James Harden has been caught taking part in activities off the court that violate the NBA's COVID-19 protocols, which has led some to wonder if it will hurt his trade value with the Houston Rockets. While Harden continues to want out of Houston, one team has gone as far as to hire a private investigator to gather intel on him, per ESPN's Tim Bontemps.
When NBA teams, including the Rockets, were set to begin training camp, Harden was a no-show for Houston. It was discovered that Harden was in Las Vegas and Atlanta partying, causing concern from the new regime on the Rockets.
Despite returning to the team for a preseason game, Harden was seen at a club earlier this week, which led the NBA to launch an investigation into the situation. After looking at the information they were given, the league decided to fine Harden $50,000 for violating the NBA's healthy and safety protocols.
Due to Harden's antics this offseason, there are teams treating the All-Star guard as if he was an incoming rookie. Therefore, they did a background check on his actions and whether they would prevent them from making a trade for him.
What could prevent a trade from happening is Harden's contract, with him owed nearly $133 million in the next three seasons (player option on the final season). Seeing that the season just began, teams are hesitant to part ways with certain players who could be cornerstones on their roster for years to come.
Harden hasn't shied away from letting himself be seen maskless at parties or clubs in the past month. Will these questionable decisions prevent a trade from happening? He's such a good player that this drama might not matter, but the situation is currently a mess.
Stay tuned as this saga drags into the season for Houston.
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