The tensions that boiled over in Houston this week between James Harden and his teammates have been building for weeks, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. League sources tell O’Connor that there was animosity between Harden and John Wall from the time Wall was traded to the Rockets in early December. Wall still views himself as a franchise player and he believed Harden was sabotaging the team with his efforts to get traded.
Hard feelings continued to grow as Harden reported late for training camp and the team struggled to a 3-6 start. After a second consecutive blowout loss to the Lakers Tuesday night, Harden declared the Rockets weren’t “good enough” to compete with the league’s top teams, and Wall and DeMarcus Cousins fired back angry responses.
Those two players are the leaders in Houston now, but they both have checkered pasts regarding team chemistry and are coming off major injuries, O’Connor notes. Wall’s future with the Rockets seems secure as he’s under contract for more than $91MM over the next two seasons. However, Cousins – who is playing only 13.4 minutes per night and shooting just 35.6% from the field – is on a veteran’s minimum deal that doesn’t become fully guaranteed until February 27.
There’s more from Houston:
- Victor Oladipo may not have a long-term future with the team, O’Connor writes in the same story. Sources tell O’Connor that Oladipo, who will be a free agent at the end of the season, would prefer to end up with the Heat. The Rockets can trade their new guard at any time, but he cannot be aggregated with other salaries until March 5, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. This year’s trade deadline is March 25.
- Eric Gordon doesn’t believe Harden intended to insult his teammates with his comments after Tuesday’s game, according to Mark Berman of KRIV in Houston (video link). “For me knowing him personally I don’t think he really meant it as far as to really disrespect the team,” Gordon said. “That’s just from me. He wanted a different situation. He’s kind of shown that and he said it. I don’t think he really meant to disrespect the players.”
- With Harden’s salary off the books, the Rockets could choose to operate below the cap next season, suggests John Hollinger of The Athletic. He notes that the team can easily get to $20MM under next year’s cap number, and possibly more if Gordon is traded too.
The nba is just a bunch of DIVAS. been that way for a while
Tillman Fertitta is NBA diva #1
Shaq on pregame tore Harden to absolute shreds, even bought his career playoff elimination game receipts “How can he say he gave it his all when he didn’t? He shot 20% when the season was on the line” lol damn savage destruction RIP Nets
If PJ goes Eric will be left holding the stocky 6’4″ mantle. In all serious he’s a great starting two guard. Seems to have left his injury woes behind him too.
Agreed, what playoff team would swap their draft pick for him?
Salary cap is not useful
Knicks have $73m and Thunder have $72m cap
Most good player gets contract extensions
Okay, so imagine flipping oladipo for herro plus matching salaries. Then trade becomes 8 firsts and herro is a solid return for harden
Why would the Heat dont that for a rental?
It would likely be contingent on Oladipo re-signing with Miami.
Swaps aren’t actual picks
Thank you Bowser….feel like people are getting lost with the swaps. Some guy on here was patting himself for saying Houston would get 7 firsts for Harden
True
I called it fake swaps, which means nothing at all
Rockets have 3 Firsts this summer
Own or Thunder, lottery pick
Pistons top 16-protected
Blazers top 14-protected
Nets swap is fake
Reality
Rockets Only get 3 future Firsts from Nets
Nets swaps have no meaning
Swaps would have a meaning if Harden were traded for DLo and Edwards
Except harden and KD will be gone after 2 seasons lol. Then those pick swaps will be excellent
It’s funny how you (Sillivan) counted swaps as picks when Houston sent CP3 to OKC and said the Rockets traded away all of their first round picks. But they actually get 4 first rounders for Harden, including the Bucks pick in 2022.
The swap in 2021 might not be worth much, but if the Nets fall off over the next few years the swaps in 2023, 2025, an 2027 might be worth a lot for Houston.
There is absolutely a 0.00% chance Miami would deal Herro for Oladipo. Not even remotely possible.
Herro’s stock isn’t as high as it was 3 months ago
Why would Miami do that when they can wait for off-season abs sign Oladipo and keep Herro?
Rocket fans are trying to hard to make the deal make sense after thinking they were getting Allen, Levert, Dinwiddle and picks
I’m not as sure about Herro right now. Also even with that uncertainty Olidipo and his laundry list of Injuries and uneven play isn’t worth Herros potential.
For the Heat… simplest move is to do Iggy and picks for Oladipo. 15M trade exception and Iggys salary makes it work. Otherwise they have to wait.
You can’t combine a TPE with salary to match. But the salaries are not that far apart.
link to espn.com
Yea actually only needed 1M salary added.
Why on earth would the Rockets want to trade Oladipo for Iguodala? Sure that trade makes all kinds of sense for Miami, but like they always say it takes two to tango.
so they can receive and extra 2nd, 3rd or 9th round draft choice…..
Max players run your team, if you let them. You sign the wrong max player. You can hurt your team more than help it. Under Fertitta Rockets seem without direction. He doesn’t seem like an NBA fan to me.
I doubt Heat touch Oladipo now that Herro is heating up. Considering he is due new contract. It’s best to see him play for the yr. Then sign him as FA.
Also not really sure Oladipo’s personality would mesh well on the Heat with Butler there.
I think Tillman is too much of a basketball fan, honestly. He seems like a fanboy half the time. He is too much involved and trying to run it like his restaurants.
Not sure if it’ll happen but Houston NEEDS Herro as the face of their franchise, and build from there.
Rockets probably show case Oladipo till TD. He’s gotta prove he’s healthy. They can then trade him or sign him. If he walks they have 21 mill to spend.
Herro is heating up and looking as good if not better than Oladipo. I doubt Heat move him.
Miami would be very tough with Herro Butler Oladipo and Bam.
They definitely need an upgrade at power forward tho they should either use the draft if they have picks or look for a cheap vet
I really doubt Oladipo is going to be re-traded for anyone useful 3 years in the future.
The Pacers were able to do it bc the Nets were getting James Harden, Rockets were getting rid of James Harden, and Fertitta was dumping salary.
If Fertitta’s fragile ego weren’t directly involved, Houston could probably have gotten Dinwiddle out of the deal too.
Good luck contending under the cap. Houton is now an actual trashfire of a franchise.
Giannis never should of signed his deal. The Bucks will be lucky to make it to the ECF. Bucks should of gotten Harden instead of Holliday.
If there was a dislike/downvote button, I would be using it rn – though I agree the Bucks will be lucky to make ECF this year.
Also, I don’t think James Harden is for Wisconsin, and I don’t think Wisconsin is for James Harden.
I wish Dins was traded where he could start, but then if wishes counted he would not be out for the year. Probably his job now is to keep others from despising each other!
D by DW-agree w/ much of that but don’t understand re Fert’s ego and Dinwiddle
Imo if not for Fertitta’s ego, they would’ve pulled the trade over the summer, when Dinwiddle was still healthy and probably includable in a deal.
Maybe other teams need to start making some trades
Harden needs a visit with Jenny Craig. He should be ashamed of the shape he came into the league this year.
Dorothy that’s not very nice, people are who they are, girl you nasty!!