NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on James Harden Trade, Rudy Gobert, P.J. Tucker Contract

The James Harden trade noise is unlikely to go away until March.

There was some drama on Thursday, as ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne, as well as Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, reported the Philadelphia 76ers were open to including Ben Simmons as part of a package for Harden. Shortly thereafter, however, Sixers president Daryl Morey told Charania the team was not trading Simmons. 

It remains to be seen whether a deal will be finalized by the March 25 trade deadline, which was the date approved by the NBA on Thursday. Still, there is sure to be plenty of speculation between now and then.

Here are the latest developments on Harden, in addition to Rudy Gobert's contract negotiations with the Utah Jazz and extension talks between P.J. Tucker and the Rockets gaining steam.

'No Chance' Harden Lands with Mavs

Cooper Neill/Associated Press

The Sixers have been one of the teams bandied about in Harden rumors most often. The Dallas Mavericks, on the other hand, have not.

Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson of Heavy.com reported Thursday the Mavs were among the teams to have discussions with the Rockets about acquiring Harden. However, it appears there is nothing to the chatter.

A league source told Marc Stein of the New York Times there is "no chance" Dallas makes a play for Harden, which only seems to make sense.

There are tons of parallels between Harden and Mavs star Luka Doncic. Both excel at creating their own offense, whether using nifty handles and step-backs to free up space or leveraging their big and physical frames to get to the basket. Plus, Doncic already consumes a ton of the offensive action in Dallas.

Doncic ranked second in usage rate (36.8) during the 2019-20 season, per Basketball Reference. Harden, meanwhile, ranks eighth all-time in usage rate. 

In short, there just doesn't seem to be a fit. Doncic became one of the best players in the NBA last year, averaging 28.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists in his sophomore season. Why would the Mavs want to take the ball out of the youngster's hands when it could possibly stagnate his progress?

There is also the fact Houston would ask for substantial draft compensation and might even demand Kristaps Porzingis as something of a contract swap. That would almost certainly be a definitive "no" from Dallas, especially given concerns about fit.

A 'Gulf' Exists in Jazz, Gobert Contract Negotiations

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

The Utah Jazz already locked up one of their stars when they signed shooting guard Donovan Mitchell to a rookie supermax extension earlier in the offseason.

But the Jazz are facing some challenges in trying to extend its other star.

Porter Larsen of ESPN 700 in Utah originally reported Gobert turned down the team's max offer, demanding a supermax instead. Tim MacMahon of ESPN reported on Brian Windhorst's Hoop Collective podcast Gobert did not ask for a full supermax but that a "gulf" exists between the All-Star center and the Jazz.

Gobert is in the final season of a four-year, $102 million contract he signed with the team prior to the start of the 2017-18 season. He went on to win back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year Awards while making his first All-Star team this past season.

The 28-year-old is an elite defender not just for his ability to protect the rim, but also his knack for swallowing penetration and totally disrupting straight-line drives. Gobert also has the agility to stay in front of skilled bigs who excel on the perimeter. He is no slouch on the offensive end, either, diving to the rim for lobs and showing an increasing amount of touch.

If it turns out Gobert does indeed want the supermax, he and the Jazz have until the Dec. 21 deadline to consummate a deal. Otherwise, the "Stifle Tower" can continue negotiating with the team during the course of the season.

Rockets, PJ Tucker Discussing Extension

Brandon Dill/Associated Press

P.J. Tucker is another Rocket who has not been in the best of moods at the start of training camp.

Kelly Iko, Sam Amick and Shams Charania of The Athletic reported in November the veteran forward was "irate" at his contract situation. It was also reported Tucker previously expressed a desire to be with Houston for the remainder of his career but was peeved by the team delaying extension talks.

Tucker continued stewing at the start of training camp. He constantly deflected questions about extension talks and also hinted the Rockets do not value him, per ESPN's Tim MacMahon. 

However, it looks like the two sides are starting to find common ground.

Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reported there have been "increased conversations" about an extension. While nothing is close, a source told Feigen "both sides are hopeful," and he also said "there may be something there."

It is not hard to grasp at the reason Houston has been reticent about a Tucker extension. If the Rockets decide to deal Harden, they could also choose to move Tucker, who could be highly sought-after on an expiring deal.

Simultaneously, Tucker has been of the team's pillars. He does the dirty work, providing rebounding and toughness as an undersized forward while also giving the team spacing on the offensive end and knocking down three after three from the corners.

Perhaps there will be more clarity regarding a Tucker extension if the Rockets get a better feel for Harden's value. Or, maybe Houston feels retaining Tucker is important to the team's success, regardless of what happens with "The Beard."

In any case, the extension talks are ongoing.

All stats obtained via Basketball Reference, unless otherwise noted.