James Harden's trade request getting leaked to the media is not sitting well with the Houston Rockets, per Farbod Esnaashari of Sports Illustrated.
Harden still wants to get traded to the Brooklyn Nets, but the Rockets don't feel obligated to honor his trade request and feel they have the leverage in the situation.
The Rockets are dealing with both James Harden and Russell Westbrook wanting out of Clutch City. New general manager Rafael Stone and head coach Stephen Silas have to be wondering what they got themselves into. It's a tough position to be in for a new lead executive and head coach.
Harden, who has led the NBA in scoring the past three seasons, is focused on landing with the Nets so he can play with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Durant and Harden were teammates on the Oklahoma City Thunder, while The Beard and Uncle Drew played together on the 2014 FIBA World Cup team.
The Rockets lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2020 Western Conference Semifinals in five games despite winning Game 1 of the series in blowout fashion. Upon arriving back in Houston from Walt Disney World, Mike D'Antoni decided not to come back as head coach, while Daryl Morey stepped down as general manager.
D'Antoni is now on the Nets as one of Steve Nash's assistants. Morey is running the Philadelphia 76ers, and there have been some rumors about the Sixers being a Harden trade suitor.
It's going to be fascinating to see what the Rockets do with Harden, who averaged 34.3 points per game during the 2019-20 season and is a perennial MVP candidate. There is still a chance both Harden and Westbrook begin the season in Houston, but it would probably be for the best if a trade goes down in the near future.
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