James Harden Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Garland, VanVleet Make All-Star Team For First Time

February 3rd, 2022 at 6:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Cavaliers guard Darius Garland and Raptors guard Fred VanVleet were chosen for the All-Star Game for the first time in their respective careers. They were named, along with a handful of other players, to the Eastern Conference All-Star reserve pool on Thursday, per the NBA (Twitter link).

Garland is averaging 19.8 PPG and 8.2 APG for the surprising Cavaliers. VanVleet has posted averages of 21.5 PPG and 7.0 APG this season.

The list of Eastern Conference reserves also includes the Nets’ James Harden, the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum, the Bulls’ Zach LaVine, the Bucks’ Khris Middleton and the Heat‘s Jimmy Butler. The reserves were chosen by the league’s coaches.

Garland will be playing in front of his home fans in Cleveland on February 20.

The pool of Eastern Conference starters was announced a week ago. Sixers center Joel Embiid, Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nets forward Kevin Durant are the frontcourt starters, while the backcourt players in the starter pool are DeMar DeRozan (Bulls) and Trae Young (Hawks).

Atlantic Notes: Trent, Celtics, Beal, Harden

February 3rd, 2022 at 2:40pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Raptors shooting guard Gary Trent Jr. has been proving his mettle as a valuable addition to a scrappy Toronto team, opines Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Trent has firmly carved out a role for himself as a starter with the Raptors.

“It’s big,” head coach Nick Nurse said of Trent’s current scoring tear (31+ points in five straight games). “It gives you a huge lift and then he gives you somewhere to go, too, with some play calls and then it usually gives you something to counter back against, too, because he’ll draw so much attention that we can go back to someone else. That’s big.”

After shipping Norman Powell to the Trail Blazers for Trent at the trade deadline last season, the Raptors showed how much they expected out of Trent when they signed him to a three-year, $54MM contract in the offseason. Grange notes that Nurse and the rest of the Raptors organization emphasized their interest in seeing Trent step up as a defender and develop into a more significant three-point catch-and-shoot scorer.

Trent’s season has been so good, writes Josh Lewenberg of TSN, that the 23-year-old may be too valuable to the 26-23 Raptors to use as a potential trade chip ahead of next week’s deadline.

“It’s just the opportunity to shoot and score, unlimited shots, kind of let me go out there and play,” Trent said. “You don’t have to worry about anything. I don’t have to look over my shoulder anymore. If I miss a shot or kick it off my leg, my coaching staff believes in me. They’re allowing me to play and allowing me to roll with the punches.”

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

As the NBA trade deadline approaches, Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston previews potential options available to the Celtics. The team is coming off a hot January, in which it went 10-6 to move to a respectable 28-25 on the season, still only good for the No. 9 seed in the crowded East. Because Boston remains mired in relative mediocrity, Forsberg suggests the club could be in tax-avoidance mode, making big transactions less than likely before the 2022 offseason. That said, Forsberg speculates that the team could opt to offload guards like Romeo Langford or Dennis Schröder, among others.
The Sixers could face an intriguing opportunity at the trade deadline. Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer ponders what Philadelphia should do if adding Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal suddenly becomes a viable option. Beal could opt out of the last year of his current deal with the Wizards and become an unrestricted free agent this summer. With that reality in mind as the deadline approaches, Beal could force Washington’s hand and compel the only team he has ever known to trade him. Pompey wonders if the Sixers will consider adding a high-level isolation scorer in his prime, even if Beal is having a down scoring year by his standards and has never been much of a defender. The team’s reluctance to include Tyrese Maxey or Matisse Thybulle in an outgoing trade could limit its ability to add a star player.
Nets shooting guard James Harden did not mince words when discussing Brooklyn’s current six-game losing slump, per Nick Friedell of ESPN. “I think we’ve done too much talking,” Harden said. “It’s just, we got to go out there and do it, and do it consistently. We have times when we’re great, and we have times when we’re really bad. We just got to find some consistency throughout the course of games more times than not.” It should be noted that Harden, averaging 22.5 PPG, 10.2 APG and 8.0 RPG on the season, said this on a night when he shot 2-of-11 from the floor and netted a total of four points, 12 assists, seven rebounds and six turnovers.

