Houston Rockets: James Harden trade and other must-follow storylines

How long James Harden stays on the roster

Ever since James Harden requested a trade from the Houston Rockets, it had been a headline that dominated the offseason. The former league MVP is so persistent on playing elsewhere that he reportedly turned down a two-year extension worth north of $100 million, which says plenty about his feelings towards the organization.

Although Harden has a list of preferred trade destinations consisting of several contending teams, the Rockets have still refused to budge on the guard’s demands. Houston hoped that their offseason dealings might have changed Harden’s mind, but he remains adamant about wanting a change of scenery.

While there appears to be minimal momentum on any Harden trade talks to this point, his hot start to the season might change that. In Houston’s first two games, Harden has averaged 39 points on a .595/.500/.920 slash line, five rebounds, and 12.5 assists. Numbers like that could undoubtedly ignite some interest in Harden league-wide, but only time will tell if the team decides to comply and trade him.

As Marc Stein of The New York Times reported last week, despite Houston’s desperation to repair their relationship with Harden, it is only worsening with each passing day:

"“More current rumblings indicate that tension within the Rockets is mounting each day Harden goes untraded. The Athletic illuminated some of that tension with a report Tuesday that Harden recently threw a ball in practice at Jae’Sean Tate, his new rookie teammate. Both sides now want to move on as quickly as possible. It’s time.”"

While nothing has transpired just yet, James Harden’s desire to get traded is something to monitor without question. No deal appears imminent, but who knows what is going on behind the scenes.