Rockets have ‘growing belief’ that Harden may stay for full season, if not longer
Despite his consistent desire for a trade elsewhere, the Houston Rockets have a growing belief that All-Star guard James Harden could stay with the franchise for at least the 2020-21 season — if not longer. The news was reported by Sam Amick and Kelly Iko of The Athletic.
The Rockets are seeking a young franchise cornerstone and significant future draft compensation as part of any deal involving the perennial MVP finalist. If they don’t receive that level of return, Houston is content to keep Harden for themselves while pairing him with newcomers such as John Wall and Christian Wood. In time, the Rockets would like to re-convince Harden that he could compete for a title in Houston.
Here’s what Amick and Iko wrote in their Christmas Eve story:
Internally, there is also a growing belief that Harden could end up staying in Houston for the entire season — if not longer. Untenable though it may seem.
James Harden’s list of preferred destinations now includes the Boston Celtics and Portland Trail Blazers, sources tell @TheAthletic.
Inside another wild week in Houston— reported with @KellyIkoNBA https://t.co/zSGC4Vf7dW
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) December 24, 2020
Elsewhere in the story, Amick and Iko report that Harden recently added Boston and Portland to his list of preferred trade destinations, joining Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Miami, and Milwaukee.
But given the length of Harden’s contract and his importance to the Rockets, the team doesn’t feel bound to his list. From the report:
If a deal is to be made, it will only be in the best interest of the organization and won’t be tied to his list of preferred destinations. The team knows what Harden wants already — a trade elsewhere to compete for a championship.
That said, Harden’s list could influence what offers the Rockets get from other teams, since suitors might be reluctant to meet Houston’s lofty asking price without assurances from “The Beard” that he has interest in a long-term partnership there. As such, Harden’s list initially grew from one team (Nets) to two (76ers), and two to four (Heat, Bucks), and now four to six (Celtics, Trail Blazers). In time, that willingness to be flexible might help the Rockets get their expected level of return for Harden.
Until then, though, the Rockets appear ready to ride it out. With Harden in the starting lineup, Houston’s first game of the 2020-21 regular season will take place Saturday night in Portland.
