The Houston Rockets are going to trade James Harden eventually. Harden has already requested a trade and given the Rockets an expanded list of teams he’d like to go to. He’s also turned down a contract extension from Houston that would have made him the first player in league history to earn $50 million annually.
Players of Harden’s caliber simply don’t become available all that often. The most recent example of a top-five player being traded was Anthony Davis, and it led to a championship for the Lakers in his first season. While Davis only had one year remaining on his contract when the Lakers acquired him, Harden currently has two seasons + a player option. He just turned 31 years old, but The Beard should continue to be one of the very few true superstars in the league going forward.