Houston Rockets superstar shooting guard James Harden will be out against the Sacramento Kings for their early Saturday evening matchup in Houston, per the New York Times' Marc Stein.
Harden, 31, is nursing a sprained right ankle.
The Rockets just announced that James Harden is out tonight with a sprained right ankle
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 2, 2021
Of course, any time Harden is away from the hardwood the trade rumors surrounding the former NBA MVP pick up even louder. Harden has been linked to practically every team in the league, most notably the Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Miami Heat—all Eastern Conference clubs.
The Kings will be without standout rookie guard Tyrese Haliburton, however.
Harden was punished by the league when he skipped out on Rockets training camp to “train” on his own volition away from the team. The NBA fined the one-time Sixth Man of the Year with the Oklahoma City Thunder $50,000 when Harden was investigated for violating health and safety protocol amid the persistent COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, which has prevented most teams from hosting fans in arenas for games.
The Rockets saw big performances from Harden and new teammate in veteran point guard John Wall this past week as the former No. 1 overall pick with the Washington Wizards made his debut for Houston in his first game in over a year and a half.
Harden has been on a tear in his few games during the 2020-21 NBA season despite what looks to be an impending blockbuster trade. The Arizona State product is averaging 37.0 points and 11.0 assists in 37.7 minutes per game through three appearances, shooting 52.5 percent from the field and 45.5 percent from 3.
It's unclear when Harden will return from his ankle injury.
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