NBA Rumors: Latest on Dennis Schroder Contract, James Harden Trade Suitors, More

We're only a few days into the 2020-21 NBA season, and the Los Angeles Lakers are already liking what they see from new point guard Dennis Schroder. The Houston Rockets, meanwhile, still aren't happy with what they're getting from James Harden off the court.

Schroder may be staying in place for a while. Harden may be gone soon. Other players could potentially be on the move as well—the trade deadline is still three months away—and, of course, the rumor mill continues to churn.

Here, we'll dive into some of the latest NBA buzz with the season wrapping up its first week.

Lakers Looking to Extend Schroder

Ringo H.W. Chiu/Associated Press

Los Angeles hasn't gotten an extended in-season look at Schroder yet. He's just two games into his Lakers tenure—with L.A. sitting at 1-1—but he's apparently shown enough to draw interest in an extension from the franchise.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Lakers are looking to extend the offseason acquisition sooner than later.

"The Los Angeles Lakers have begun engaging with starting point guard Dennis Schroder in contract extension talks, and those discussions are expected to pick up again as soon as mid-February, sources told ESPN," Wojnarowski.

This shouldn't come as a major surprise, as Los Angeles has been busy locking up players it considers core pieces. LeBron James signed an extension in the offseason, Anthony Davis inked a new long-term deal, and Kyle Kuzma recently reached an agreement on his own extension.

Schroder, it appears, will be next. If so, Los Angeles could have its core in place with a rotation cast around it from year to year.

Harden Further Expands Trade Pool

Carmen Mandato/Associated Press

The situation between the Rockets and Harden appears to be coming to a head. According to  Marc Stein of the New York Times, the two sides may not be able to coexist for much longer.

"More current rumblings indicate that tension within the Rockets is mounting each day," Stein wrote. "... Both sides now want to move on as quickly as possible. It's time."

According to Stein, five teams could all have interest in acquiring Harden—who initially wanted to join the Philadelphia 76ers or Brooklyn Nets.

"The Sixers and the Nets, though, may not be the only other options," he wrote. "In recent days, it has become known that Toronto, Boston and Denver have also had exploratory talks with Houston."

And in case one of those five teams isn't willing to make a deal, Harden has reportedly extended the list of teams he'd be willing to join. According to The Athletic's Kelly Iko and Sam Amick, Harden has recently added the Portland Trail Blazers and the Boston Celtics to the list.

While it's unclear which teams are legitimate suitors for and which have only had passing discussions, but the Nets appear to be out. According to The Athletic's Alex Schiffer, Steve Nash has stated that there haven't even been conversations about acquiring Harden.

Houston Interested in Michael Porter Jr.

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

Houston has at least discussed sending Harden to the Denver Nuggets, but a potential deal may not be close.

According to Mike Singer of the Denver Post, Houston was hoping to snag forward Michael Porter Jr. as part of the deal:

"The Nuggets were one of numerous teams the Houston Rockets called to gauge interest about a potential James Harden trade. Those talks didn't gain any traction, however, a league source told The Denver Post. Houston's interest centered firmly on Nuggets small forward Michael Porter Jr., the source said. Those talks haven’t materialized into anything substantial."

While Porter was apparently at the center of the discussion, he wasn't necessarily the sticking point for the Nuggets.

"Any potential deal would have to include Gary Harris or Will Barton, if not both, to match salaries, which would leave the Nuggets extremely thin on the wing," Singer wrote.

Is Harden an elite player? Sure. Is he worth decimating the depth at a key position to acquire? Probably not, and the Nuggets seem to agree.