NBA Rumors: Latest on James Harden, Buddy Hield Trade Buzz and More

With NBA free agency moving into Week 3, fans can expect the flurry of activity to slow to a trickle. The biggest names are off the market, Anthony Davis has officially re-upped with the Los Angeles Lakers, and Russell Westbrook and John Wall were finally traded—for each other.

With the preseason set to kick off next Friday, we may not see much significant activity in the coming days. However, this doesn't mean that one or two blockbuster deals aren't lurking in the weeds. More moves are likely to come as teams get a better handle on what they have during exhibition play.

Free agents and potential trade options are still on the table for most franchises. We'll dig into some of the latest news and rumors here.

Harden Wanted to Play with Wall, Unlikely to Be Dealt Before the Season

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

Now that the Houston Rockets have dealt Westbrook, there's a chance that a James Harden trade will follow. Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix noted at the beginning of the offseason that Houston was unlikely to move Harden unless it first had a deal lined up with Westbrook.

Half of the equation has played out, though this doesn't necessarily mean that Harden is firmly on the trading block. In fact, the decision to send Westbrook to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Wall may have been done to try to appease Harden.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Harden preferred to play with Wall over Westbrook.

"He had a preference of John Wall over Westbrook, although in the last couple seasons, Harden has moved teammates in and out," Wojnarowski said on Get Up.

Per Wojnarowski, the Rockets plan to start the season with Harden and Wall at the center of their lineup. This doesn't mean that Harden couldn't still be moved before the trade deadline, but there's no scenario in which Houston sells low on him.

"The Rockets have made it clear that they'd require a king's ransom—starting with a young franchise cornerstone and a massive picks package, per sources—in any potential deal for Harden," ESPN's Tim MacMahon wrote.

Expect Harden to remain with the Rockets, at least through the start of the regular season.

Kings Have Discussed a Hield Trade

Kim Klement/Associated Press

If a team decides in the coming days that it isn't satisfied with its current roster—and doesn't want to go all-in on Harden—Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield could become a top trade target. Though he wasn't a full-time starter last season, Hield still averaged 19.2 points and 4.6 rebounds in just under 31 minutes per game.

Hield is also under contract through the 2023-24 season.

However, Hield could be available for the right price. According to SNY's Ian Begley, Sacramento has had discussions about dealing the Oklahoma product and had been asking for draft compensation. Begley pointed to the New York Knicks as a team with the draft capital to acquire Hield, though he also noted that no deal is currently in the works.

"As of earlier this week, no Knicks trade with the Kings or any other team was imminent," Begley wrote.

Hield's contract situation comes with both positives and negatives. On one hand, any team acquiring him would be financially committed for the next four years. At the same time, any team acquiring him could do so knowing that Hield will be a long-term piece of the proverbial puzzle.

There Wasn't a Market for Westbrook or Wall

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

While players like Harden and Hield could be moved in the not-too-distant future, it's fair to wonder if any teams are left that are eager to make a move—doing so out of a perceived necessity is a different story. Though Westbrook has been an elite scorer for some time, he would likely still be a Rocket if Washington hadn't wanted to move on from Wall.

According to ESPN's Zach Lowe, teams like the Los Angele Clippers and New York Knicks weren't going to make a move, and Westbrook's market was essentially limited to Washington.

"There was no market for Russell Westbrook," Lowe said on his Lowe Post podcast "I kept saying this over and over again. The Clippers were not interested. The Knicks were not interested unless they were incentivized. ... There was, to my knowledge, nothing."

The Wizards were interested in dumping Wall, though, in order to build around fellow standout Bradley Beal.

"Washington's desire to keep Bradley Beal long term was the overriding factor in the franchise's choice to flip Wall for Westbrook," Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer wrote. "... But the market for his services was even more muted than it was for Westbrook."

The Westbrook-Wall trade was a win-win for the Wizards and the Rockets. Both players appear to have been all but untradeable, and dealing one for the other may have been the only way either got dealt this offseason.