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When John Wall said wanting like his outdated self and Christian Wood emerged as a beast pick-and-roll accomplice, there was, for a fleeting second, a last-ditch sense of hope that maybe James Harden would recant his commerce demand. A lot for that.
Whereas speak has died down round Harden’s public preseason demand, Harden nonetheless clearly desires out of Houston. On Tuesday, after Houston bought smoked by the Lakers to fall to a Western Convention-worst 3-7 for the season, Harden solely wanted just a few phrases to say all the pieces in regards to the state of affairs with the Rockets, who Harden proclaimed are “just not good enough.”
“We’re not even shut, truthfully, to [the Lakers] — clearly the defending champions — and all the opposite elite groups on the market,” Harden mentioned. “I imply, you may inform the distinction in these final two video games.
“Chemistry, talent-wise, all the pieces. It is clear,” Harden continued. “I really like this metropolis. I’ve actually performed all the pieces I can. It is loopy. I do not suppose it may be mounted. Thanks.”
Then he bought up and walked off the rostrum.
Shortly after Harden’s feedback, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted that the Rockets stay engaged in commerce talks for Harden, however that they are asking worth stays excessive and no deal is imminent.
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Ramona Shelburne and Wojnarowksi further reported that the Rockets are presently having Harden commerce discussions with “greater than a half dozen groups,” and that Houston proprietor Tilman Fertitta continues to guarantee Harden that he’ll discover a commerce for him. Fertitta is claimed to have “empowered” new Rockets GM Rafael Stone to hold out a commerce.
None of that is actually information, after all. The Rockets have been buying Harden all alongside, and naturally their asking worth goes to be excessive. The brand new variable is Harden publicly dropping persistence as he copes with the truth that he cannot utterly bully his means out of city with two assured years, plus a third-year participant choice, remaining on his contract.
Along with taking his gripes to the media, Harden has mainly give up on the court docket, having scored fewer than 20 factors in every of his previous 4 video games. The final time that occurred was 2011-12, per ESPN Stats & information.
Harden has listed quite a few groups as acceptable commerce locations, together with the Nets, Sixers, Warmth, Blazers and Bucks. However once more, Harden would not have all of the leverage right here. Sure, he is an influence participant who, alongside together with his agent, holds main sway behind closed doorways, however he is not in a stroll yr. Houston can, and sure will, commerce him to no matter workforce gives the very best bundle, not the workforce Harden prefers, and till then Harden’s going to be in Houston.
With all of the chaos surrounding Kyrie Irving and the Nets proper now, you marvel how which may, if in any respect, influence a possible deal for Harden, or if the Sixers can be prepared to shake up the great vibes they’re constructing with their sizzling begin to the season. The groups to which Harden desires to be traded, typically, both do not have the belongings or the motivation to swing a deal, except Houston drops its worth.
It’ll be powerful for the Rockets to get something near a good worth, and Harden is attempting to place the screws to them on the prospect that they will buckle underneath the stress, get sick of the drama, and reduce their losses with a lesser deal to rid themselves of what’s solely going to develop into a worse headache. As a result of how lengthy can the group put up with this? How lengthy can the opposite Rockets gamers share the identical locker room with Harden as he tells anybody and everybody that they don’t seem to be ok for him?
For his half, Wall is clearly rising bored with Harden’s act as Houston’s season — Wall’s first season again after two years on the shelf — has been solely hijacked by Harden’s agenda.
“He is [Harden] speaking to his personal opinion. I am unable to know what he thinks in regards to the workforce or what he appears like we’re,” Wall mentioned, by way of the ESPN report. “I understand how a lot laborious work these guys put in … to attempt to get higher day-after-day. I understand how a lot work I put into it to get again and compete at a excessive degree.
“There’s lots of guys right here that need to compete at a excessive degree,” Wall continued. “Like I informed everyone tonight and informed the fellows earlier than, when one via 15 guys are all on the identical web page they usually commit they usually know their position they usually know what they need to get out of this and that is to win, it’s going to all be superb. However when you might have sure guys within the combine that do not need to purchase in all as one, it is going to be laborious to do something particular or something good as a basketball workforce.”
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