Dissatisfied superstar James Harden said the Houston Rockets are “just not good enough” after the team’s second straight loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night, adding that he doesn’t believe the team can improve enough to be a contender. to be.
“I love this town. I literally did everything I could,” Harden said after losing the Rockets 117-100. ‘I mean, this situation is insane. It’s something I don’t think can be resolved. ‘
It’s the closest Harden has come to the stock market with trading demand that sources said he’d done during the off-season.
The Houston front office is determined to remain patient until the asking price for the 2018 NBA MVP is reached, sources told ESPN. The Rockets have informed teams that they want a fledgling franchise cornerstone and a pack of first-round picks and / or intriguing talent on rookie contracts in exchange for Harden, sources said.
The Rockets have had active / pending trade talks with “more than half a dozen teams,” according to a source close to the situation, and have communicated with Harden about those options.
Harden made it clear to owner Tilman Fertitta before the season that he did not believe in the direction and ability of the franchise to compete and preferred to be traded to a team that was in a better position to win, said sources.
Fertitta was disappointed, but told Harden he would explore the trading market according to the Rockets’ timetable. Since then, he has consistently reassured Harden that he will trade him, and has empowered new general manager Rafael Stone to trade the three-time-scoring champion, who has three years and $ 133 million with a player option for the final season remaining on. His contract is up when he finds a deal that he likes.
The Rockets have lost four out of five games since Harden, who held out during the start of training camp, returned from a right ankle sprain that caused him to miss one game. According to research from ESPN Stats & Information, he has scored 20 points or less in the past four games, his longest trajectory since 2011-12, his last season with Oklahoma City Thunder.
This loss was especially uncompetitive as the Rockets lagged 35-14 at the end of the first quarter. Houston fell to 3-6, just half a game ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves for the worst record in the Western Conference.
“To be honest, we’re not even close to that team – the defending champions of course – and all the other elite teams out there,” said Harden. “I mean you can see the difference in these last two games.
“We’re just not good enough – chemistry, talent, just everything. And it was clear these last two games.”
Harden ended his virtual press conference after just two questions. Rockets point guard John Wall, who arrived in a trade for Russell Westbrook just before training camp started, noted that players concerned about personal agendas can take down a team.
“He’s against his own opinion. I don’t know what he thinks about the team or what he thinks we are,” said Wall. “I know how much hard work these guys put in … getting better every day. I know how much work I put into coming back and competing at a high level.
“There are a lot of guys here who want to compete at a high level. As I’ve told everyone tonight and told the guys before, when one to 15 guys are all on the same page and commit and they know their role and they know what they want out of it and that’s to win it’s all going to be alright But when you have certain guys in the mix who don’t want to buy everything as one it gets hard to do something special or do something good like a basketball team. “
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne contributed to this report.