The Houston Rockets are on the verge of losing their two top stars from last NBA season. Already out is Russell Westbrook, now with the Washington Wizards. Harden’s future remains unknown with trade demands still on the table.
When the Rockets acquired Westbrook last season as part of the Chris Paul trade, not many felt it would work out. Mike D’Antoni tried to make it work but most know how the 2019-20 season ended. D’Antoni is no longer around, opting not to return.
With D’Antoni and Westbrook out, most felt Harden would stay. But based on the latest reports, that does not appear to be the case. The 2018 NBA MVP has been showing signs of wanting out before the preseason started. The eight-time All-Star spent most of his time partying in Las Vegas rather than join his teammates preparing for the 2020-21 NBA season.
Russell Westbrook wasn’t happy when James Harden was late for the team’s film session
(via @espn_macmahon) pic.twitter.com/wTJjBT3Lum — Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) December 16, 2020
But looking deeper, most believe that Harden and Westbrook could not co-exist. And it appears the special treatment that the Rockets gave to “The Beard” did not sit well with Westbrook.
Part of that was Harden’s constant tardiness, something the 2017 NBA MVP was not fond of. This included having to wait for the 31-year-old to arrive when the team would travel. The same held true when they were holding video sessions.
A clear example is this revelation from an unnamed staffer. Harden had to undergo a COVID-19 test, causing a delay in the viewing. Westbrook wanted them to go on without Harden to get things over with.
D’Antoni tried to address the situation by proceeding. The only problem is that he said they would do it again once Harden arrived. Westbrook was not at all pleased with the setup.
In the end, the Rockets ended up being the losers in the Harden-Westbrook partnership. Westbrook is out and unless they can convince Harden to stay, he too may be gone moving forward.
Harden suited up for the Rockets and was visibly out of shape. With nothing happening so far, he is likely to play for Houston in the early parts of the coming season. That is unless a team finally agrees to deal with the Rockets.
Four teams have been linked to Harden. They are the Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks. As of this writing, nothing has been set in stone, indicating that “The Beard” is likely to wait until a good deal comes Houston’s way.
