Disgruntled Houston Rockets star James Harden continues to push for a trade to seek greener pastures heading into the 2020-2021 NBA season, per ESPN‘s Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski. The arrival of John Wall hasn't changed Harden's mind, even though Wall looked good in his return to the court over the weekend.
Harden is finally set to join the Rockets for practice on Monday after going through COVID-19 protocols. The Rockets star was late to report to training camp after partying in Atlanta and Las Vegas last week, but he finally managed to make it back and will remain professional as Houston seeks out a deal.
Harden has the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers on the top of his trade list, but the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks are also preferred destinations. However, the Rockets have made it clear that they will be requiring a monster haul in exchange for the services of the three-time scoring champion, and so far there has been little traction on any deal.
Houston has undergone a facelift ahead of this 2020-21 season. Stephen Silas was hired as head coach to replace Mike D'Antoni, while new general manager Rafael Stone recently traded Russell Westbrook for Wall. DeMarcus Cousins and Christian Wood were notable acquisitions in free agency.
Wall put forth strong efforts in the Rockets' two preseason games against the Chicago Bulls this past weekend. The point guard is still hoping he and Harden can pair up together and have success:
“I think me and James can be a heck of a combination,” he said, via ESPN.
“I just hope we get the opportunity to get into the regular season and see how it goes.”
While Harden wants out, Houston doesn't have to rush into a deal given he still has two years left on his contract plus a player option. The Rockets can be patient while looking for a trade, especially if he remains professional. The team can still be pretty good this season with him on the roster.
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