Harden wants trade from Rockets, eyes reunion with Durant in Nets

CEBU, Philippines — Houston doesn’t only have a problem.

They’re in deep trouble, facing a grim prospect of losing their two superstars going into the 2020-2021 NBA season.

Just days after Russell Westbrook made known on his 32nd birthday that he wants trade from the Houston Rockets, fellow All-Star guard James Harden is headed towards the same direction.

 The 31-year old Harden, the league’s scoring champion for three consecutive seasons dating back to 2017, is reportedly finding his way out of the Rockets.

Both Harden and Westbrook have earlier expressed their concerns about the direction of the Rockets following the departure of head coach Mike D’Antoni and general manager Daryl Morey, who is now the Philadelphia 76ers’  president of basketball operations.

 According to a report by ESPN’s senior NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, Harden turned down the chance to become the first $50 million per year player in league history, making it clear to the Rockets that he’s main focus at the moment is on a trade to the Brooklyn Nets.

As Harden’s talks with Brooklyn’s megastar tandem of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving progressed last week, ESPN’s sources said the Rockets made a pitch for Harden to sign the maximum allowable contract extension - two years and $103 million on top of his remaining three years worth $133 million on his current deal.

Harden is apparently setting his sights on a potential reunion with Durant, his former teammate with the Oklahoma City Thunder from 2009 to 2012. They made it to NBA Finals during in their last season together in 2012 but bowed to LeBron James and the Miami Heat in their best-of-seven series, four games to one.

Harden, the 2018 NBA Most Valuable Player, averaged 34.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 7.5 assists in 68 regular season games with the Rockets during the Covid-hit 2019-2020 NBA season.

They reached the Western Conference Finals but were wiped out by eventual NBA champions Los Angeles Lakers led by the powerful duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Aside from the Nets, multiple US media outlets reported that the Sixers, Golden State Warriors, and Washington Wizards are also in the mix for the Harden sweepstakes.

Harden’s exit from Houston might be inevitable but the problem for interested takers is that the Rockets want a massive return of assets for Harden.

As per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, the Rockets will not trade Harden unless a team meets their asking price.

In the meantime, the Rockets are hoping that the eight-time All-Star will have a change of heart and stay in their fold.

The Houston franchise just can’t let go easily of their veteran talisman, the cornerstone of their campaign for the past eight years. — EBV