NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on James Harden Trade, Spencer Dinwiddie, Nets

As the offseason came to a conclusion and the 2020-21 NBA season got underway last week, one of the biggest topics of discussion was the future of James Harden. And despite all the trade rumors, the 31-year-old guard is still on the Houston Rockets, having played in their first two games of the season.

But that hasn't quieted the buzz about a potential deal. It's still possible that Harden will get traded at some point, even as he now looks to lead the Rockets to a strong start (although they've lost their first two games).

With the NBA now back in full swing, here's some of the latest buzz surrounding Harden and more from around the league.

Harden May Not Get Traded to Brooklyn

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

One team that has been involved in Harden trade rumors is the Brooklyn Nets, as it's been previously reported that they're one of his preferred landing spots. But according to ESPN's Zach Lowe, the Nets might not be interested in swinging a deal for the former NBA MVP.

"It's unclear to me, frankly, if those teams have had anything resembling a serious conversation about James Harden," Lowe recently said on his podcast (h/t RealGM). "Let's make that clear. I don't sense that there's been hardly any traction there at all. And maybe the way the Nets started had them thinking, 'Why are we messing with this?'"

Brooklyn has opened the season with back-to-back wins over the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics. And although it's since lost back-to-back games to the Charlotte Hornets and Memphis Grizzlies, it's gotten strong play from returning superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, both of whom have recovered from injuries.

Meanwhile, Harden scored 44 and 34 points in the Rockets' first two games, respectively. So, despite the noise coming from trade rumors and off-the-court stuff, he's shown that he's clearly still capable of playing at a high level when he's on the court. And he would make any team better, it just may be hard to acquire him with his value so high.

But for now, Harden and the Rockets will keep playing, as will the Nets, and we'll see if a trade for the eight-time All-Star materializes.

How Will Dinwiddie's Injury Impact His Future?

Michael Dwyer/Associated Press

While the Nets have had some positives early in the season, they've also had a big negative: the loss of Spencer Dinwiddie. On Monday, Brooklyn announced that the 27-year-old guard has a partially torn right ACL that will require surgery, putting the rest of his season in jeopardy.

If Dinwiddie doesn't get back on the court during the 2020-21 season, it's possible he's played his final game for the Nets. He has a $12.3 million player option for the 2021-22 campaign, so he could opt out and become a free agent next offseason.

According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, there have been differing opinions around the league regarding whether Dinwiddie's injury will impact his upcoming decision. A pair of Eastern Conference executives told Scotto that they believe Dinwiddie will now accept the player option, with one noting, "if it’s that serious where he’s missing five or six months, tough to see him opting out for free agency."

A rival general manager and a former Western Conference executive told Scotto they believe Dinwiddie will still decide to hit free agency.

"I don’t think it hurts him overall," the former Western Conference executive told Scotto. "There are a lot of teams with cap space next summer. If Brooklyn does well without him, they might not want him back if he opts out. The injury probably increases the likelihood he opts in slightly, but I doubt he exercises his player option."

Dinwiddie will have plenty of time to consider his options, and perhaps his decision will be affected by how his recovery goes following his surgery next week.

Could Nets Now Be in Market to Acquire a PG?

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

The Nets may not deal for Harden, but there's still a possibility they'll make a move to acquire a guard after losing Dinwiddie for at least an extended period of time. Would they even consider moving Dinwiddie to get a deal done?

That's what one Eastern Conference executive told Scotto when discussing where Brooklyn goes from here.

"I think Brooklyn will look to trade for another point guard," the Eastern Conference executive told Scotto. "They could look to move Spencer with a pick to get a player."

Dinwiddie has developed into a strong player during his time with the Nets. Last season, he averaged career highs in points (20.6) and assists (6.8) per game over 64 contests, and he was expected to have a big role again for Brooklyn in 2020-21. Even though he's injured, would a team have an interest in acquiring him to try to keep him around for the future?

It will be interesting to see whether the Nets decide to deal for a guard. They still have Irving and Caris LeVert, who started the season coming off the bench but will now have to enter the starting lineup. And even with those two talented players in the backcourt, Brooklyn could still benefit from adding depth.