NBA Trade Rumors: "Right now, I'm just focused on being here" — James Harden on reports of him wanting out
The NBA is buzzing with NBA Trade Rumors surrounding James Harden. There seems to be some new information emerging every day regarding the situation of the Houston Rockets. Fans and experts are eagerly awaiting concrete information about where James Harden will end up.
The 2018 MVP played his first game of the preseason against the San Antonio Spurs and subsequently spoke to the media. Reporters jumped at the opportunity to finally hear from Harden himself. The superstar was asked all sorts of questions regarding the NBA Trade Rumors surrounding him and his situation with the Houston Rockets.
NBA Trade Rumors: James Harden reassures the Houston Rockets that he is focused on staying with the team
To recap the offseason: James Harden aggressively asked to be traded out of Houston and mentioned four Eastern Conference contenders as his preferred trade destinations. He also missed the training camp, refused to talk to the media, and was then ruled out of the lineup for the Rockets' first preseason game.
James Harden eventually spoke to the media after his first preseason game. When asked about the NBA Trade Rumors around him, he answered:
"Right now, I'm just focused on being here..Today was good, Yesterday felt really good being out there, the first time since the bubble...for my first time being out there, I felt pretty good."
James Harden played 21 minutes and scored 12 points on 30% shooting. His rusty performance was attributed to a lack of training in the offseason and missing practice sessions with the team.
James Harden was asked about the new Houston Rockets management as well. He spoke highly about the new head coach Stephen Silas.
When asked whether he has the same trust in the new GM, Rafael Stone, as he did with Daryl Morey, James Harden replied,
"We haven't had a conversation."
Analysts and fans aren't convinced about James Harden's desire to continue playing for the Houston Rockets given that he has demanded a trade multiple times this offseason. Matters weren't helped by recent reports that claimed he would be getting his own private jet to party between Houston Rockets games.
The 3-time scoring champion has for now made it clear to the fans and media that he is staying put. However, we continue to keep an eye on the situation as he may be traded to a different team after all.
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