Is there trouble brewing in Houston?
There is growing uncertainty within the Rockets organization about James Harden’s and Russell Westbrook's respective futures with the club, ESPN's Tim MacMahon and Adrian Wojnarowski reported Wednesday morning, citing sources. The two stars reportedly have expressed concern about the current state of the Rockets and where the franchise is going.
From McMahon and Wojnarowski's column:
In the wake of the departures of head coach Mike D'Antoni and general manager Daryl Morey, Harden and Westbrook have expressed concern about the direction of the franchise through direct conversations or discussions with their representatives and the Rockets' front office, sources said.
Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta, recently promoted general manager Rafael Stone and recently hired head coach Stephen Silas have emphasized that the franchise remains committed to fielding a contender while featuring the two perennial All-Stars in their primes. However, the concerns expressed by Harden and Westbrook that Houston's window as a contender could be closing has left the organization fearful that the superstars' commitment to remaining with the Rockets could be wavering.
The reporters added that while neither Westbrook nor Harden have requested a trade, such a scenario has being increasingly "plausible."
Harden and Westbrook both are 31 years old -- Westbrook turns 32 on Thursday -- and both are owed $131.5 million over the next three seasons with player options in 2022-23.