Nets Notes: Aldridge, Harden, Durant, Harris, Crawford

January 31st, 2022 at 10:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nets are awaiting the results of an MRI on LaMarcus Aldridge‘s left ankle, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. Aldridge sprained the ankle during the fourth quarter of Saturday’s loss at Golden State. He left the arena in a walking boot and had the MRI in Arizona. Aldridge is averaging 13.4 PPG and 5.6 RPG in 22.9 MPG.

We have more news on the Nets:

James Harden is questionable to play against Phoenix on Tuesday due to a strained right hand, ESPN’s Nick Friedell writes. Harden, who was able to practice Monday, was a late scratch on Saturday after waking up with discomfort in the hand and had an MRI in San Francisco.
There’s still no timetable for the returns of Kevin Durant or Joe Harris, Friedell tweets. Durant (knee) hasn’t played since January 15 while Harris (ankle) has been sidelined since November 14.
Brooklyn’s G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, has requested waivers on Jordan Crawford, Marc Spears of The Undefeated tweets. His contract only ran through January. It’s possible he could return to the Long Island club but he could also be claimed by another G League team or even go overseas. Crawford hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since the 2017/18 season.

Nets Notes: Harden, Irving, Aldridge, Edwards

January 30th, 2022 at 9:04am CST by Arthur Hill

The Nets are hoping that the right hand strain that made James Harden a late scratch for Saturday’s game won’t be a long-term issue, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Harden wasn’t on the team’s injury list, but he underwent an MRI exam that showed the strain.

“James’ hand has been bothering him for a few days at least,” coach Steve Nash said. “He thought it was nothing and then it really flared up this morning when he woke up. Obviously irritated but what he was feeling (Friday) and (Saturday) morning he woke up with some irritation so he had a scan. (It was) clean of the bad stuff, but a strain for sure. There’s stuff on the MRI, so he’s feeling something and feeling the strain, and like I said it’s been bothering (him). But he was like, ‘It’s nothing.’ And now it’s a little more than nothing. He woke up with a marked difference in the hand.”

Nash added that Harden has fully recovered from a strained hamstring that forced him to miss Wednesday’s game. He said Harden has been dealing with pain in the hand for several days and may have aggravated it at Friday’s practice. Brooklyn’s next game is Tuesday at Phoenix, and Harden’s status is uncertain.

There’s more on the Nets:

Kyrie Irving had one of his best games of the season Saturday night at Golden State, but his vaccination status continues to be a source of controversy, Lewis adds. San Francisco board supervisor Matt Haney told reporters that Irving shouldn’t have been permitted to play at Chase Center without the vaccine. “Some people are gonna agree and some people are gonna disagree,” Irving said. “He’s entitled to his opinion and I respect it.”
LaMarcus Aldridge left the arena on crutches after rolling his ankle late in the game, tweets Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. “It’s just an ankle sprain,” Aldridge said. “I will be all right. I just can’t walk on it right now.”
Rookie Kessler Edwards, who was a long shot to make the Nets’ roster after being drafted in the second round, has been pushed into the starting lineup because of injuries, Lewis adds in a separate story. There were questions about his shot coming out of college, but he has been working with player development coach Kyle Korver and is connecting at 39.3% from beyond the arc. “I thought I’d be good with the shot I had,” Edwards said. “But once they changed (it), once I started hearing different things, I saw that it was working, so I just stuck with it.”

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Harden, Nets, Randle

January 29th, 2022 at 9:23am CST by Dana Gauruder

Could the Sixers deal Ben Simmons before the trade deadline and still acquire James Harden in a sign-and-trade with the Nets this offseason? Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com raises that possibility.

He speculates that dealing Simmons for the best available package now might actually make the Sixers more enticing to Harden in free agency.

