James Harden eyed a Houston comeback amid Clippers trade talks
James Harden and the Los Angeles Clippers they managed to split amicably before the deadline, after both parties decided to go in different directions. Harden wanted to compete for the championship, and there was uncertainty about his contract after this season.
As for the Clippers, it’s clear they wanted to rejuvenate, even though they’ve turned their season around in the last month. Harden’s representatives were evaluating who would be interested in the Clippers guard, and one of the teams was one of his former stationsaccording to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne.
“Harden was interested in reuniting with Houston Rocketssources say, a natural fit because their point guard, Fred VanVleet, tore his ACL a season ago. But the Rockets showed little interest in their former MVP,” Shelburne wrote. “However, Cleveland did. The Cavaliers were intrigued to see how Harden could elevate his two standout bigs, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, and take some of the load off dynamic guard Donovan Mitchell.
If Harden was traded to the Rockets, it may have been a move that helped them, as they lack real depth at point guard, especially with VanVleet injured. The only problem is who the Rockets would have to give up in that situation, and the Clippers must have been looking for a few of their young players.
That move would likely destroy most of their roster, and the Rockets didn’t want to do that when they did traded for Kevin Durant in the offseason.
So far this season, the Rockets have been able to get by without much depth at guard, and Amen Thompson has stepped into that role. He’s not your typical traditional point guard, but he gets help from Alperen Sengun and Durant. Reed Shepard also stepped up in his second season in the league.
It would be an interesting reunion between Harden and the Rockets if it happened.
2026-02-06 16:22:00
