship with both. With regards to Westbrook, Feigen cites a source as saying that he wants to feel as if he can “be himself,” similar to his days with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Rockets, however, believe that could happen with adjustments in Houston.

While things could change quickly, Feigen says that trade talks involving the stars by new Rockets GM Rafael Stone have been closer to “listening” and “exploring,” rather than “shopping.” 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 Westbrook and Harden — since the primary objective is restoring their confidence in Houston as a contender, and free agent signings and/or trades could play a large role in that.

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Rockets finding ‘relatively barren’ market for Westbrook, per ESPN

“The Rockets have been actively searching for trade partners for Westbrook, but that marketplace is proving relatively barren,” per ESPN.

Following his recent trade request, the Houston Rockets are exploring transactions involving All-Star guard Russell Westbrook, according to multiple media reports. But with three years and up to $132 million left on his contract, the market could be prohibitive to a deal in 2020.

“The Rockets have been actively searching for trade partners for Westbrook, but that marketplace is proving relatively barren,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Zach Lowe, and Ramona Shelburne reported Sunday, citing sources. The NBA is set to lift its trade moratorium on Monday.

Houston has limited incentive to consider making its team worse for the 2020-21 season, since Oklahoma City has the right to swap picks with them (from the Westbrook-Chris Paul trade) in the first round of the 2021 draft. Thus, barring a strong offer, it could make sense for the Rockets to delay any rebuilding-type deals until prior to the 2021-22 season, when they have full control of their draft picks over the ensuing two years.

By waiting until next offseason, Westbrook’s contract might also be less of a deterrent to other teams, since it would be one year plus a player option — rather than two years and the option, as it is today.

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Report: Rockets would require ‘monstrous return’ to trade James Harden

“They’ve privately made it clear that they would require a monstrous return of players, draft picks and pick swaps,” ESPN reports.

With James Harden under contract for at least two more seasons, the Houston Rockets would require a “monstrous return” to consider trading him, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Zach Lowe, and Ramona Shelburne.

While Harden has yet to issue a formal trade request, he’s becoming increasingly intrigued by the Brooklyn Nets (and former teammate Kevin Durant) as a potential destination, according to ESPN’s report. However, even if he were to ask out, his leverage appears to be limited.

“If the Rockets did decide to engage in trade talks on Harden, they’ve privately made it clear that they would require a monstrous return of players, draft picks and pick swaps,” ESPN writes. With former GM Daryl Morey now in Philadelphia, Houston’s front office is now led by Rafael Stone, who was previously the No. 2 basketball operations executive.

Stone has consistently told teams that the Rockets plan to “run it back” with Harden this season, per ESPN. “The Rockets have seemed inclined to listen to offers on Harden, sources said, although that’s customary for most teams about most players in the league,” according to the report, which indicates that Houston and Brooklyn have yet to hold any talks.

It’s worth noting that Oklahoma City has the right to swap draft picks with Houston in the first round of the 2021 draft, which limits the potential incentive for the Rockets to begin any rebuilding process with the 2020-21 season. On the other hand, with full control of their first-round picks in 2022 and 2023, a Harden trade (should he want to leave) could make more sense for the Rockets in the 2021 offseason.

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. “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 seasons. Harden won the MVP award in 2018.

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Kevin Durant reportedly recruiting James Harden to Brooklyn

Per ESPN, the idea of joining Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn is resonating with Harden. However, he has yet to request a trade.

Kevin Durant recently spoke with Houston Rockets star James Harden about the possibility of playing together in Brooklyn, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Zach Lowe, and Ramona Shelburne.

Harden was teammates with Durant in Oklahoma City over the first three seasons of his NBA career from 2009 through 2012, and the two All-Stars and former MVPs remain close friends.

“The idea of playing together again came up during Harden and Durant’s offseason workouts together in Los Angeles,” ESPN writes. “Sources said the players talked openly about whether the combination could work and how a trade facilitating it could work.”