Making the team better around Joel Embiid than it is right now with Simmons inactive could lead to an extended playoff run, and they’d still have some assets to offer the Nets. Brooklyn would likely accept the best sign-and-trade package it could get from Philadelphia for Harden if the veteran guard insists on joining the Sixers, Neubeck writes.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Harden will return to action on Saturday at Golden State, Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post writes. Harden missed Wednesday’s game against Denver due to left hamstring tightness but was able to practice on Friday. The Nets will reportedly not listen to trade offers for Harden.
The Nets have been forced to play without two or all three of their perennial All-Stars on a frequent basis lately. They have lost three straight but coach Steve Nash hopes the heavier reliance on their role players will pay off in the long run, as he told Greg Joyce of the New York Post. “The goal is to continue to move this thing forward,” Nash said. “Win or lose, are we learning more about ourselves, more about each other and refining our details? If we do, when we get bodies back we’ll be in a better place for it. We’ll have learned something about ourselves, and we’ll be able to say that this time was not wasted.”
Julius Randle doesn’t regret signing a four-year, $117MM extension with the Knicks despite his rough season, according to Steve Popper of Newsday. “I wouldn’t change it,” he said. “I still want to be a part of it. I still want to see this thing through. I still want to be a part of trying to bring a championship to the Knicks.” Randle has reached the 20-point mark just once in the last five games.

Sixers/Harden Chatter Raises Tampering Suspicions

January 28th, 2022 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The possibility of the Sixers using Ben Simmons as a trade chip to try to acquire Nets star James Harden via sign-and-trade was rumored back in the fall, but the idea has gained more steam as of late, with multiple reporters suggesting this week that such a scenario appears increasingly viable.

With so many recent reports connecting Harden to the 76ers – who are seemingly becoming more and more comfortable with the idea of hanging onto Simmons until the offseason – there are growing suspicions around the NBA about what Philadelphia’s ownership and management groups might know about Harden’s intentions — and how they gathered that information.

In the most recent episode of his Posted Up podcast, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports laid out those concerns and explained what they might mean (hat tip to NBC Sports).

“Michael Rubin – for those who don’t know, the Sixers’ co-owner – (is) very, very, very good friends with James Harden,” Haynes said. “And I’ve talked to a rival owner, talking to rival front-office executives who believe that there could be something, some talks going on now between both sides.

“And this is what I was told: Some front-office executives are prepared to – when the time comes, if a deal does look like it’s about to transpire where there could be some potential sign-and-trade in the offseason – they’re prepared to get the league involved on a potential collusion case, dating back to what they believe could be going on right now, as to why we’re probably hearing a lot of Philadelphia-James Harden talk.

“So, that’s something to keep an eye on. If it does get to the point where it looks like James Harden will be headed to Philly, I was told there will be complaints issued to the league on trying to investigate, to see if there was any collusion, any talks of recruitment going on right now, which is illegal and against the CBA.”

It’s not unusual for a team to recruit a star player months before he reaches free agency. Before Kevin Durant left Oklahoma City for Golden State, for example, there were whispers about the possibility throughout the preceding season.

However, those recruiting efforts were led by the Warriors’ stars rather than team management, and the NBA has never seemed interested in pursuing tampering changes against players. In this case, it’s Harden’s relationships with Rubin and Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey that have helped fuel leaguewide speculation.

Additionally, the league has made an effort to crack down on tampering in recent years, increasing and expanding the penalties that can be imposed on teams found to be guilty of violating the NBA’s rules. The league is much more likely to take a closer look at a potential case of tampering in 2022 than it would have been five or six years ago.

So far, there has been no indication that the Sixers have been in contact with Harden. But Haynes’ report suggests the franchise will face plenty of scrutiny if its oft-rumored pursuit of the former MVP is ultimately successful.

Nets Won’t Listen To Deadline Offers For James Harden

January 26th, 2022 at 7:45pm CST by Rory Maher

The Nets have no intention of dealing former MVP James Harden by the trade deadline, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. While this news isn’t surprising given Brooklyn’s championship aspirations, it’s noteworthy due to a recent report which stated that Harden was interested in testing the waters as a free agent this summer.

However, Harden has consistently informed upper management and ownership that he’s committed to staying and winning a championship with the Nets, allaying concerns that he might ask out in free agency, per Wojnarowski.

Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving still believe the Nets are the best team in the league when the trio are healthy and in the lineup together — a relative rarity during their tenure. Durant is currently sidelined with a sprained MCL, while Irving is still unable to play home games due to New York City’s vaccine mandate. Irving’s part-time status has reportedly frustrated Harden.

The Sixers have been linked to Harden ever since Daryl Morey took over as president of basketball operations prior to last season. They were in the running to acquire Harden a year ago, but the Rockets ultimately accepted the Nets’ package that offered more draft picks. The Sixers haven’t made any trade offers to the Nets for Harden, and the Nets aren’t interested in listening to offers for their star guard ahead of the trade deadline on February 10, sources tell Wojnarowski.

The Nets will be able to offer Harden more years and more money than any other team in free agency. He’s among a handful of star free-agents-to-be – along with Zach LaVine and Bradley Beal – who can maximize their future earnings by forgoing an early extension and waiting until the offseason to sign a new deal.

Harden missed Wednesday’s game against Denver with left hamstring tightness, Nick Friedell of ESPN relays. Coach Steve Nash said it’s difficult to manage Harden’s minutes (37.0 per game) at times, especially with Durant out and Irving only able to play road games.

“It is a challenge,” Nash said. “We would like to protect him more. But he’s a competitor and wants to be out there so we try to have our little tug of war and I think that’s why at times we’d like to ask him to miss games so that he can regenerate and be a little bit safer as far as being ready to go when the playoffs begin.”

Nets Notes: Harden, Nash, Harris, Durant

January 26th, 2022 at 7:57am CST by Luke Adams

Asked on Tuesday about Jake Fischer’s report that suggested he was frustrated by certain aspects of his experience with the Nets and is becoming increasingly interested in testing the free agent market, All-Star guard James Harden denied that those claims came from him, tweets Alex Schiffer of The Athletic.

However, Harden didn’t explicitly call out the report as false, as Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post writes. And while the 32-year-old didn’t confirm that he has been frustrated by Kyrie Irving‘s inconsistent availability or the team’s constantly changing crunch-time lineups, he did acknowledge some disappointment about the way the season has played out so far.

“Of course I’m frustrated because we’re not healthy,” Harden said. “There’s been a lot of inconsistency for whatever reason — injuries, COVID, whatever you want to call it. I think everyone in the organization is frustrated because we’re better than what our record is.”

Here’s more on the Nets:

Head coach Steve Nash was also asked on Tuesday about the claim that Harden has been frustrated by Irving’s status and Nash’s rotations. “I haven’t spoken to him about these things,” Nash replied, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). “I’m not sure what to believe. James and I speak all the time. I think we have a great relationship. I’m not sure the validity of these comments, to be honest with you.”
Nets sharpshooter Joe Harris, who is recovering from left ankle surgery, flew to Indianapolis earlier this week to get a second opinion on his injury, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported on TNT’s Tuesday night broadcast (video link). Harris still intends to return this season, but there’s no set timeline for when that will happen.
Kevin Durant is a shoo-in to make the All-Star team, but he doesn’t plan to play in next month’s All-Star Game in Cleveland, Haynes said on Tuesday night (video link). That’s not a big surprise, since Durant’s recovery from an MCL sprain may keep him sidelined beyond All-Star weekend anyway.

James Harden Reportedly Interested In Testing Free Agent Market

January 25th, 2022 at 11:09am CST by Luke Adams

Word is circulating around the NBA about James Harden‘s increased interest in testing the free agent market this summer, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, who says the Nets star has “clear intentions” of becoming an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career.

Harden holds a $47.4MM player option for the 2022/23 season, but the expectation is that he’ll turn down that option and seek a longer-term contract. The former MVP, who has always signed extensions prior to free agency in the past, expressed interest back in September in going through free agency, even while he suggested that his plan was to remain in Brooklyn.

“Over the course of my career, I’ve never been a free agent before. I’ve always just been loyal, just signing contract extensions, just being there, being there, being there,” Harden said during training camp. “I just want to take my time with it. It’d be a very, very difficult thing to leave here, or to leave Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. But I think this season I just want to focus on winning a championship and everything else will work itself out.”

