B.

A.

Is this the future of James Harden with rockets?

Yesterday, Harden avoided directly answering any questions about his desire for a trade out of Houston during his media availability.

Here's what he said.

All right, now I'm just focused on being here.

Um, you know, today was was good yesterday.

Felt really good being out there.

Uh, first time and since the bubble hadn't really had an opportunity to do a lot of 515 work.

But for my first time being out there, I think I felt pretty good.

James, what was the point that you were trying to get across when you went to Atlanta and Vegas?

I was his training.

What were you training for?

Started embassies.

How did going to Atlanta and Vegas help you there when the Rockets were starting training camp in Houston?

Just my personal trainers.

Alright, so that's sort of how that went yesterday.

And then here was the required reading.

If you didn't see the piece from Tim MacMahon on ESPN dot com, you really need to read it.

There's so much in here.

I'll just read you a little snippets.

The James Harden era, which Bridges to owners and now four head coaches, might best be summed up by a former staffers.

Three words.

Whatever James wants, there's another one in which a former assistant coach says we knew who the boss of the organization was.

There's another that says if they have multiple days off, James is gonna fly somewhere else and party.

But he's gonna come back and have a 50 point triple double, so they're okay with it.

So much to digest again.

Highly recommend that you go to ESPN dot com and read it.

In the meantime, here's the big fella.

Kendrick Perkins is live with me on getting big perk as you read all of that.

What was your reaction to the story about James Harden?

Well, it was absolutely true, Granny.

And here's the thing.

The Rockets gave James Harden the inch and he took him out.

I've been saying this time and time again that James Harden has had more power than any other player in the N b.

A, and what happened was was that he was not involved in the new general manager.

Higher.

He was not involved with the new coaching hard and he was upset and look, I get it.

If he was mad and he wanted to trade, I get that.

But you still have toe, have a level of professionalism and show up to work.

And when you do show up toe work, you can't show up looking like me.

So what happened is, is that now you're making it hard on the Rockets to trade you, because for the simple fact, they have no leverage anymore.

So things are the packages that teams would have given up 33 weeks or a month ago.

They're not given the same package up right now.

And here it is today.

I strongly believe that James Harden will start the season as the Houston Rockets granny because the word around town, the front offices in GM that we're talking that have interests or may have had interest in James Harden is is that they're saying that basically, he's the new moderate Dennis Rodman.

They're not questioning his talent or skill set on the court, but they're questioning his winning that question, his off the court mentality.

So, you know, right now they're in a tough situation and I just see James Harden stand put.

Interesting staying put is one thing.

The season starts next Tuesday.

Do you believe, one way or another, the Rockets have to trade him, though it we know if the star wants out, the star generally gets out.

Do you believe that one way or another, they have to trade him reasonably soon.

No, Green.

They don't have to do a damn thing.

James Harden is under contract for two years.

He has two years left on his deal.

So the Houston Rockets don't have to make a move and request James Harden wish, especially because the Houston Rockets want back so much they want to type.

They want a M V P type players, something close to that with a lot of assets and teams.

They're not giving it up.

So the Houston Rockets is going to stay put.

James Harden is under contract for two more years.

Things could get very interesting indeed.

And let me tell you, big fella, we have missed you.

It is great to see you again.

The season starts next Tuesday, and there will be plenty of Perkins to go around.

Thank you, big fella was Thank you for watching ESPN on YouTube for live streaming sports and premium content.