James Harden has been the subject of countless trade rumors ever since his co-star from last season was traded. Russell Westbrook and Robert Covington are gone: perhaps Harden is next. Tillman Fertitta is building a whole new team on the Rockets, and Harden wants no part of it. Perhaps he will still suit up for the Rockets, but at this point, it is way more likely that he will get traded.
The Rockets want the best possible value for James Harden: he is an MVP, a superstar, and quite possibly the best one on one scorer in the league. The Rockets will send him away due to the burden of dealing with a disgruntled star: it is way easier to trade Harden for players who will actually want to suit up for the team. With the Brooklyn Nets being one of Harden’s preferred destinations, New York could soon be in Harden’s future.
However, there is still the question of what the Rockets want in return for James Harden. Recent reports from Shams Charania quoted a “mammoth package” as a return, and there’s no interest if it is anything less. In the Nets’ case, the Rockets have demanded one of Kyrie Irving or Kevin Durant in return.
Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant came to the Brooklyn Nets to play together, so it is unlikely that the Nets accept this offer. James Harden is a transcendent player, but the Nets haven’t even seen their new duo in action: they could wait for the results, and evaluate from there. Regardless of where Harden gets traded, however, we can expect the Rockets to gain a treasure trove of assets in return.
