NBA Trade Rumors: James Harden broached Houston Rockets about trade in 2017 and 2019

One of the most pressing issues of the NBA offseason has been the Houston Rockets ongoing struggle with their star player James Harden. Harden, who refused to sign a contract extension with the franchise, has been widely rumored to want a move away. In the latest NBA Trade Rumors, it appears that this is not the first time Harden has approached the Rockets' front office regarding a trade.

NBA Trade Rumors: Houston Rockets have faced James Harden's ultimatums in the past

Houston Rockets v Los Angeles Lakers - Game Five

There is a lot to be said about player power in the NBA and is a hot topic currently around the league. What began as NBA Trade Rumors suggesting that both James Harden and Russell Westbrook wanted out of Houston has developed into the former skipping training and pushing his hold over the Rockets franchise to its limits.

There's a difference between max contracts and max personalities:

"I would struggle to open the bank up for James Harden. This stuff has to be considered if I'm going to pay $35 million a year." —@ColinCowherd pic.twitter.com/Rr99CpuIGl
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) December 8, 2020

In the latest NBA Trade Rumors however, sources say that the unnerving offseason the Rockets have faced with James Harden's antics is commonplace at the franchise since the shooting guard began voicing his concerns over the team's potential.

According to reports from The Athletic, James Harden on two previous occasions, in 2017 and 2019, approached the Rockets front office demanding that they build a Championship-worthy roster around him or make a trade for him to achieve that elsewhere. This backs up previous claims that Harden doesn't necessarily want to leave Houston but wants to put himself in the best situation to win a ring, whether that is with the franchise he has spent eight years with or not.

When the Rockets were eliminated by the San Antonio Spurs in 2017, James Harden badly needed a playmaker alongside him. Therefore, the Rockets brought in Chris Paul. When that didn't work, Russell Westbrook was acquired who, after one year, has been swapped for John Wall formerly of Washington. With each playoff failure, the picture remains the same. Harden demands change and the Rockets front office duly obliges whether that is to the detriment of the team or not.

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The fallout of this year's offseason remains to be seen. What can be said however is that in picking up John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins the Rockets have a very realistic chance of finishing in the West's top four again. All they have to do is hope Harden decides to stay and plays like it.