The Houston Rockets need to make the best of trading James Harden

The Houston Rockets need to do what’s best for themselves

It has been common knowledge for a few weeks that James Harden wants out of Houston. With the official acknowledgment that he would be open to being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers of other contenders, the Houston Rockets need to decide what their plan is next.

You wouldn’t expect Rockets owner, Tilman Fertitta, to want to help his former general manager, Daryl Morey, but trading Harden to the Sixers, though, if it nets you Ben Simmons, would it be worth it?

Even though Morey has said he would prefer to keep Simmons and Embiid, that really means nothing in the grand scheme of things. Morey centered a whole team around James Harden, Morey also thanked Harden in his goodbye letter to Houston. Unless the Sixers offer Ben Simmons and a boatload of picks, it doesn’t seem worth it making the swap.

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Ben Simmons is a natural ball handler and who doesn’t shoot 3’s. The Rockets just traded for John Wall who is a ball-dominant guard, who does not shoot the 3 well either. Also, while Wall has looked good in workout videos, you can not assume how he will hold up all year. With John Wall commanding between $41-47million the next few years, you would be locked into a Wall and Simmons duo till 2023.

By the time you come off Wall’s contract, Ben Simmons will have two years left on his deal. So it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if the Rockets were in a repeat situation with Ben Simmons down the road. The Rockets could be trading a disgruntled superstar for another superstar, to then in a few years be trading another disgruntled superstar.

James Harden’s request to be traded to a contender really shouldn’t matter to the Rockets. Why should they give him the easy road to a win, while they struggle for years hoping to find players to put around John Wall.

The Rockets have said they are willing to make things awkward, which is actually a good strategy regarding this trade. Rushing a trade will only cause you to make a bad deal, waiting honestly doesn’t hurt you.

If Harden eventually chooses to sit out, then he doesn’t get paid but he also can’t get hurt. James Harden’s value will not diminish if never plays another game for Houston. Teams are going to be lining up around the block for Harden at the right cost.

The Rockets should follow how the Pelicans handled the Anthony Davis dilemma and swap an angry superstar for some proven young talent. If the Rockets reached out to the Kings for De’Aaron Fox and another player and picks, that could be a nice return for James Harden. Obviously, Fox is not the player that Harden is, but it gives the Rockets a chance to build with a proven developing star.

The Rockets are in a bad situation because of James Harden’s trade demand. They should try and use their leverage and his lack of a “no-trade clause” to put themselves in a salvageable position. Why should the Rockets care if James Harden doesn’t want to play in Sacramento or Orlando? The Rockets should only care about themselves because once James Harden leaves, so does their relevance.