Those talks have yet to turn into anything concrete, reportedly because the Rockets have a higher price tag in mind than, well, just John Wall.

This comes on the heels of Tim McManaman and Adrian.

Were Danowski reporting the Rockets Breast does not feel pressure to trade Westbrook and or James Harden, who, by the way, turned down that $103 million extension this week.

A high ranking member of the Rockets front office told ESPN Quote Way are willing to get uncomfortable.

So Vince Carter, how uncomfortable can the Rockets afford to get with their star players?

We've seen teams, say two players.

I'm sorry, you're just not getting a trade.

It worked out with the Lakers and Kobe Bryant, but boy did not work out so well with, say, the Timberwolves and Jimmy Butler.

Eventually, that all came apart, right?

I think the Rockets are are in the driver's seat.

In my opinion, I think you know, they they can dictate what they're looking for.

What they want and when they wanted.

I mean, James Harden and and or Rust can say what they want, not be happy all they want.

But at the end of the day, they still have to get the Houston Rockets to sign off on it, in my opinion.

So I think right now Houston Rockets are in the driver's seat because, I mean, if you look at the history of this, I mean, they don't want to get put in the position where they just have to make a, uh uh in post trade just because those guys are not.

I'm not happy and they get left with not much, because think about it.

What?

What can you what?

There's not many guys out there that you can get to match up with the skill level off a James Harden and Westbrook, for that matter.

I think it's a difficult situation with Rockets management, everything I've been hearing.

There's been a lot of non communication between management when they make moves and consulting in their superstars and anyone who knows, um, majority of the time with ease, superstar players, everything's kind of ran through them, and everything I'm hearing was it wasn't this time.

And there's some frustration from Russ and James, and that's why these guys want to go now.

I'm not saying they are gonna be disruptive superstars, because I'm not putting that on them.

But we all know a disruptive superstar in the locker room can kill a season before the season even starts.

So although the Rockets do have the upper hand because these guys are under contract, I think they wanna play this very cautious because for anyone that wants that would turn down 100 $3 million really doesn't want to be somewhere.

So I would try to get I would try to move him back.

How much would you guys have to think twice, Six times, eight times, 15 times, Matt, before you turned down $103 million over two years.

I'm not turning that down.

E a t the end of the day.

Look, you could you could be happy, not happy and want to be moved.

But you're gonna move me with that 103 But I respected to, from a standpoint of like I said, it's not about the money for him.

James's been taking care of the deepest deal is amazing, like he's making.

He does not want to be there anymore.

It's like I said, It's been a Miss Mishaps and mishandling by management, and they made a mistake.

Now the guy that helped build this, put them back on the map, wants to leave.

You got to get him out.

Yeah, it's so fascinating.

He has, by the time this contract that he's currently on is over.

Well, it made around $300 million.

That doesn't even count the Adidas money you guys were talking about.

So I guess it must be nice.

It must be nice to turn that down.

That kind of cash I wanna welcome in our ESPN senior writer Zack Low.

Yeah, that's right.

You're absolutely right.

Zack.

Have you ever turned down 103 million over two years?

It's a couple of times, you know, it didn't come back to bite me, so I'm doing okay.

It was a tough decision, but I turned it down a couple of times.

I appreciate that before we move on to the Celtics, which was one of the reasons we wanted toe.

Have you pop in here today?

I'm curious to know how uncomfortable you think the Rockets front Rockets front office could really get with James and Russ this season.

I I agree with Vince.

I'm not sure there the driver's seat.

But I do think they have time.

And I think that message yesterday they sent out saying, We're willing to get uncomfortable.

A lot of people interpreted as well.

That's a message to anybody who would trade for James Harden.

You better bring the price up.

We're willing to ride it out.

I think it was a message just as much to James, and Russ says, Hey, look, you guys, air competitors Are you really prepared to, like, not show up here, not play hard?

I don't think you are your prideful, your competitors.

You've been You've been MVPs in this league.

You're gonna come to camp were still think we're gonna have a pretty good team.

This is what the Rockets would like.

I'm not saying it's gonna happen.

I think that was what the message was delivered, and I do think withdrew holiday off the table.

And at that price, that's one trade target out the door for Brooklyn or anyone else who wants an All Star to guard.

I think time and leverage are on their side.

Maybe Philadelphia comes to the table.

Maybe somebody else.

But I think Houston is playing this right so far, even if there's a little bit of bluster going on.

Yeah, and look, that leverage and time is a factor.

James Harden, for examples, got two seasons left on his contract.

That's a lot different than when a guy only has one season left on his deal.

A team has the opportunity to say, What are you going to dio?

You can't really just sit out two seasons.

And by the way, the MBA does not let players do that.

It's different from the NFL.

I feel like we have to remind people of that every year.

You can't just sit out and have your contract months start to pass.

The MBA says that it doesn't start to happen until you show up.

So if James Harden was gonna sit out for three months, then his contract here wouldn't start for three months.

He doesn't get those three months back and taken out of his deal, so they have to come to training camp and it will be interesting to see their attitude when they get there.

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