A few days ago, it was determined that James Harden wanted to move on from the Clippers and sought a trade to a contending-level team ahead of the trade deadline.
He got his wish, as he was traded to the Cavs, who currently sit 4th in the East standings.
The Cavs weren’t the only team on Harden’s trade destination wish list, though, as he was open to returning to the team he most notably played for.
James Harden was interested in a reunion with the Rockets before trade to Cavs
When the Houston Rockets come to mind, the name James Harden is probably one of the first names that is associated with the franchise.
Harden played undeniably his best brand of basketball in Houston, with his MVP in the 2017-18 season as one of the main highlights.
He was loved by the fans there, but unfortunately had a bit of a falling out there a few seasons ago, and was eventually traded to the Nets.
He’s moved around the league quite a bit since, with the Cavs set to be the 4th team he’s played for since his time in Houston.
A few days after the trade to the Cavs, it was revealed by ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, “Harden was interested in reuniting with the Houston Rockets, sources say…but the Rockets showed little interest in their former MVP.”
It would have been cool to see Harden back playing where his career really took off, but with the Rockets in a good position as a franchise, they ultimately didn’t have interest in a major roster shake-up.
Had a trade to Houston taken place, we would have seen Harden and Durant paired together for a third separate time, as they’ve already played together for two different teams in the past (Thunder and Nets).
Harden’s MVP season in 2017-18 was impressive, but his best season was arguably in the following year, as he averaged 36.1 points (only Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan have averaged more in a season), 6.6 rebounds and 7.5 assists.
