After holding out for several days, Houston Rockets’ superstar James Harden finally joined the team for training camp. Harden also made his preseason debut on Tuesday, playing in a 112-98 win over the San Antonio Spurs.

Harden opted not to be in Houston for the start of the training camp, with sources describing his absence as a “holdout” in attempts to force a trade. The 31-year-old previously told the Rockets that he wants out as he believes the team isn’t competitive enough.

However, the Rockets took a patient approach and reportedly are not prepared to trade their best player unless they receive appropriate compensation.  Harden eventually caved in and ended his holdout although nothing changed about his intention to leave the franchise.

In his first preseason outing, Harden spent 21 minutes on the floor and had a rough shooting night, hitting three out of his 10 shots. He still managed to put up 12 points to go with three rebounds and four assists.

The performance still pleased Rockets’ new head coach Stephen Silas, who was happy to see Harden out on the floor. 

“He was good,” said Silas after the game. “I mean, he’s obviously a great player and can do so many things on the floor, on and off the ball. Defensively, he has great hands and makes plays, and is smart. So to have him out there was great.”

James Harden should get comfortable in Houston again, as there is a big chance he won’t be leaving the organization anytime soon despite his wishes. The Rockets reportedly have high demands that teams have been unwilling to meet so far. This includes getting back a young franchise star, a promising role player, and a chest of draft picks. 

The post James Harden Finally Joins Rockets’ Training Camp, Makes His Preseason Debut appeared first on toppoptoday.com.

It appears that James Harden sees his future away from Houston Rockets. According to multiple reports, Harden recently rejected an extension offer from the team and would like to be traded to Brooklyn Nets.

Reportedly, the Rockets offered Harden a two-year, $103 million on top of his current three years, $133 million. This would make him the highest-paid player in NBA history while also tying him to the franchise through the 2024/25 season.

However, Harden said no to the offer and is focused on leaving the franchise which he represented for the past nine years. According to sources, the 31-year-old player is unsure about the team’s ability to compete and believes he would have a far better chance of winning an NBA title elsewhere.

So far, Harden has Brooklyn Nets as his preferred destination. In Brooklyn, he would reunite with former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate and fellow MVP Kevin Durant while also playing with another superstar in Kyrie Irving.

Nets are aware of Harden’s wishes and have engaged in talks with Rockets about a possible deal. However, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that no deal is imminent and that the two sides haven’t had “meaningful dialogue” regarding the matter.

Having Harden under contract for the next three years gives Houston a chance to slow down the process and explore the market. It is in their interest to start a bidding war, so we shouldn’t expect a deal anytime soon. But, as things look now, it will happen at some point.

Since coming to Houston in a trade from OKC, James Harden established himself as one of the best basketball players in the world and arguably one of the best scorers in the history of the NBA. Harden made the All-Star in each of the past eight seasons and finished in the top three of MVP voting five times since 2015 while winning the award in 2017/18.

The post James Harden Rejects Extension Offer from Rockets, Wants to go to the Nets appeared first on toppoptoday.com.

After holding out for several days, Houston Rockets’ superstar James Harden finally joined the team for training camp. Harden also made his preseason debut on Tuesday, playing in a 112-98 win over the San Antonio Spurs.

Harden opted not to be in Houston for the start of the training camp, with sources describing his absence as a “holdout” in attempts to force a trade. The 31-year-old previously told the Rockets that he wants out as he believes the team isn’t competitive enough.

However, the Rockets took a patient approach and reportedly are not prepared to trade their best player unless they receive appropriate compensation.  Harden eventually caved in and ended his holdout although nothing changed about his intention to leave the franchise.

In his first preseason outing, Harden spent 21 minutes on the floor and had a rough shooting night, hitting three out of his 10 shots. He still managed to put up 12 points to go with three rebounds and four assists.

The performance still pleased Rockets’ new head coach Stephen Silas, who was happy to see Harden out on the floor. 

“He was good,” said Silas after the game. “I mean, he’s obviously a great player and can do so many things on the floor, on and off the ball. Defensively, he has great hands and makes plays, and is smart. So to have him out there was great.”

James Harden should get comfortable in Houston again, as there is a big chance he won’t be leaving the organization anytime soon despite his wishes. The Rockets reportedly have high demands that teams have been unwilling to meet so far. This includes getting back a young franchise star, a promising role player, and a chest of draft picks. 

The post James Harden Finally Joins Rockets’ Training Camp, Makes His Preseason Debut appeared first on toppoptoday.com.

It appears that James Harden sees his future away from Houston Rockets. According to multiple reports, Harden recently rejected an extension offer from the team and would like to be traded to Brooklyn Nets.

Reportedly, the Rockets offered Harden a two-year, $103 million on top of his current three years, $133 million. This would make him the highest-paid player in NBA history while also tying him to the franchise through the 2024/25 season.

However, Harden said no to the offer and is focused on leaving the franchise which he represented for the past nine years. According to sources, the 31-year-old player is unsure about the team’s ability to compete and believes he would have a far better chance of winning an NBA title elsewhere.

So far, Harden has Brooklyn Nets as his preferred destination. In Brooklyn, he would reunite with former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate and fellow MVP Kevin Durant while also playing with another superstar in Kyrie Irving.

Nets are aware of Harden’s wishes and have engaged in talks with Rockets about a possible deal. However, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that no deal is imminent and that the two sides haven’t had “meaningful dialogue” regarding the matter.

Having Harden under contract for the next three years gives Houston a chance to slow down the process and explore the market. It is in their interest to start a bidding war, so we shouldn’t expect a deal anytime soon. But, as things look now, it will happen at some point.

Since coming to Houston in a trade from OKC, James Harden established himself as one of the best basketball players in the world and arguably one of the best scorers in the history of the NBA. Harden made the All-Star in each of the past eight seasons and finished in the top three of MVP voting five times since 2015 while winning the award in 2017/18.

The post James Harden Rejects Extension Offer from Rockets, Wants to go to the Nets appeared first on toppoptoday.com.