At this point, James Harden just needs to be traded. While it is reasonable to ask for a trade, James Harden has been pulling some off the court stunts that don’t necessarily reflect on him in a positive light. At this point, it seems like all he cares about is pushing for an exit: he obviously doesn’t care about COVID-19 restrictions, considering he was in a club maskless before. It seems like an exit would be wonderful for both parties, as the Rockets wouldn’t have to deal with media attention on their disgruntled superstar.
Kendrick Perkins came on to The Jump to talk about the James Harden situation. He mentions why James Harden’s conduct is detrimental to himself and the league: he even goes as far as to talk about various GMs who are reportedly scared of trading for the Houston Rockets superstar. The segment starts at 1:35.
Perkins also talks about how Harden’s actions could affect future CBA negotiations. His co-host, Vince Carter, also mentioned the possibility of the season being canceled due to COVID-19 if Harden spread the virus around the league. While James Harden is an elite basketball player, some of the off-court concerns are reasonable. GMs could be scared that the same thing that is happening to the Houston Rockets, would happen to their team if they were to acquire James Harden. No one wants a virus outbreak: it heavily derails your chances of contention.
While some GMs are surely turned off by James Harden’s actions, there are others who will want to take the risk. Harden is still MVP level and could change the future of a contending franchise. Since other GMs may be scared, perhaps some team could snag Harden for an unbelievably low trade package. We don’t know the future, but if this off-court circus continues, James Harden will probably get his wish for a trade.
