Despite a whirlwind of recent trade rumors involving All-Star guards James Harden and Russell Westbrook, the Houston Rockets aren’t currently interested in tearing apart the team, according to the media member that knows them best.
Per longtime beat writer Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, the franchise’s goal remains “to make their core players believe again in the team’s championship chances.”
A big part of that process would be improving the surrounding roster. With the NBA’s trade moratorium ending Monday and free agency opening Friday, the Rockets “believe they can bring in the help” to regain Harden’s confidence in their status as a title contender, per Feigen.
“The Rockets have no interest in tearing things down to restock shelves with draft picks and prospects and start over,” Feigen writes. He correctly points out that with Oklahoma City having the right to swap picks with Houston in the first round of the 2021 draft, there’s minimal incentive for the Rockets to consider rebuilding scenarios at this time.
When it comes to trades, new GM Rafael Stone has not gotten close to the “shopping” stage, with his talks falling between “listening” and “exploring.” https://t.co/jTYNPDFu4d
— Reid Laymance (@ReidLaymance) November 16, 2020
As of Sunday, Westbrook had formally requested a trade, while Harden had not. However, Feigen indicates that the Rockets are hopeful that they can salvage the relationship with both. With regards to Westbrook, Feigen cites a source as saying that he wants to feel as if he can “be himself,” similar to his days with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Rockets, however, believe that could happen with adjustments in Houston.
While things could change quickly, Feigen says that trade talks involving the stars by new Rockets GM Rafael Stone have been closer to “listening” and “exploring,” rather than “shopping.” With free agency not opening until 5:00 p.m. Friday, it sounds as if the Rockets may wait until after that point to finalize decisions regarding Westbrook and Harden — since the primary objective is restoring their confidence in Houston as a contender, and free agent signings and/or trades could play a large role in that.
