The Houston Rockets have a high asking price for James Harden
James Harden made his debut at practice this week and it’s largely expected that he’ll play in the Houston Rockets‘ preseason game Tuesday. That said, Harden’s stance still hasn’t changed and he’d still like a trade away from Houston and probably sooner rather than later.
The four teams that have been named as his “preferred list” of destination include the Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, and Milwaukee Bucks. Although, there’s probably one main asset that the Rockets are looking to acquire in any deal for James Harden.
His name is Ben Simmons.
According to a recent report, the Rockets and Sixers have had negotiations regarding a potential Harden deal. Houston has asked for Simmons AND three first-round picks. That tells you all you need to know about the Rockets’ asking price. It’s outrageously high.
Re: Sixers-Harden negotiations: I'm told the Rockets have asked the Sixers for 3 first round picks in addition to Ben Simmons. As many others have reported, the Sixers so far have been unwilling to include Simmons in any proposals.
— Yaron Weitzman (@YaronWeitzman) December 14, 2020
As you’d expect, the Sixers aren’t ready to offer Simmons in any deal for Harden. At this point, without much of a market for Harden, the Sixers shouldn’t do that either. The ball is in Houston’s court at this point. The market for Harden is what it is, and it’s not what Houston wants it to be for whatever reason.
Question is, are the Rockets willing to continue down this road with Harden, as awkward and unpleasant as it may be with having your best player in the locker room, knowing he doesn’t want to be there, to begin the regular season?
From all indications, the answer to that question is yes. The Rockets are moving forward with Harden on the roster and playing an active role for the team. I’m not sure what the end game is for the Rockets or for Harden, especially if the trade market doesn’t grow in the next few weeks.
One thing is pretty clear – the Houston Rockets’ asking price for James Harden is outrageously high and it’s unlikely any team, including the Philadelphia 76ers, will match what the Rockets are asking for.