ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Sunday morning that the NBA’s trade moratorium will be lifted on Monday at Noon Eastern Time.
What is likely to be the biggest week of transactions in NBA history officially has a start date. Monday at Noon ET, 9 a.m. Pacific, the NBA will lift the current trade moratorium and allow teams to execute deals, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Teams themselves have been working around the clock over the weekend and now they know then they can start getting serious about deals. With the league office opening for business on Monday, this gives the league a chance to review deals as they normally do. Woj also reports that the salary cap is expected to continue rising slightly amidst the pandemic, thanks to the latest modifications agreed to by the league and the Player’s Association.
Sources: Projected future salary cap and tax. 2021-2022: $112.M and $136.6M; 2022-2023: $115.7M and $140M and 2023-2024: $119.2M and $144.9M
As for other factors, the Monday start date also puts several other things into alignment. According to the AP’s Tim Reynolds, decisions on players or teams picking up option years must be made by Thursday at 3 p.m. EST.
According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, players who are eligible to sign rookie extensions or a Super Max extension, such as Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma (rookie extension) or Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo (super max), must do so by Dec. 21, the night before the NBA season begins.
Last day for a player to sign a super max and rookie extension is Dec. 21.
The NBA has yet to release the schedule for the 2020-21 season, which is expected to be weighted even more heavily by games against teams in the same division.
“Maybe that market opens up over time, but right now, his immediate future remains in Houston with the Rockets,” Woj said of Westbrook.
The Houston Rockets are “very open” to trading All-Star guard Russell Westbrook after his recent trade request, but it may not happen soon (if at all) due to a slow-moving marketplace for his massive contract, according to ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski.
While a deal isn’t imminent, this is the first report to confirm interest on Houston’s side in exploring a trade. Media reports in previous days were solely from the perspective of Westbrook, who lacks the leverage to force a move since he’s under contract for at least two more seasons.
Here’s what Woj said on Friday night’s SportsCenter:
The organization, right now, has no intention of engaging in any trade talks with James Harden. They expect to play this season out with him.
Russell Westbrook, they are open to talking to teams. Both sides are very open to it, but I’m told it’s a very slow-developing marketplace for Russell Westbrook. There are not teams right now who are ready to move quickly, at the very least, to take on a $132-million investment on in these economic times… and at Westbrook’s advancing age [32]. Maybe that market opens up over time, but right now, his immediate future remains in Houston with the Rockets.
"The Rockets right now have no intention of engaging in any trade talks with James Harden and they expect to play the season out with him"
"Westbrook… both sides are very open to it, but there aren't teams right now who are willing to move quickly to take that contract"- Woj pic.twitter.com/HbvHgHFpL6
Westbrook is owed more than $85 million over the next two seasons combined, and he has a 2022-23 player option worth $47.1 million.
The Charlotte Hornets and New York Knicks are among rumored suitors, but it’s unclear whether they would execute a trade now. If not, the Rockets may need to try and mend the relationship — since training camp for the 2020-21 season is just over two weeks away on Tuesday, Dec. 1.
The NBA’s moratorium on trades is expected to be lifted early next week, with 2020 free agency set to open on Friday, Nov. 20.
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Here's how sources describe the marketplace for a possible Russell Westbrook trade: Slow developing.
The Knicks are weighing the possibility of trying to trade for Houston’s Russell Westbrook, per Marc Stein of The New York Times.
The New York Knicks are on the short list of viable trade destinations for disgruntled Rockets star Russell Westbrook, per Marc Stein of The New York Times. It was reported Wednesday that Westbrook, a nine-time NBA All-Star and former MVP, had asked Houston for a trade.
“If the Knicks prove willing to absorb the $130+ million left on Westbrook’s contract [over three seasons] to make him their centerpiece, there is a trade to be made,” Stein tweeted. “They have weighed it.”
What makes the Knicks intriguing as a potential trade partner for the Rockets is their unique ability to create enough cap room to absorb Westbrook’s entire contract without having to match salary in the deal.
The Knicks are on the short list of viable trade destinations for Houston's Russell Westbrook, league sources say
If the Knicks prove willing to absorb the $130+ million left on Westbrook's contract to make him their centerpiece, there is a trade to be made
New York’s cap space could give Houston multiple paths. In a two-team scenario, if no contracts (or a very small amount) were exchanged and the Rockets stayed below the cap, they could create nearly $20 million in immediate cap room to use in this offseason’s free agency.
