NBA Rumors: James Harden's preferred trade spots are all Celtics rivals

technical details

is_video => true
is_chrome_page => null
article_body => "If James Harden gets his way, the Boston Celtics will have to deal with the All-Star guard one way or another this season.<\/p>\r\n\r\nThe Houston Rockets guard has added the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat to his list of preferred trade destinations that already includes the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets, <a href=\"https:\/\/theathletic.com\/2250903\/2020\/12\/10\/james-harden-trade-talk-add-heat-bucks-to-sixers-nets\/\">The Athletic's Shams Charania<\/a> reported Thursday.<\/p>\r\n\r\nThat quartet of Milwaukee, Miami, Philly and Brooklyn represents Boston's stiffest competition in the Eastern Conference this season, and Harden could make any of these teams the favorite to come out of the East.<\/p>\r\n\r\nCeltics Talk Podcast: Who is the most important Celtic beyond Jaylen and Jayson? | <a href=\"https:\/\/link.chtbl.com\/RJkwuSSg\">Listen & subscribe<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/V7E8_KmxpPk\">Watch on YouTube<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n<drupal-url data-embed-button=\"url\" data-embed-url=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/celtics-talk\/episodes\/16e521e9-8220-4dbe-b99e-ef735b32d95e\" data-entity-label=\"Embed social\" data-timestamp=\"1607471431\" data-url-provider=\"ART19\"><\/drupal-url>\r\n\r\nHouston is still playing hardball with Harden: The Rockets \"don't have an urgency\" to trade Harden before the season begins and are seeking a \"mammoth\" trade package in return, per Charania. (For example: Houston reportedly would want Kyrie Irving or Kevin Durant in a trade with Brooklyn.)<\/p>\r\n\r\nThe NBA's reigning scoring champion isn't in a good place with the Rockets, though: He's currently in the NBA's coronavirus testing protocol after celebrating rapper Lil Baby's 26th birthday party in Atlanta and Las Vegas and has been \"non-communicative\" at times with the team's front office.<\/p>\r\n\r\nHarden reportedly wants out of Houston after eight seasons and is set on competing for a championship on an East contender. If such a trade materializes before the season starts, that's another roadblock for the Celtics, who have reached the East finals in three of the last four seasons and are itching to take the extra step to the NBA Finals.<\/p>\r\n"
created => 1607610759
changed => 1607615119
status => true
hero_image_credit => "Getty Images"
tags => null
field_bean_single_col => null
section => null
orig_image => {"alt":"","title":"","width":"1280","height":"720","uri":"public:\/\/article\/hero\/Harden_James_Antetokounmpo_Giannis_GettyImages-1138758538.jpg","timestamp":1607610759}
image => {"alt":"","title":"","width":"1280","height":"720","uri":"public:\/\/archive\/assets_article\/boston\/2020\/12\/10\/Harden_James_Antetokounmpo_Giannis_GettyImages-1138758538.jpg","timestamp":1607610759}
video_url => "https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/boston\/video\/battle-east-who-comes-out-top"
is_mediaid => true
mediaid => "fpkGRlLr3Te_"
video_autoplay => null
video_automute => null
mpx_account_id => "BxmELC"
player_url => "https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/vplayer\/p\/BxmELC\/newengland_main\/select\/media\/fpkGRlLr3Te_?form=html&autoPlay=true"
chrome_data => null
description => "If James Harden gets his way, the Boston Celtics will have to deal with the All-Star guard one way or another this season."
league => "NBA"
league_id => "101"
sport => "Basketball"
sport_id => "6"
image_credit => "Getty Images"
no_promo => false
no_trending_in_body => false
no_recirc => false
no_trend => false
short_title => "James Harden's reported trade destinations are all Celtics rivals"
sponsorship_type => "presented_by"
topic => "2020 NBA Offseason"
topic_id => "172791"
type => "article"
alias => "\/boston\/celtics\/nba-rumors-james-hardens-preferred-trade-spots-are-all-celtics-rivals"
title => "NBA Rumors: James Harden's preferred trade spots are all Celtics rivals"
nid => "218961"
author_0 => "Darren Hartwell"
author_0_id => "4341"
mps => {"author_0":"Darren Hartwell"}
region => "boston"
region_id => "6"
sponsor => "TD Bank"
sponsor_id => "1186"
team_id => "133"
team => "Celtics"
published => 1607611440
article_type => "short"
meta => {"file":"\/mnt\/gfs\/rsnunited\/sites\/default\/files\/archive\/article\/boston\/celtics\/nba-rumors-james-hardens-preferred-trade-spots-are-all-celtics-rivals.json","assets":["public:\/\/archive\/assets_article\/boston\/2020\/12\/10\/Harden_James_Antetokounmpo_Giannis_GettyImages-1138758538.jpg"]}

Sponsored

If James Harden gets his way, the Boston Celtics will have to deal with the All-Star guard one way or another this season.

The Houston Rockets guard has added the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat to his list of preferred trade destinations that already includes the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets, The Athletic's Shams Charania reported Thursday.

That quartet of Milwaukee, Miami, Philly and Brooklyn represents Boston's stiffest competition in the Eastern Conference this season, and Harden could make any of these teams the favorite to come out of the East.

Celtics Talk Podcast: Who is the most important Celtic beyond Jaylen and Jayson? | Listen & subscribe | Watch on YouTube

Houston is still playing hardball with Harden: The Rockets "don't have an urgency" to trade Harden before the season begins and are seeking a "mammoth" trade package in return, per Charania. (For example: Houston reportedly would want Kyrie Irving or Kevin Durant in a trade with Brooklyn.)

The NBA's reigning scoring champion isn't in a good place with the Rockets, though: He's currently in the NBA's coronavirus testing protocol after celebrating rapper Lil Baby's 26th birthday party in Atlanta and Las Vegas and has been "non-communicative" at times with the team's front office.

Harden reportedly wants out of Houston after eight seasons and is set on competing for a championship on an East contender. If such a trade materializes before the season starts, that's another roadblock for the Celtics, who have reached the East finals in three of the last four seasons and are itching to take the extra step to the NBA Finals.