The Houston Rockets went some time without former NBA MVP James Harden’s desire to be traded being in the headlines. That is no longer the case following their loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
During Harden’s post-game availability, he made it clear that while he loves the city of Houston, he doesn’t believe his situation with the Rockets can be ‘fixed.’
“I love this city. I’ve literally done everything I can. This situation is crazy. It’s something I don’t think can be fixed. Thanks.”
While Harden wasn’t vocal in reaffirming his desire to be traded, he simply hasn’t been bought in to the Rockets. He’s visibly been uncharacteristically passive offensively and doesn’t seem too interested in taking over his typical ultra-high usage role in a new offensive system.
It remains to be seen which NBA team will ultimately step up to the plate and part with the necessary compensation to acquire Harden via trade. There hasn’t been any movement publically when it comes to Harden’s inclusion in NBA trade rumors.
The main potential landing spots for James Harden don’t appear to have changed. It seems to mostly come down to the Philadelphia 76ers being willing to move on from Ben Simmons as they have the top young player to reasonably offer in a trade.
It will be fascinating to see if a trending team ends up completing a deal with the Rockets by believing trading for Harden could help them take the next step. That may be the best outcome for the Rockets since the top contenders lack much for intriguing assets.
At some point, the Houston Rockets will need to reach a breaking point with James Harden. If his production continues to remain low and appears to be keeping his weight high, his trade value could experience a real decline.