Meanwhile, if they took some salary back (enough to operate above the cap) but less than Westbrook’s roughly $40-million salary figure, Houston would generate a traded player exception (TPE) to cover the gap. That TPE, which allows them to take in a player at that amount or less without having to match salary, would last until the 2021 offseason.
Houston could also presumably get cheap assets from the Knicks, in the form of young prospects and/or future draft compensation. (Here’s a look at players and salaries that New York currently has under contract.)
As I understand it right now, there are active discussions between Houston & the Knicks. As many have pointed out, makes little sense for the Rockets to dump Russ for nothing & NY is haggling. What does NY have that HOU wants? Not sure. Seems like NY wants to hang on to Knox.
Another option could be bringing in a third team looking to offload a larger contract, such as Cleveland with Kevin Love. While the rebuilding Cavaliers may not have interest in a 32-year-old Westbrook, they might be intrigued by the chance to offload a massive contract without having to take back any large salary that potentially clogs their salary books.
In theory, the same logic might apply to San Antonio with DeMar DeRozan and/or LaMarcus Aldridge, Detroit with Blake Griffin, or any rebuilding team potentially interested in moving a veteran’s large contract but without taking much money back. In those scenarios, both the third team and the Rockets could potentially generate a TPE of significance.
The Charlotte Hornets are also believed to be a trade suitor for Westbrook. However, they don’t currently have the ability to fully absorb his contract. That dynamic could make the Knicks more intriguing, if they make the final decision to move forward in their pursuit.
The Rockets could take back as much as $50 million in salary from the Hornets, who have several intriguing veterans potentially available.
The Charlotte Hornets have emerged as a potential suitor for All-Star guard Russell Westbrook, who wants the Houston Rockets to trade him.
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).
As for the latest, here’s what Charania said on Thursday morning:
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].
So far in talks, the Rockets have been protective of both James Harden and Russell Westbrook, but there is plenty of time between now and Wednesday’s NBA Draft.
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 save money and get additional breathing room beneath the league’s luxury tax threshold.
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 also have the No. 3 overall selection in the Nov. 20 draft as a potential asset, though it’s unclear if they would move that premium pick for Westbrook — who turned 32 years old on Thursday.
The NBA’s moratorium on trades is expected to be lifted early next week, with free agency set to open on Friday, Nov. 20.
James Harden remains committed to the Rockets and is “locked in” for the upcoming NBA season, per Shams Charania and Kelly Iko.
In contrast to co-star Russell Westbrook, who wants a trade, James Harden remains committed to the Houston Rockets and is “locked in” for the 2020-21 season, per Shams Charania and Kelly Iko of The Athletic.
“The Rockets are fully intending to continue building a title-contender around James Harden, and rival team officials tell The Athletic that the franchise has so far been protective of both Harden and Westbrook in trade discussions,” Charania writes.
Both Harden and Westbrook are under contract with the Rockets through at least the next two seasons, so the Rockets are not required to make a move — even if there is a trade request. But in Harden’s case, that doesn’t seem to be something that interests him at this time.
Houston's James Harden remains committed to the Rockets and is "locked in" for the season, sources tell @KellyIkoNBA and me.
Now 31 years old, Harden is entering his ninth season with the Rockets and his 12th in the NBA. He’s led the NBA 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.
According to ESPN, both Harden and Westbrook have had concerns with Houston’s direction as a franchise after a turbulent offseason, which began with established GM Daryl Morey and head coach Mike D’Antoni each choosing to head elsewhere. They have since been replaced by Rafael Stone and Stephen Silas, respectively, with each lacking prior experience as the full-time guy in his new position.
But while Westbrook came to the conclusion that a change is necessary, his close friend appears to feel differently. (Again, it’s worth noting that Houston is not required to trade Westbrook, despite his current desire.)
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.
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.
Well, the NBA’s incredibly short offseason has begun
The draft is only one week away and free agency will start a few days after, but trade rumors are already swirling.
There are so many questions. Will the Timberwolves keep the number one pick? What about the Warriors with the number two? What’s up with Bradley Beal? And how about Jrue Holiday?
We have so many questions and very few answers. The next few weeks will reveal all ahead of a December 1 training camp start.
In the meantime, though, NBA teams have been busy on their phones trying to get things moving. And, of course, from those conversations come leaks. And that’s how we get the rumor mill.
So, without further ado, here’s every rumor we’ve seen so far.
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.
“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.
