James Harden appeared disengaged during parts of the Rockets' blowout loss to the Lakers last night, losing in back-to-back efforts against the defending champions. Since the start of the season, Harden has made it abundantly clear that he doesn't want to suit up for the team, causing controversy after he attended a maskless party days before the 2020-2021 season tipped off. Following his 16-point effort last night, Harden had some harsh comments about the Rockets organization, which sounded very much like a farewell message.
"I love this city. I literally have done everything that I can," he said, giving up on achieving a ring in Houston. "I mean, this situation is crazy. It's something that I don't think can be fixed."
As ESPN reports, this is the closest that Harden has come to vocalizing his apparent trade demand from the offseason. As the Rockets continue to sink in the Western Conference standings, the superstar added, "We're not even close, honestly, to that team -- obviously the defending champions -- and all the other elite teams out there. I mean, you can tell the difference in these last two games. We're just not good enough -- chemistry, talentwise, just everything. And it was clear these last two games."
Many have taken his message to be a goodbye, as some expect this press conference to have lowered his trade value. Considering Kyrie Irving's current situation in Brooklyn, going missing for the last four games and reportedly partying with his family, some NBA fans are even pitching a James Harden-for-Kyrie Irving trade straight up. Do you think that would benefit either team?