Report: Rockets 'Feel No Pressure' to Trade James Harden, Russell Westbrook

The Houston Rockets are ready to play hardball. 

According to ESPN's Tim MacMahon, the Rockets "feel no pressure to trade James Harden or Russell Westbrook regardless of the superstars' strong desire for fresh starts with different franchises and are 'willing to get uncomfortable' as training camp opens and the season begins."

According to MacMahon, Houston's front office is "adamant that neither player will be traded unless a team meets their asking price."

So, what is that asking price?

For Harden, they reportedly want "an especially steep return" that includes "a proven, young star as a centerpiece along with a massive picks package."

Westbrook won't fetch such a return, with ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Ramona Shelburne and Zach Lowe reporting Sunday that the Rockets "have been actively searching for trade partners for Westbrook, but that marketplace is proving relatively barren."

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported earlier on Tuesday that the Rockets and Washington Wizards were in talks about a Westbrook-for-John Wall swap, a report McMahon confirmed, though he added Houston "wants assets in addition to Wall."

And Marc Stein of the New York Times reported that the New York Knicks and Charlotte Hornets were the only teams with "verifiable trade interest" in Westbrook, though it was "conditional rather than aggressive interest."

Additionally, MacMahon noted that the Rockets know Westbrook "would not command the same type of trade return as Harden. However, Houston is unwilling to deal Westbrook without receiving assets such as young talent or first-round picks."

Houston's hope is that Westbrook can increase his trade value with a strong start to the season, per that report, with his current value at an all-time low after he averaged just 17.2 points per game during the postseason, shooting 24.2 percent from three. 

Regardless, multiple reports have suggested both Harden and Westbrook want to move on from the Rockets, in the same offseason that saw Mike D'Antoni and Daryl Morey depart and veteran wing Robert Covington traded. At the very least, it seems Houston will move on from one of its stars, with last year's pairing clearly not working.

The price will have to be right, however. Or at least that's the posturing coming out of Houston at the moment.