{"id":586542,"date":"2026-02-06T16:21:21","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T16:21:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/586542\/"},"modified":"2026-02-06T16:21:21","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T16:21:21","slug":"james-harden-was-interested-in-a-reunion-with-the-rockets-before-trade-to-cavs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/586542\/","title":{"rendered":"James Harden was interested in a reunion with the Rockets before trade to Cavs"},"content":{"rendered":"

James Harden was interested in a reunion with the Rockets before trade to Cavs<\/a> originally appeared on The Sporting News<\/a>. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A few days ago, it was determined that James Harden wanted to move on from the Clippers <\/a>and sought a trade to a contending-level team ahead of the trade deadline.<\/p>\n

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He got his wish, as he was traded to the Cavs<\/a>, who currently sit 4th in the East standings.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

James Harden was interested in a reunion with the Rockets before trade to Cavs<\/p>\n

When the Houston Rockets<\/a> come to mind, the name James Harden is probably one of the first names that is associated with the franchise.<\/p>\n

Harden played undeniably his best brand of basketball in Houston, with his MVP in the 2017-18 season as one of the main highlights.<\/p>\n

MORE:\u00a0Grizzlies offseason plans for Ja Morant revealed, less than a day after trade deadline<\/a><\/p>\n

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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<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

A few days after the trade to the Cavs, it was revealed by ESPN’s\u00a0Ramona Shelburne<\/a>,\u00a0“Harden was interested in reuniting with the Houston Rockets<\/a>, sources say…but the Rockets showed little interest in their former MVP.”<\/p>\n

MORE:\u00a0Jaren Jackson Jr. trade means every 2018 NBA Draft lottery pick has been traded<\/a><\/p>\n

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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.<\/p>\n

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<\/a> and Nets).<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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