Superstar guard James Harden reportedly expressed interest in returning to the Houston Rockets before the Los Angeles Clippers traded him to the Cleveland Cavaliers this week.
According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, the feeling was not mutual, as the Rockets showed “little interest” in a reunion.
Instead, L.A. sent Harden to the Cavs in exchange for two-time All-Star guard Darius Garland and a second-round pick.
Harden’s greatest NBA success came during his nine-season run with the Rockets from 2012 until he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets early in the 2020-21 season.
He was named an All-Star in each of his eight full seasons in Houston, won three scoring titles with the organization and was named NBA MVP in 2018.
The Rockets never got past the Western Conference Finals during his tenure, and even since departing Houston, Harden still hasn’t returned to the NBA Finals.
Harden’s only Finals appearance to date came in 2012 when he, along with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, helped take the Oklahoma City Thunder the distance before falling 4-1 to the Miami Heat.
A trade to Houston would have meant a reunion with Durant, who was Harden’s teammate for three seasons in OKC and parts of two seasons in Brooklyn.
The Rockets acquired Durant from the Phoenix Suns this past offseason, and he is a big reason why they are among the top contenders in the Western Conference, as they are in fourth place with a 31-19 record.
Thus far, the Rockets have overcome losing starting point guard Fred VanVleet to a torn ACL shortly before the start of the 2025-26 season.
Amen Thompson has primarily handled point guard duties during VanVleet’s absence, although it can be argued that he would be better served in a more versatile role.
Harden, who is averaging 8.1 assists per game this season to go along with 25.4 points, would have allowed that to happen.
Instead, the Rockets stood pat at the deadline, and Harden was shipped to Cleveland to join forces with Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
Had Harden been traded to the Rockets, he still would have had to deal with the Western Conference’s elite teams in the Thunder, San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets.
The Eastern Conference is competitive in its own right, but the path to a Finals appearance seems much more realistic for the Cavs.