The Miami Heat ends James Harden’s pursuit

After brief conversations about a deal with James Harden, the Miami Heat continued and will not go after the Houston Rockets star, sources told ESPN.

Miami is one of the teams that had the kind of youth perspective package that the Rockets looked for in a deal for their disgruntled star. Miami has interesting young players Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson and Kendrick Nunn, among others, plus a few veteran players in the final years of their contracts, who could have been used to facilitate trade.

However, the Rockets have also looked for significant project assets in Harden’s transactions, and the Heat can now offer their first-round option in 2027 in a single transaction. For these reasons, the talks never drifted away from the Rockets, sources said.

Houston held trade talks with the Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets, among others, around Harden, who requested a transaction. Speaking to the media on Monday, Harden declined to answer a question about whether his feelings about the Rockets have changed.

South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported for the first time Heat’s decision to end trade negotiations.

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