NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Potential James Harden Trade, Bradley Beal and More
The James Harden sweepstakes continue to dominate chatter on the NBA's rumor mill.
But the Association's exchange market is also buzzing for reasons beyond the Beard.
Another All-Star scoring guard has grabbed potential suitors' attention, and an under-the-radar trade destination is gaining steam as a possible landing spot for an impact player.
We'll break down all the relevant rumors here.
Despite 'Growing' Confidence from Houston, Harden Still Wants Out
To the surprise of precisely no one, the Houston Rockets are less than keen about the idea of trading away Harden. It turns out, when you have a former MVP with three scoring titles and an assist crown on his resume, you aren't rushing to give him away.
Buoyed by everything from John Wall's resurgence to Christian Wood's scorching start, the Rockets are "growing more confident that Harden will be content to stick around at least through the rest of the season," The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor reported.
Before anyone rushes to plan any socially distanced celebrations in Space City, though, O'Connor immediately followed that by noting, "sources say Harden still prefers to be dealt."
While the Rockets have some leverage over this situation with the 31-year-old under contract through at least 2021-22 (player option for 2022-23), this player-driven league usually grants the wish of a disgruntled star.
Harden can't force Houston to do anything, but the threat of losing him for nothing looms large over this entire franchise, and if the Rockets delay a deal too long, they risk damaging the return package they eventually get for him.
Bradley Beal's Possible Trade Market Is Robust
With the Rockets spinning their tires on the Harden trade front, "teams thirsting for a blockbuster trade are increasingly shifting their gaze toward [Bradley] Beal," O'Connor reported.
It's a predictable plot twist given the Washington Wizards' early-season struggles in spite of flat-out basketball brilliance on Beal's behalf. He's the league's leading scorer, and they're the NBA's 23rd-ranked team by net efficiency. From the outside looking in, the relationship seems untenable—even with no chatter suggesting he wants out or the Wizards are willing to move him.
Should he ever hit the trade market, though, "the expectation around the league is there'd be a long line of teams hoping to acquire him," O'Connor reported. There's a strong overlap between Beal's potential suitors and Harden's known ones, including the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets. O'Connor added, though, the Nets are regarded as "a fairly unlikely destination" for a star given their lack of trade chips.
If Washington decides its roster is broken beyond repair, it might have to seek out a robust rebuilding package sooner rather than later in return for Beal. Plenty of teams could cobble together intriguing offers of draft picks, prospects or both, and many, it would seem, can trump what the Nets can put on the table.
Pelicans Seen as Sleeper Candidate for Blockbuster Trade
O'Connor polled 14 executives in search of a sleeper candidate to broker a blockbuster. The New Orleans Pelicans were the overwhelming favorite to get a megadeal done.
Six executives tabbed the Big Easy's finest as the overlooked organization most likely to pull this off. Only two other teams received multiple votes: the Miami Heat (three) and the New York Knicks (two).
New Orleans has both draft picks and young players to put in a trade, and execs don't expect Pelicans executive vice president David Griffin to "sit on his assets for long." The impetus for an impact accelerator is both the high level of play from Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson, and their obvious need for more offensive support.
Entering Monday night, the Pelicans ranked 21st in offensive efficiency and 23rd in true shooting percentage, per NBA.com, despite getting more than 45 points a night from Ingram and Williamson. But no one else on the roster averages even 13 points per game, and New Orleans sits dead last in three-point shooting at 32.2 percent—a criminally low number given what the bulldozing Williamson could do in a properly spaced attack.
Should the right shot-creator, scorer and spacer become available—Beal would be perfect—it would be fascinating to see just how aggressive this front office would be in its search for an offensive jolt.