Houston has got a major problem.
The Rockets are in turmoil. They've been headed down a treacherous path for some time now, and things are getting bumpier by the minute.
Their former coach and architect of their revolutionary offense, Mike D'Antoni, showed no interest in re-signing with the team after they were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs -- yet again. Daryl Morey, their now-former GM -- who is widely viewed as one of the best at what he does -- voluntarily stepped down from his position, but was almost immediately picked up by an Eastern Conference contender. Their owner is in massive debt due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic, and reportedly wants to trim payroll.
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And that's not even the worst of it.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim MacMahon reported Wednesday that the Rockets' star player, James Harden, has expressed concerns about the team's immediate future. And merely hours later, the other member of Houston's All-Star backcourt took things a step further.
The Athletic's Shams Charania reported Wednesday that Russell Westbrook no longer wants to play for the Rockets.
You know the "This is fine," meme? Yeah, that's the Rockets right now. And given the rivalry between the two teams, you can be sure the Warriors aren't the least bit upset about it.
To recap:
Golden State Warriors
Last offseason, the Rockets traded Chris Paul and their 2024 and 2026 first-round draft picks to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Westbrook. As a condition of the trade, the Thunder also have the right to swap first-rounders with Houston in 2021 and 2025.
Morey executed that trade, and D'Antoni surely signed off on it, as he then completely changed up the Rockets' style of play to conform to the talents on the roster. It was an all-in move, as evidenced by both the massive haul Houston gave up and the fact that neither of those two decision-makers is still around.
Now, the Rockets have a new first-time head coach, a first-time GM, a bloated payroll, very little in the way of future draft picks, oh, and two disgruntled superstars.
Everything is fine.
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Harden and Westbrook were an odd fit to begin with, as both are ball-dominant guards who need the rock to be most effective. Westbrook is a poor perimeter shooter, and Harden is all too willing to make it a one-man show. They're both average defenders at the absolute best, and frankly, it never seemed like they saw eye to eye. Based on Charania's reporting, one could infer that's still the case.
So, what does this mean for the Warriors and their fans? Well, it's certainly not bad.
The Rockets are going to struggle to find a taker for Westbrook, given he'll make $41, $44 and $47 million in salary in each of the next three seasons. And, even if they do find a trade partner, they're going to have to tack on additional assets to get rid of him, much like they had to with Paul when acquiring Westbrook from the Thunder. That in all likelihood means future first-round picks, of which, the Rockets currently don't have many.
So, they might be stuck with Westbrook, for a while at least. And in that time, it's difficult to foresee the situation improving.
Tilman Fertitta's reported desire to cut costs could result in the Rockets moving on from multiple key rotation pieces. In that event, it wouldn't be surprising whatsoever to see Houston take a step back. And in the NBA, rarely if ever has losing improved morale.
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Though the Rockets finished in fourth place in the Western Conference last season, they won only one more game than the Dallas Mavericks in seventh. The West is expected to be even more stacked this season with the Warriors returning to the fray, meaning Houston's margin of error had already shrunk. And with more trouble reportedly brewing in bizarro-paradise, it conceivably could evaporate altogether.
During the Warriors' dynastic run to five straight NBA Finals appearances, they faced the Rockets in four playoff series, winning each and every one. Depending on how this Westbrook situation pans out, it might be a while until they meet again.