Despite his consistent desire to trade elsewhere, the Houston Rockets are increasingly believing that All-Star guard James Harden could stay with the franchise for at least the 2020-21 season – if not no longer. The announcement was made by Sam Amick and Kelly Iko of The Athletic.
The Rockets are seeking a cornerstone of a young franchise and a major compensation draft in the future as part of any deal related to the permanent MVP final. If they don’t get that level of return, Houston is willing to keep Harden to themselves while they repair it with newcomers like John Wall and Christian Wood. In time, the Rockets would like to reassure Harden that he could compete for a title in Houston.
Here is what Amick and Iko wrote in their Christmas Eve story:
Inside, there is a growing belief that Harden could stay in Houston for the entire season – if not longer. It’s unbelievable though.
Elsewhere in the story, Amick and Iko report that Harden added Boston and Portland to their list of favorite trading destinations, joining Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Miami, and Milwaukee.
But given the length of Harden ‘s contract and his importance to the Rockets, the team does not feel tied to his roster. From the report:
If a contract is made, it will only be in the best interests of the organization and will not be tied to the list of preferred destinations. The team already knows what Harden wants – trading elsewhere to compete for competition.
That said, Harden ‘s list could affect what the Rockets get from other teams, as lawyers may be willing to meet Houston’ s high asking price without promises from “The Beard” that he’s interested in long-term partnership there. Thus, Harden ‘s list first grew from one team (Nets) to two (76ers), and two to four (Heat, Bucks), and now four to six (Celtics, Trail Blazers). Over time, that willingness to flex could help the Rockets reach their expected level of return for Harden.
Until then, though, the Rockets appear to be ready for its ride. With Harden in the starting lineup, Houston ‘s first game of the 2020-21 regular season will take place Saturday night in Portland.