Report: James Harden Influences Rockets Decisions, Hasn't Been 'Told No'

Houston Rockets superstar James Harden has long held huge sway over how the organization operates, ESPN's Tim MacMahon said on Brian Windhorst's The Hoop Collective podcast (18:55 mark) on Thursday. 

Per MacMahon, Harden has rarely been told no during his time in Houston:  

"James Harden has had the right to say who comes and goes in Houston essentially for the whole time he's there. He wanted Dwight Howard, and then he wanted Dwight Howard gone. Chris Paul, then Chris Paul gone. Russell Westbrook, Russell Westbrook gone. He wanted Kevin McHale out, McHale was gone. And we can go on down the list. And like a lot of superstars, he had the right to say what the travel schedule was gonna be. He determined the practice schedule. We got a couple days off, well James wants to go to Vegas, so you're not going to practice that day. ... Coming back from the All-Star break, first practice is voluntary because James needs to go cool his heels a little bit in Vegas. The first time the Rockets ever told James Harden no was, 'No, we're not going to send you to Brooklyn when we don't like the potential trade.' ... Their culture was whatever whim he had. That was what their culture was based on. I was talking to a former Rockets staffer yesterday, and he said, 'Yeah he's going to act up. He's never heard no before.'"

That report comes amidst Harden pushing for a trade out of Houston this offseason. Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Thursday that Harden has added the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat to his "preferred trade destinations," along with the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers. 

Per that report, Harden "has told the Rockets that he wants to be traded to compete for a title elsewhere, and has been resigned to the belief that he can no longer compete for a championship in Houston."

Of those teams, the Sixers and Heat could build the most intriguing trade packages for Harden. The Sixers could offer Ben Simmons as the centerpiece of such a deal, though parting with the 24-year-old star so early in his career seems unlikely, barring a tough start to the season or major chemistry issues with Joel Embiid.

The Rockets would surely try to pry both Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro away from the Heat, though it's hard to imagine Miami giving up on its star center (and given MacMahon's remarks, it's also fair to question whether Harden would be a culture fit for Jimmy Butler and the Heat). 

The Nets, meanwhile, could offer a package built around players like Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie and Jarrett Allen, alongside a massive haul of future assets. Milwaukee might have to center any deal around Khris Middleton and whatever future assets it can scrap together after paying a small fortune to trade for Jrue Holiday. 

So Harden may not get his wish to leave Houston, at least early in the campaign.

It appears he is prepared to open the season with the Rockets, with Charania reporting that "sources close to the team and Harden expect the former league MVP to remain professional while also keeping some pressure on the Rockets to address his trade demands."