Houston Rockets: How Giannis Antetokounmpo plays into the James Harden situation
How Giannis could help the Houston Rockets in their James Harden dilemma
Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden have had reported issues in the past, but it’s quite interesting that the last few weeks of the 2020 NBA offseason could come down to those two players and the decision that one makes could directly impact the other.
As the Rockets continue to try and press forward and focus on training camp and the start of the 2020-21 NBA season, it’s hard to do so without James Harden reporting. He was expected to be in Houston over the weekend, but that didn’t happen.
Harden has reportedly informed the team that he will report soon, but it appears that he’s continuing to apply pressure on the Rockets in hopes of forcing a trade.
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The problem with that is that Harden doesn’t really have much leverage in this “trade demand,” if that’s in fact what this situation is developing into. He has two guaranteed years remaining on his contract, and a player option for a third, and the Rockets appear willing to enter the season with him on the roster.
Considering that it’s already been reported that Harden wants to play in Brooklyn with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, it’s not surprising that other teams would be turned off. If other teams have called Houston on Harden, and it’s been communicated through the grapevine that Harden only wants to play in Brooklyn, that would prove it difficult for Houston to get fair or equal value on any potential deal.
However, there is one potential decision from another player that could help change that for the Rockets.
Giannis will be the most sought out free agent next offseason and many teams have lined up its finances in hopes of simply getting in the room with him as the 2021 free agency period begins.
Should Giannis sign his super-max extension before the December 21 deadline, that could not only change the perception of next summer but could certainly change the trade market for James Harden.
If Giannis is off the market, that could introduce several other teams into the James Harden sweepstakes (if they’d be willing to take a gamble on him for two years). Teams like the Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, New York Knicks, or even the Dallas Mavericks could crash the party and put together some competitive trade offers for James Harden.
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You could make the argument that the Houston Rockets are praying and hoping that Giannis Antetokounmpo signs that extension sooner rather than later. As the 2020-21 NBA season inches closer and closer, the last thing the Rockets need is a James Harden holdout. From the look of this entire situation, we could be heading in that direction.