The idea of joining Durant and Kyrie Irving is “resonating with Harden,” who is becoming increasingly uneasy about Houston’s ability to compete for an NBA title, according to ESPN’s report. However, while Harden has been considering the possibility of pushing for a trade, no request had officially been made as of Sunday evening. (That’s in contrast to co-star Russell Westbrook, who has asked Houston for a trade.)

Even if a request is made, the Rockets are under no obligation to trade Harden, who is under contract for at least two more seasons. According to Sunday’s report, Houston has continued to tell teams that they plan to “run it back” with Harden, and no trade talks between the Rockets and Nets have taken place so far. “If the Rockets did decide to engage in trade talks on Harden, they’ve privately made it clear that they would require a monstrous return of players, draft picks and pick swaps,” ESPN writes.

It’s worth noting that Oklahoma City has the right to swap draft picks with Houston in the first round of the 2021 draft, which limits the potential incentive for the Rockets to begin any rebuilding process with the 2020-21 season. On the other hand, with full control of their first-round picks in 2022 and 2023, a Harden trade (should he want to leave) could make more sense for the Rockets in the 2021 offseason.

Now 31 years old, Harden has played eight of his 11 NBA seasons with the Rockets. He 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 be an MVP finalist and an All-NBA First Team member in each of the last four seasons. “The Beard” won the MVP award in 2018.

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Report: Rockets believe they ‘have to trade’ Russell Westbrook

“I know the Rockets believe that they have to trade Russell Westbrook,” Brian T. Smith said. “The issue is going to be, are they able to?”

The Houston Rockets would like to respect the wishes of All-Star guard Russell Westbrook, who recently requested a trade.

But with Westbrook under contract for at least two more seasons, the Rockets have to balance his desires with what’s best for the team.

As a result, while they’re compelled to explore the market, there’s no guarantee of reaching a deal. Here’s what Houston Chronicle columnist Brian T. Smith told veteran NBA writer Chris Sheridan in a podcast:

I know for a fact that the Rockets believe that they have to trade Russell Westbrook. The issue is going to be… Are they able to? Is there a way to calm the situation down? Do they try to trade him, and they have to end up backing off? Because ultimately, they figure out that they’re keeping him in the fold for one more season. …

Honestly, I won’t be surprised if he gets traded in the next 48 hours. And I won’t be surprised if they go through the draft and free agency, and they try to make it work once training camp starts, and they get everybody in the same building. It’s a very, very odd situation.

The NBA’s trade moratorium will be lifted Monday morning, which is when the window for a Westbrook trade officially opens. But with up to three years and $132 million left on his existing deal, his market might be better in a 2021 — when that huge contract is closer to its expiration.

Whatever the case, with training camp for 2020-21 looming in barely over two weeks (Tuesday, Dec. 1), the Rockets need to find a quick resolution to this saga to begin preparing for the upcoming season.

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Woj: NBA to lift trade moratorium on Monday morning

If the Houston Rockets are to trade Russell Westbrook this offseason, the window to do so opens at 11 a.m. Central on Monday.

If the Houston Rockets are going to trade All-Star guard Russell Westbrook, the window to do so opens at 11 a.m. Central on Monday.

That’s when the NBA will lift its trade moratorium, per ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski. Trades were on hold while the league finalized the financial terms for its revised Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), owing to reduced revenues from the COVID-19 pandemic.

While Westbrook recently requested a trade, the Rockets are certainly not required to grant that request, since he’s under contract for at least two additional seasons. But with training camp for the 2020-21 season looming in just two weeks (Tuesday, Dec. 1), the Rockets need to decide relatively quickly if they’re going to make a deal — or if they will stay the course. If it’s the latter, they would prefer to improve the relationship and address some of Westbrook’s concerns prior to camp, rather than leaving his uncertain status as a potential distraction to the team.

The NBA’s 2020 draft will then take place on Wednesday night, while free agency is set to open at 5:00 p.m. Central on Friday afternoon.

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