Report: Houston Rockets trade James Harden to Brooklyn Nets in blockbuster deal
In a blockbuster trade, the Houston Rockets have agreed to send one-time NBA MVP and three-time reigning scoring champion James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Following a disappointing second-round playoff exit, Rockets co-stars Harden and Russell Westbrook requested trades just one season into a partnership both had pushed for. Houston granted Westbrook’s wish at the start of December, sending him to the Washington Wizards for John Wall and a first-round pick.
The addition of Wall and free-agent acquisition Christian Wood did nothing to dissuade Harden from wanting off a Rockets organization that has helped him transform into a superstar over the past eight seasons. He took a torch to the franchise in what was essentially a trade demand on Tuesday night.
“We’re just not good enough — obviously, chemistry, talent-wise, just everything — and it was clear these last few games,” Harden told reporters following a fifth straight subpar effort that has resulted in a 1-4 stretch. He finished his stunning press availability by saying, “I love this city. I’ve literally done everything that I can. I mean, this situation, it’s crazy. It's something that I don’t think can be fixed, so, yeah, thanks.”
Both Wall and All-Star reclamation project DeMarc Cousins publicly castigated their erstwhile teammate.
“When you have certain guys in the mix that don't want to buy in all as one, it's going to be hard to do anything special or anything good as a basketball team,” Wall told reporters following Harden’s interview.
Added teammate DeMarcus Cousins on Wednesday: “The disrespect started way before any interview.”
Harden’s preseason was arguably more of a public relations nightmare. He arrived late to training camp in favor of partying with rapper Lil Baby in Atlanta and Las Vegas. His violations of NBA COVID-19 protocols further delayed his ability to rejoin the team. When he was finally cleared to play, he appeared out of shape.
ESPN.com’s Tim MacMahon published a scathing report detailing how Houston has catered to Harden’s every demand over the years, including allowances to spend additional nights out on road trips and travel between games to Vegas. That special treatment contributed to dysfunction throughout the organization and even the exits of coaches and teammates, including Dwight Howard, Chris Paul and Westbrook.
The lengths to which the Rockets went to build a title contender around Harden led to resistance against trading Harden, especially for lesser value. He has three years and $133 million remaining on the extension he signed in 2017, but ultimately Houston caved to another disgruntled superstar who demanded a trade.
Harden leaves Houston as one of the franchise’s greatest players, even if his runs to a pair of Western Conference finals ended short of a championship goal. He averaged 29.6 points, 7.7 assists and six rebounds per game over eight-plus seasons with the Rockets, including three scoring titles and an assist crown. But his exit, particularly the way in which it unfolded, leaves a dent in his legacy with the franchise.
Harden has been an offense unto himself, averaging double-digit 3-point and free-throw attempts the past three seasons. His ability to break down defenders with remarkable footwork, timing and handle helped the Rockets take small ball to its extreme and change the way offenses are built around the NBA. However, it remains to be seen whether Harden will be afforded the same omnipresent treatment with his new team.
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Ben Rohrbach is a staff writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at rohrbach_ben@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @brohrbach
