James Harden is still not at Rockets camp as the team had anticipated his arrival this weekend. When he didn’t show, they called it “a setback” to their plans. The superstar guard has made it abundantly clear that he would like a trade, with his entire focus in recent weeks being on getting to the Brooklyn Nets.
The problem with that plan is, with two full years left on his contract, the Rockets are not in the same time crunch as previous star trade requests and, as such, have refused to lower their price in trade discussions. Houston still wants an All-Star caliber player in return, along with significant draft compensation, and that is not something Brooklyn is willing to match right now — their likely package includes good players like Spencer Dinwiddie, Caris LeVert, and Jarrett Allen, but none of those fit the All-Star/All-NBA bill.
As such, there has been no apparent traction on trade talks with Brooklyn and Harden has decided to open up his request to other teams, provided they are also contenders — including the Philadelphia 76ers where Daryl Morey now runs things — per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim MacMahon.
After it was clear there was no traction in talks with the Nets, Harden expressed to the Rockets that he would be agreeable if a trade with the 76ers materialized, sources said. Harden also indicated that there could be other teams that fit his criteria for a preferred destination, a source said.
The question remains as to whether Philadelphia or any other top contender would be amenable to sending the Rockets the return they desire in a Harden trade, although the Sixers certainly have the ammunition to do so should they so choose. Ben Simmons has been the name most have expected to be the Rockets top target in Harden trade talks, although to this point Morey has not been willing to split up his two young stars in discussions, per MacMahon and Woj.
Among the issues facing a Harden trade are teams wanting the superstar to be willing to agree to an extension — which he turned down from the Rockets earlier this offseason that would’ve made him the first NBA player to earn $50 million a year. Still, as the season approaches, one can expect talks with some team to at least enter the “semi-serious” phase, and we will learn exactly how uncomfortable Houston is willing to make things this season if they aren’t offered a monster package by someone by opening night.
