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Houston has problems – plural.
The Election Day edition of the newsletter was headlined by the challenges the Rockets face in keeping James Harden happy after their coach, Mike D’Antoni, and longtime general manager Daryl Morey are are abruptly removed from the franchise after a second. round hammering by the Los Angeles Lakers in the playoffs.
Just two weeks later, Harden is looking forcefully for a trade – at the Nets.
The position of the Rockets on Harden, for the record, did not change: They don’t want to trade it. As unappetizing as it sounds, Houston wants to play the long game and see if he can rebuild his relationship with Harden before conceding that his exchange is the only alternative, even after Rafael Stone, the new general manager, makes a move. forward-looking move in his first major trade by agreeing to send Robert Covington to Portland for Trevor Ariza and two future first-round picks.
Houston recovered minimal leverage on the Harden front on Monday night when New Orleans struck a deal to trade Holiday for Milwaukee, negating the possibility of the very interested Nets trading for Holiday. Yet that alone is not likely to lead to a change in strategy. The Rockets have Harden under contract for at least two more seasons and are not required to just send him where he wants.
Houston also surely understands that if Harden is traded first, he will face even more obstacles trying to move hapless Westbrook when the whole league knows Westbrook wants out.
The Nets have a lot to think about here too.
As much as the Nets covet a third star to join Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving – and an enduring star given Durant and, in particular, Irving’s injury history – there is a lot of logic against the idea of ‘add Harden to the mixture.
Durant has apparently been supportive of a meeting with Harden, and it should take some comfort (and intrigue) Nets officials to hear that Harden wants to join the project. It also can’t hurt that D’Antoni is now an assistant coach for the Nets. Remember, Durant and Irving’s dominant ball duo have yet to play a second together in a real NBA game. How confident can the Nets be that Harden, after years of dominating the ball like no other, would make the necessary adjustments to play in a three-star roster when we can’t even be sure how the two first cornerstones will agree?
The Rockets, furthermore, will be looking for the type of pick from future first-round draft picks and players New Orleans just scored in the holiday trade if they decide to part ways with Harden. The Nets don’t seem to be in the best position to provide this.
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