Houston Rockets Rumors: Harden Unhappiness Evident, Things Turning Ugly With Teammates

James Harden is best known to be a composed and laid-back person. But when word gets out that the 31-year-old has been having verbal tussles with his teammates, things are looking bad.

Harden has already made it clear that he wants out of Houston. But the problem right now is that all the teams he is reportedly open to joining have not taken the situation seriously. A reason for that is the enormous salary he carries. Aside from that, most are wary of his style of play and longevity of tenure.

Hence, it comes as no surprise that Harden may eventually lose his cool as he tries to patiently waits for a deal. Shams Charania of The Athletic, through sources, claims that Harden has had multiple verbal confrontations with his teammates.

The source revealed one instance and the player involved. The Rockets player is Jae’Sean Tate who had a heated exchange with the 2018 NBA MVP during Monday practice. But making matters worse is that Harden threw the ball in Tate’s direction. The ball did not hit the rookie.

If one looks at it from a perspective, the usual excuse from Harden or anyone from the Rockets sides that it was all a result of being fired up and being competitive. However, the problem with this is how can the eight-time All-Star align with that if he is seeking a trade?

Regardless of whether anyone from the Rockets side shrugs off this claim, the fact is that Harden wants out. The number of teams interested in “The Beard” now includes the Boston Celtics and the Toronto Raptors but nothing has advanced beyond claims.

This was covered in full in a previous post. The Celtics are allegedly dangling Jaylen Brown while the Raptors are offering Pascal Siakam. ESPN Houston Morning Show host John Granato cited impeccable sources but little has progressed so far.

Other teams linked to Harden include the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks and the Brooklyn Nets. Of those teams, the Heat have allegedly shelved any plans to pursue the third overall pick of the 2009 NBA Draft as they focus on the start of the 2020-21 NBA season.

Harden will still be around when the Rockets open their campaign ironically against Harden’s former team, the Oklahoma City Thunder on Dec. 23. Houston will host OKC with tip-off set for 8:00 p.m. E.T.