Report: Harden had 'heated exchange' with Houston Rockets rookie in practice

MANILA, Philippines — The relationship between former NBA MVP James Harden and the Houston Rockets appears to continue to sour after developments on Tuesday (Wednesday, Manila time) — the same day the new NBA season tips off.

Harden, who has been asking to be traded out of Houston, has been involved in "multiple verbal confrontations with teammates in practice" according to reports by The Athletic.

Rockets players' early signs of tension in recent days included James Harden throwing a basketball at a rookie, setting the stage for Houston to tip off the season on Wednesday.

Story from @ShamsCharania for @TheAthleticNBA ??

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) December 22, 2020

Things seem to have escalated on Monday (Tuesday in Manila) where Shams Charania reported that Harden and Rockets rookie Jae'Sean Tate were involved in a "heated exchange".

The exchange culminated in the former MVP throwing the ball in Tate's direction. The ball did not hit Tate, however.

Per The Athletic report, Harden had been known by those in the organization as a "laid-back and calm personality" and are seeing this as a result of his frustration of still not being traded away from Houston.

Multiple teams have come up as potential destinations for Harden, including the Miami Heat, and the Philadelphia 76ers. However, there haven't been any significant talks to send Harden out of Houston anytime soon.

The Houston Rockets open their NBA season tomorrow against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but if their star acting like this is any indication, they may be in for a tough season.