Despite their consistent desire to trade elsewhere, the Houston Rockets have an increasing belief that All-Star guard James Harden could stay with the franchise for at least the 2020-21 season – if not more. The news was reported by Sam Amick and Kelly Iko of The Athletic.
The Rockets are looking for a youth franchise base and significant future compensation as part of any business involving the perennial MVP finalist. If they don’t get that level of feedback, Houston will be happy to keep Harden to himself while joining him with newcomers like John Wall and Christian Wood. In time, the Rockets would like to again convince Harden that he could compete for a title in Houston.
Here’s what Amick and Iko wrote in their Christmas Eve story:
Internally, there is also a growing belief that Harden could end up staying in Houston for the entire season – if not more. As unsustainable as it may seem.
Elsewhere in the story, Amick and Iko report that Harden recently added Boston and Portland to his list of favorite business destinations, joining Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Miami and Milwaukee.
But given the length of Harden’s contract and its importance to the Rockets, the team does not feel attached to their list. From the report:
If an agreement is made, it will only be in the best interest of the organization and will not be linked to your list of preferred destinations. The team already knows what Harden wants – an exchange elsewhere to compete for a championship.
That said, Harden’s list may influence the offers that the Rockets receive from other teams, as suitors may be reluctant to meet Houston’s high asking price with no guarantees from “The Beard” that he has an interest in a long-term partnership. term there. As such, Harden’s list initially grew from one team (Nets) to two (76ers), and two to four (Heat, Bucks), and now four to six (Celtics, Trail Blazers). Over time, this willingness to be flexible can help the Rockets achieve the level of return expected for Harden.
Until then, however, the Rockets seem ready to ride him. With Harden as a starter, Houston’s first game of the 2020-21 regular season will take place on Saturday night in Portland.