Dissatisfied superstar James Harden said the Houston Rockets were not “good enough” after the team’s second straight loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night, adding that he did not think the team could improve enough to be a competitor.
“I love this city. I’ve done literally everything I can,” Harden said after the Rockets’ 117-100 loss. “I mean, this situation is crazy. It’s something I don’t think can be fixed.”
He is the closest to Harden who came to the stock market with the commercial demand that sources said he made during the season.
The Houston front office is determined to remain patient until the price for the 2018 NBA MVP is met, sources told ESPN. The Rockets have informed the teams that they want a cornerstone of the young franchise and a package of first-round selections and / or interesting talent in the rookie contracts in exchange for Harden, the sources said.
The Rockets had active / ongoing trade talks with “more than half a dozen teams,” according to a source close to the situation, and communicated with Harden about these options.
Harden made it clear to owner Tilman Fertitta before the season that he did not believe in the franchise’s direction and ability to fight and preferred to be traded to a team that was in a better position to win, sources said.
Fertitta was disappointed, but told Harden that he would explore the commercial market under the Rockets program. Since then, he has given Harden assurances that he will change and empowered new general manager Rafael Stone to change the three-time champion, who is three years old and has $ 133 million with the option of a player for the final season. left in the contract, when he finds a business he likes.
The rackets have lost four of five games since Harden, who remained at the start of training camp, returned from a sprained right ankle that caused him to miss a game. He has scored 20 points or less in the last four games, the longest stretch since 2011-12, his last season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
This loss was particularly uncompetitive, as the Rockets trailed 35-14 at the end of the first quarter. Houston fell to 3-6 with just half a game ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves for the worst record in the Western Conference.
“We’re not even close, honestly, to that team – obviously the defending champions – and all the other elite teams out there,” Harden said. “I mean, you can tell the difference in these last two games.
“We’re not good enough – chemistry, talent, just everything. And it was clear these last two games.”
Harden ended his virtual press conference with just two questions. Missile keeper John Wall, who arrived in a deal for Russell Westbrook just before the camp began, said players concerned about personal agendas could bring down a team.
“Speaking from your own opinion. I can’t know what he thinks about the team or what he feels we are,” Wall said. “I know how much work these guys put in … to try to improve every day. I know how much work I put in to come back and compete at a high level.
“There are a lot of guys here who want to compete at a high level. Like I told everyone tonight and I told the guys before, when one to 15 guys are all on the same page and they get engaged and I know the role and I know what they want to get out of it and that to win, everything will be fine, but when you have certain guys in the mix who don’t want to buy everything as one, it’s going to be hard to do something special or anything good. basketball team “.
Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN contributed to this report.