On the surface, Harden’s plans to reach free agency aren’t a cause for concern for Brooklyn. The Nets will be able to offer him more years and more money than any other team, and he, Durant, and Irving make the team a perennial title contender. He’s among a handful of star free-agents-to-be – along with Zach LaVine and Bradley Beal – who can maximize their future earnings by forgoing an early extension and waiting until the offseason to sign a new deal. As Fischer acknowledges, Harden may very well remain with Brooklyn after testing the market

However, multiple reports this week have stated the Sixers are looming as a potential suitor for Harden, and Fischer hears from sources that the 32-year-old has recently told confidants he may be interested in exploring opportunities outside of Brooklyn.

Fischer shares a few more potential red flags for the Nets, writing that Harden has been frustrated by Irving’s status as a part-time player, as well as Steve Nash‘s fluid rotations. Fischer also hears from multiple sources that Harden hasn’t enjoyed living in Brooklyn as much as he liked living in Houston.

Fischer stresses that Harden isn’t asking for a trade and that he’s extremely likely to finish the season in Brooklyn. Beyond that though, it seems there are no guarantees.

Sixers Rumors: Harden, Simmons, Trade Talks

January 25th, 2022 at 8:44am CST by Luke Adams

After Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic reported on Monday that the Sixers‘ preference would be to retain Ben Simmons until the offseason in order to pursue James Harden, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer cited sources who said the same thing.

“At the end of the day, it’s Harden all the way,” one league source told Pompey. “They want Harden, whether they get him now (or) whether they get him on a forced sign-and-trade this summer.”

The idea of the Nets trading Harden during the season can probably be ruled out. But the former MVP will be eligible for free agency this summer, so he’ll have leverage at that point if he wants a change of scenery. Still, the Sixers wouldn’t have the cap space necessary to sign Harden outright, so Brooklyn would have to get on board with the idea of acquiring Simmons in a sign-and-trade.

Sources tell Pompey that the Nets are aware of Philadelphia’s plan to pursue Harden in the offseason and know that the star guard has good relationships with Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and co-owner Michael Rubin. But Harden has previously stated that he plans to remain in Brooklyn long-term — and even if he has a change of heart, it would likely take a lot of convincing for the Nets to send him to a division rival.

“If I’m the Nets, am I giving up James Harden until I know what Ben is going to be?” one source said to Pompey. “And am I giving him up to go 100 miles away? I’m going to have to see [Harden] several different times a season.”

For what it’s worth, Pompey says people close to the Sixers deny that the team is focused specifically on Harden, reiterating that Morey just wants a star player in return for Simmons — Bradley Beal and Damian Lillard are among the other potential targets who have been frequently mentioned. Harden may be atop Philadelphia’s wish list though, and sources who spoke to The Inquirer suggested Harden would welcome playing with center Joel Embiid.

Here’s more on the Sixers:

Some of Pompey’s sources believe potential trade partners are wary of seriously engaging in talks with the Sixers for fear of leaks. “Whenever teams inquire, it shows up in the media at some capacity within the next 24 hours,” a source told The Inquirer. “Everyone is wanting Daryl to come to them with hard proposals. No one wants to be the one to bring something in because they are afraid as soon as they do it, they’re going to be exposed.”
One source told Pompey that trade discussions with the Sixers are also challenging because Morey has a tendency to move the goal posts — you might think you’re getting close to making a deal, then Morey will come back and ask for more.
In a pair of stories for PhillyVoice.com, Kyle Neubeck examines the Harden rumors in an effort to determine how seriously to take them, and ranks hypothetical Simmons trade packages from most to least intriguing.
David Murphy of The Philadelphia Inquirer advocates for patience on the Simmons front, since trading the former No. 1 overall pick represents the Sixers’ best chance to get Embiid the help he needs to turn the team into a title contender. While taking the best offer at the deadline may help in the short term, it could backfire in the longer term by limiting the team’s ceiling, Murphy writes.