James Harden’s reps gauged interest in other team before trade to Cavs
Before being dealt to Cleveland Harden had interest in returning to one of his former teams.
TORONTO, CANADA - MAY 1: James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers & RJ Barrett #9 of the Toronto Raptors looks on during the game during Round One Game Six of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 1, 2026 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Mark Blinch/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images Before the Cleveland Cavaliers traded for superstar guard James Harden, there was reportedly another team that his representatives inquired about seeking a deal with: the Houston Rockets .
According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Tim MacMahon , Harden’s team reached out to Houston to gauge their interest in acquiring the former MVP from the then-reeling Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers, who started 6-21, were in the midst of several crises and the subject of many trade rumors to try to right the ship. There had been mutual interest in both Harden’s camp and the Rockets’ over the past several years, according to ESPN.
But the Rockets, having moved away from that heliocentric type of player, were not interested in adding. One source told ESPN that, while it would be intriguing to have as great a player as Harden on the young Rockets team, they wanted to develop players like Reed Sheppard, Alperen Sengun, and Amen Thompson instead. This was not the first time that Houston had spurned the chance to acquire Harden, having done so twice before.
Another source told ESPN that the Rockets “weren’t going to put the ball in James’ hands anyway”, and questioned the need to trade for someone that requires the rock to be impactful. All this despite the fact that Houston was without their starting point guard, Fred Van Vleet, who suffered a torn ACL before the season started. As history would tell it, the Cavs swooped in and acquired Harden for Darius Garland and a second-round pick.