NBA Rumors: ‘The Ringer’s’ Kevin O’Connor Gives Major Updates On Rumors Surrounding James Harden
Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden is one of the superstars who’s been frequently mentioned in various trade rumors. With their inability to win an NBA championship title, Harden has decided to demand a trade from the Rockets, believing that it would be best for him to start a new journey on another team. However, after more than a month since he expressed his desire to leave Space City, “The Beard” remains an official member of the Rockets.
In a recent article, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer gave a major update on the rumors surrounding Harden. As of now, some people around the league have doubts if team general manager Rafael Stone is really planning to move the All-Star shooting guard before the 2021 trade deadline. As O’Connor noted, there’s a growing optimism inside the organization that “The Beard” will consider finishing the 2020-21 NBA season as a Rocket.
“Though James Harden captured the entire league’s focus after demanding a trade, league sources question general manager Rafael Stone’s willingness to deal him this season. The Rockets have shown promise amid a 3-5 start—John Wall resembles his pre-injury self, Christian Wood is posting All-Star numbers, and even role players like Jae’Sean Tate are excelling off the bench. Front office executives around the NBA say Houston is growing more confident that Harden will be content to stick around at least through the rest of the season.”
It wouldn’t really be surprising if Harden decides to spend the entire season with the Rockets. O’Connor made it clear that he still prefers to be traded to another title contender this season, but he seems thrilled with what he’s currently seeing with his team. So far, two of Harden’s newest teammates — John Wall and Christian Wood — are showing remarkable play.
After missing the entire 2019-20 NBA season with an injury, Wall is starting to show a glimpse of his old self and proving that he’s capable of sharing the backcourt with a ball-dominant star like Harden. In six games he played, Wall is averaging 20.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.0 block, and 1.2 steals while shooting 46.4 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN.
Meanwhile, Wood continues to show that Houston made the right decision to give him a three-year, $41 million contract in the 2020 free agency. This season, Wood is already posting an All-Star-caliber performance, averaging 23.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks while shooting 54.1 percent from the field and 25.0 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN.
The Rockets still have plenty of work to do in order to become a legitimate threat in the loaded Western Conference. However, according to O’Connor, Harden himself said that once they find the right chemistry, Houston has a chance “to do something special.” If things go as expected, there’s a strong possibility that Harden would choose to stay and finish his career as a Rocket.
