- Dwight Howard breaks his silence after the Warriors curb his comeback journey to the NBA
- De’Aaron Fox says nobody would care if Kobe Bryant disagreed with NBA players prioritizing money over titles
- Recapping the Lakers’ wildly successful offseason and an in-depth preview of the upcoming 2023-24 NBA campaign
- Report: Golden State Warriors turn down signing Dwight Howard in favor of extra wing
- Shams mentions Lakers as he lists potentials landing spots for Buddy Hield
- Jason Kidd dishes on Kobe Bryant inspiring him to create basketball program for young women
- Jeanie Buss speaks out on death threats she got when Lakers were struggling last season before trade deadline
- Orlando Magic head coach says Paolo Banchero is combination of LeBron James, Jayson Tatum and Carmelo Anthony
- Chandler Jones brings LeBron James into the equation as he continues bizarre barrage of messages
- Damian Lillard claps back at haters who discredit Lakers 2020 bubble title: ‘Everybody else had the same opportunity’
Report: James Harden wants to be traded because he ‘knows’ he can’t beat Lakers with Rockets
- Updated: January 13, 2021
The dominant Los Angeles Lakers have the best record in the NBA this season.
Houston Rockets disgruntled superstar James Harden believes the Lakers are the standard in the league. He also believes that the Rockets don’t have what it takes to beat the defending champions.
That belief is helping to fuel his desire to get out of Houston.
“Harden and the Rockets have been a divorce waiting to happen for some time now, and that couldn’t be made clearer now,” Kelly Iko of The Athletic wrote. “After Sunday night’s game, a 120-102 blowout loss to Los Angeles, Harden’s desires for a trade were reinforced, The Athletic understands. Privately, Harden knows the team as currently constructed can’t defeat the Lakers in a seven-game series, a reality that only further cements desires for a move elsewhere, sources said. With the Lakers being the reigning champions and the standard for a contender right now, Harden wants to maximize the window he still has, a source said.”
Harden, 31, has publicly expressed his desire to be dealt because he doesn’t think the Rockets have enough to contend.
That assertion was pressed after the Lakers’ recent back-to-back victories over the Rockets.
The Lakers easily stomped the Rockets by a score of 117-100 on Tuesday evening. During the blowout, Lakers superstar LeBron James knocked down a cocky 3-pointer.
Rockets newcomer John Wall appeared to call out Harden after the defeat for not wanting to buy in with the team. However, it looks like Harden is steadfast in his beliefs about the Rockets’ chances against the Lakers.
After all, the Lakers pounced the Rockets in five games in the second round of the 2020 postseason
Although the Rockets have surrounded Harden with numerous stars since he joined the team in 2012, they haven’t been able to reach the NBA Finals during his tenure in Houston.