James Harden has yet to report to training camp and the Houston Rockets are trying to remain positive about it. But new coach Stephen Silas admitted nothing is for certain.
“There is no timetable, as far as I know,” Silas told reporters after Monday’s practice. “It is a setback. You want your best player to be here.”
Word is, Harden is still seeking a trade. The Rockets traded guard Russell Westbrook to the Washington Wizards for John Wall last week. For whatever reason, Harden appears to want out, too.
“The Rockets are clinging to the hope, ‘Hey, we can be competitive this year,” ESPN insider Tim MacMahon said on The Lowe Post podcast. “‘If we’re competitive and we’re willing, maybe James will get back on board.’
“They’re just clinging to this hope and I mean, how many times have you seen a superstar demand a trade very publicly and things ended up working out. I will give you Kobe Bryant when they pulled the Pau Gasol trade and won championships. I’m having a hard time thinking of another situation like that.”
MacMahon indicated he believes Harden and the Rockets are sort of playing a game of basketball chicken.
“He’s basically saying ”I’m going to make this as ugly a situation as possible,'” MacMahon said. “I wrote the story weeks ago where a Rockets source told me that the franchise was willing to get uncomfortable. ‘Look, you want to be gone. We get that. We’re not going to be rushed into it. We’re willing to get uncomfortable.’ It seems like Harden is taking that as a challenge.”
