NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Potential James Harden Trade, Gordon Hayward and More
The NBA rumor mill is picking up steam. And it's not all about James Harden this time.
Sure, the scoring savant leads the rumor roundup—and probably will until he's out of Space City—but there are also rumblings about the free agent who got away and a Hollywood hooper expanding his market for 2021 free agency.
Let's dive in.
Rockets Staying Patient Despite James Harden's Restlessness
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James Harden is fed up.
The Houston Rockets suffered their second straight blowout loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday and their fourth defeat in five games. The three-time scoring champ, who demanded a trade before the season, is more than ready to punch his ticket out of town.
"I love this city. I literally have done everything that I can," Harden told reporters. "I mean, this situation is crazy. It's something that I don't think can be fixed."
Bad news for the Beard, though: "Houston has had trade discussions with several teams but is determined to remain patient until their asking price is met," ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported.
The Rockets still control the situation, but if Harden's frustration boils over, things could get really uncomfortable in Space City. It'll be fascinating to see, then, if trade suitors will feel any motivation to pony up for what's surely an astronomic rate.
Knicks Coach Wanted Gordon Hayward, but Price Tag Scared off Team
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The New York Knicks had the flexibility to make a splash signing this offseason. And if new skipper Tom Thibodeau had his way, they would have.
The head coach was hot on the trail of Gordon Hayward and admitted he was "high on our board." But the 'Bockers brass didn't share that opinion and instead "disengaged and spread the word that the price was too high," Stefan Bondy reported for the New York Daily News.
It's quite possible both sides were right.
On one hand, Hayward looks phenomenal in his first season with the Charlotte Hornets. He's even more productive now than when he cracked the uber-exclusive Western Conference's All-Star roster in 2017, averaging 22.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists while posting a pristine 50.3/40.4/93.2 shooting slash.
On the other, he'll be 31 in March and has a major injury in his not-so-distant past.
For a Knicks team with no path to championship contention in the near future, it could've been awfully hard to justify coughing up the coin needed to get Hayward, who inked a four-year, $120 million pact with the Hornets in November.
Talen Horton-Tucker's List of Free-Agency Suitors Is Growing
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Talen Horton-Tucker had a sound argument as this preseason's best story in basketball. The fact that the second-year swingman is now carrying over that momentum into the actual campaign could be great news for his bank account.
The 20-year-old engineered a breakout performance on Sunday (17 points on 7-of-8 shooting, five rebounds, four steals and three assists in 21 minutes), and teams are taking note of his progress.
"League sources told Heavy.com Horton-Tucker can expect 'multiple teams' to have an interest in pursuing him this summer," Sean Deveney reported. "That would put pressure on the Lakers to match some offers that could, potentially, be very hefty."
As Deveney detailed, the Lakers have some advantages as Horton-Tucker's current employer, since they could offer him the highest starting salary, around $10.5 million. But while teams will be limited to a first-year rate of roughly $9 million, they could overload the backend and potentially push a deal all the way up to $80 million over four seasons.
Horton-Tucker might have to take several more leaps to dream of collecting that kind of cash, but no one could blame him if he hears a cash register's ring every time he puts points on the board.
