James Harden Interested in Joining Brooklyn Nets

• James Harden interested in the possibility of reuniting with Kevin Durant in Brooklyn next season
• Harden has not yet asked the Rockets for a trade
• Houston is seeking offers for Russell Westbrook, who expressed his desire to leave last week

The NBA’s transaction window will officially open on Monday afternoon. So, between now and the beginning of the 2020-21 NBA season on December 22, we can expect no shortage of activity around the league. Player movement has been restricted since March, so surely plenty of teams are itching to tinker with their rosters ahead of the new campaign.

One team that seems to be at a crossroads is the Houston Rockets. Houston was beaten in five games by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the playoffs. Shortly thereafter, the Rockets lost head coach Mike D’Antoni and general manager Daryl Morey, who left for greener pastures. Last week, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that Russell Westbrook has asked for a trade. Westbrook disputed the claim, but where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

Harden to Brooklyn?

The flurry of news surrounding the Rockets has led many to wonder what’s next for James Harden. Harden has been the face of the Rockets for the last decade. While Harden has yet to formally ask the team for a trade, ESPN reported on Sunday that he has his eye on a potential destination if he does decide to seek a move.

ESPN Sources with @RamonaShelburne and @ZachLowe_NBA: As Houston’s James Harden considers his future with franchise, one possible trade destination is rising to top of his list: Brooklyn. The idea of reuniting with Kevin Durant and joining Kyrie Irving is resonating with Harden.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 15, 2020

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Harden is intrigued by the idea of joining the Brooklyn Nets via trade. Harden is interested in a potential reunion with former Thunder teammate Kevin Durant, who is set to return from an Achilles injury that kept him sidelined for the entire 2019-20 season. Harden, Durant, and Kyrie Irving could join forces to give the Nets the NBA’s latest trio of superstars.

Woj says the idea is “resonating” with Harden, and that he has talked personally with Durant about the possibility of teaming up once again. The two helped the Thunder reach the NBA Finals in 2012, just months before Oklahoma City wound up trading Harden to Houston.

Harden’s Concerns With Rockets

Harden is reportedly concerned about the Rockets’ ability to compete for championships in the future. Brooklyn is reportedly considering the idea of pitching the Rockets on a deal, but no formal discussions have occurred as of yet. The Rockets are reportedly open to listening to trade offers that come in for Harden, but that is not a signal that Houston is ready to part ways with the former MVP.

If the Rockets do decide to field offers, it’s going to take an absolutely massive haul to pry him away from Houston. The reigning scoring champion has two guaranteed years left on his current contract with a player option for the 2022-23 campaign. That option will pay him upwards of $47 million that season.

While the Nets would surely prefer to keep Durant and Irving in any potential trade, the team does have enough interesting ancillary pieces to potentially tempt the Rockets. Brooklyn can dangle the likes of Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Jarrett Allen in addition to a bounty of future draft considerations.

Westbrook’s Limited Trade Market

The Rockets have reportedly been looking into the possibility of trading Westbrook, but the market for the 32-year-old is tepid. Westbrook has declined a bit over the past couple of seasons, and his contract is proving to be quite cumbersome. Westbrook has two years left on his deal with his own player option for 2022-23 that will pay him over $46 million.

Westbrook just finished his first season with the Rockets after coming over in a trade from Oklahoma City last summer. Westbrook still posted excellent averages of 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game last year, but a quad injury kept him sidelined for most of Houston’s first-round series against OKC.

Entering the offseason, the Nets have the fifth-best odds of any team to win next year’s title at +800. Only the Lakers (+350), Clippers (+600), Bucks (+600), and Warriors (+700) have better odds. The Rockets, meanwhile, have dipped to +3000.