An interesting new rumor claims that James Harden was hoping for a reunion with Kevin Durant before the NBA trade deadline, but the Houston Rockets had no interest.
A few weeks ago, many experts suggested this year’s NBA trade deadline would be a snoozefest. However, it ended up being very active, and several big-name stars were surprisingly moved before 3:00 PM ET on Thursday. One of them was future Hall of Famer James Harden.
After rumblings earlier this season that the Los Angeles Clippers might try to move some of their expensive veterans to open up future cap space, they pulled the trigger on a trade that sent the 11-time All-Star to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a straight-up swap for Darius Garland.
The move surprised some since the earlier rumors came when the Clippers were in an ugly slump. However, they have been one of the best teams in the NBA over the last month. However, reports claimed the one-time MVP forced a move after LA turned down his request for a contract extension.
Rockets had no interest in a James Harden reunion before trade deadline
It was just the latest instance of Harden’s history of forcing trades when he grows unhappy with his situation. He did it during previous stops with the Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers, and Brooklyn Nets. That reputation, along with not delivering in the playoffs, is probably why Houston turned down the chance to acquire him this week.
According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, Harden was hoping a third go-around with Durant — this time with a reunion in Houston — was something he was interested in before the trade deadline. Unfortunately for him, the Rockets did not share the feeling and shut down any idea of a trade.
Their stance was understandable. While he would bring the ball handler they could use, his lack of defense and underwhelming performances in the playoffs don’t improve a team with real NBA Finals hopes this spring.
