It seems like James Harden’s tenure with the Houston Rockets is coming to an end, as the former MVP has reportedly declined a huge contract extension that would make him the first player to ever earn $50+ million per year.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN broke the news that The Beard turned down the massive contract extension that would add two more years (and $103 million) to the three years he had left in his contract. Apparently, it was an attempt to keep him with the franchise until he retired but that’s far from Harden’s plans.
Harden allegedly wants to team up with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant in the Brooklyn Nets and not even that kind of money is going to convince him otherwise:
“Sources: After turning down an extension offer to become the first $50M a year player in league history, James Harden’s message to Houston is clear: Get me to Brooklyn. Rockets and Nets have been in contact, but there’s been no meaningful dialogue,” Woj reported.
Sources: After turning down an extension offer to become the first $50M a year player in league history, James Harden’s message to Houston is clear: Get me to Brooklyn. Rockets and Nets have been in contact, but there’s been no meaningful dialogue. https://t.co/qwJOQOxz5U
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 17, 2020
There’s no doubt that the Brooklyn Nets would have to offload a lot of assets to get James Harden to join them and that would be easier said than done, because other teams could make more appealing offers.
The Houston Rockets are in no obligation to trade a player who still has three years left in his contract. There’s no rush to make a deal regardless of what James Harden wants or says. What seems clear is that he just doesn’t want to play for them anymore.
