On the verge of a complete collapse, the Houston Rockets are falling under immense pressure to rebuild their team and start from scratch.
The trade request by James Harden earlier this month was seen as the final straw for the state of their team.
As he sets his eyes towards Brooklyn, the Rockets are following their own agenda — one that was interrupted by the leaks of Harden’s unhappiness. According to one insider, the team is showing signs of frustration, but still believes they hold all the leverage.
Sources indicate to me that the Rockets weren't pleased with the Harden's trade request getting leaked so early. He's been as vocal as possible about being traded to the Nets, but Houston believes they have the leverage in this situation. Harden's goal remains the same.
— Farbod Esnaashari (@Farbod_E) November 23, 2020
Harden is locked into his contract until the summer of 2022, when he can choose to opt-out of his final year to become an unrestricted free agent.
The 31-year-old star has emerged as one of the best players in basketball since joining the Rockets, making 8 All-Star teams, winning 3 scoring titles, and taking home an MVP 2018. He has led Houston to the playoffs every single year, first with Dwight, then with CP3, and (most recently) with Russell Westbrook.
Unfortunately, they haven’t been able to get over the hump in the playoffs, suffering failure after failure when the games matter most.
No matter who is to blame, it seems The Beard has lost faith in his future with the Rockets — but we’ll have to wait and see if they feel it’s time to start over.
