James Harden has been the face of the Houston Rockets since 2012, when he joined as the result of a trade with OKC.
In eight years with the franchise, the Beard has been nothing less than extraordinary, making 8 All-Star appearances and winning 3 scoring titles en-route to becoming one of the best players in basketball.
But in the aftermath of yet another disappointing season, Harden requested a trade from the team, demanding a trade to the Brooklyn Nets. The Rockets, who have yet to grant that request, have instead made moves that seem to be trying to convince him to stay.
With the season less than a month out, and teams around the league preparing for its start, Harden still has not yet been seen or heard from, not to the public or the Rockets. In a recent report by Marc Stein, he reveals Harden’s absence in the team’s individual workouts that started Thursday.
Rockets star James Harden was not yet in Houston for the team's individual workouts Thursday, league sources say …
New Rockets coach Stephen Silas said this afternoon of Harden that he's "confident that he'll be here when we get started"
Houston's first practice is Sunday
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) December 4, 2020
The workouts aren’t mandatory, so this might not mean anything at all. Still, his notable absence won’t help silence the trade chatter that has been raving around the league.
With notable newcomers like DeMarcus Cousins, Christian Wood, and Trevor Ariza, the Rockets are clearly doing their best to stay in the title race this upcoming campaign, but will it be enough to earn back their star’s trust?
Obviously, that much remains to be seen, but his silence doesn’t spell good news so far for H-Town.
