NBA Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz on James Harden, Gordon Hayward and Aaron Gordon
As usual, the NBA offseason hasn't disappointed in the department it does better than any other league: rumors and player movement.
No league's offseason is quite like the NBA. The constant quest for superstars, player empowerment and the incentive to tank create a perfect whirlwind of rumors and roster moves every offseason. 2020 has been no different.
Even with few stars hitting the free-agent market outside of Anthony Davis' faux free-agency, there are still some big names who could be on the move.
James Harden and the Houston Rockets have been in the headlines. Gordon Hayward is heading to Charlotte on a new contract, but the Celtics could be getting something in return. Aaron Gordon is surprisingly still with the Orlando Magic.
Here's the latest buzz surrounding those three players.
Houston Rockets in No Hurry to Deal Harden; Nets Focused Elsewhere
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James Harden made waves just before Wednesday's draft when reports came out that he wants out of Houston. In the wake of Daryl Morey's departure from the franchise and a second-round exit in the playoffs, it would make sense the star feels the potential in Houston has been reached.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Monday that Harden was "focused" on the Nets as a destination via trade to creating a Big Three with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.
If Harden is ultimately going to have that wish granted, it could take a while.
Wojnarowski updated the situation for both sides in an appearance on ESPN (h/t Nets Daily). According to the NBA insider, the Nets aren't focused on making a move for Harden at this point.
"We'll see. There are still more deals to made in Brooklyn. Their focus now is having those complementary guys around KD and Kyrie. And Harris was at the top of the list to keep him," he said referring to the team's decision to bring Joe Harris back.
Even if the Nets were interested in making the deal happen now, Woj has also reported the Rockets have "not shown a desire right now to really move quickly" on their star's request.
This could be an interesting case study on the player empowerment era in the NBA. While most stars who have demanded trades were on the last year of their deal or maybe had a year-and-a-half left, Harden's current pact with the franchise has three years left.
If the rumors are to be believed, it could be a while before we see the Beard don a new team's jersey.
Charlotte and Boston Sign-and-Trade for Gordon Hayward Still a Possibility
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From the time that Gordon Hayward declined his $34 million player option for next season, the Boston Celtics were in danger of losing the forward. However, the possibility of a sign-and-trade at least gave them hope they could get something in return.
Then Charlotte came in with a stronger offer than could be expected for the veteran. The club and the 30-year-old reportedly agreed to a four-year, $120 million contract that, at first blush, would appear to leave the Celtics empty-handed.
But there's hope yet for the Celtics to get something out of the agreement. Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe reported that a sign-and-trade is "still being discussed."
For the Hornets, a sign-and-trade situation would be ideal because it would keep them from needing to waive Nic Batum. The forward is owed $27 million next season, but the team could waive-and-stretch his salary to make the necessary room for Hayward's contract.
For the Celtics, the incentive is obvious. Something is better than nothing, and the team could either get Batum's massive expiring contract that might hold some trade value down the line, get a player like Cody Zeller or create a massive trade exception that could also be useful in future dealings.
This is one of those minor details that could turn out to be a big deal, so it's a situation worth keeping an eye on.
Magic Hesitant to Trade Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier
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Aaron Gordon is not a new name in trade rumors. The Magic forward has long been one of the team's most tradable assets, and given the team's rebuilding process, it has always made some sense he would be shopped before he's due an extension.
The same could be said for Evan Fournier, who has played eight seasons in the league with 14 playoff games to show for it. He is entering the final year of his contract in Orlando.
Yet, the Magic have not shopped either Gordon to Fournier at the height of player movement in the offseason. Josh Robbins of The Athletic classified the non-moves as "perhaps the most surprising aspect of the last week."
He went on to offer an explanation: "One possible reason is that Magic officials were worried that trading two established NBA starters for youngsters or draft picks would have decimated the team's chances to be competitive in the season ahead."
The Magic did manage to get in the playoffs last season, but there isn't much reason to believe they will be marginally better this season. However, another bad start to the season might make both Gordon and Fournier available as the organization may realize it's going to need to add some assets before trying to be a contender in the Eastern Conference.
