He's going to make his debut tonight.

He'll play in that preseason game for the Rockets.

Just had one practice with the full team yesterday with Stephen Silas, his new coach, But his focus remains on getting a trade out of Houston.

And regardless of what John Wallace looked like or boogie Cousins early in the preseason, it's not going to impact his thinking.

He's made that clear to the organization.

He's also told them that Ramona, Shelburne and I were told that that he's going toe work with them here in the interim.

Until they find a trade he's gonna play is gonna be there.

Hey, knows that if he becomes a problem with the team, it makes it harder to trade him because the team, the organization they become limited, perhaps, and the kind of assets they can get back.

So the one thing about James Harden is he loves to play.

He shows up every night, you know he doesn't want to sit.

He doesn't want nights off.

He wants to play a lot of minutes.

I think you could expect to see that here, but I think you know his.

The list of teams for him is relatively short because there's so few teams who really have the assets to be able to pull this kind of a deal often are in position for a player who's, you know, 30 years old, who is over 30 years old and and has the kind of money on his contract.

It's not for everybody, but I think Philadelphia remains at the top.

I think of the teams who have the best ability to put a package together, and Brooklyn looms still in this sweepstakes.

Who?

Let me, let me ask you this about James Harden situation.

Did the Rockets move Westbrook for John Wall so they could try to retain James Harden?

Or was it simply we need to move on from Westbrook?

Well, Keyshawn, they hope that maybe having John Wall in would spark some interest with Harden.

But, uh, they had a player in Russell Westbrook who wanted out Washington had a player in John Wall who wanted out both guys with Supermax contracts.

It was kind of an easy deal in that sense to do, but they've all along in Houston, wanted to find a way to keep James Harden.

You know, we had reported around the time of the draft, you know, that he had turned down a two year, $100 million plus extension that he was eligible for.

And so, while they would have, they would like to see how this John Wall James Harden pairing goes.

Management ownership.

Would they know that James Harden wants out?

And so, um, whatever deal they make here is gonna be, I think, really independent off John Wall.

And you're going to see an organization that's gonna try to get draft picks, try to get a really, really good young player, and you're gonna see Houston ultimately here.

Move toward a rebuild once they're able to do a John Wall Trail.

Excuse me?

Do a James Moultrie.

Whoa.

Did the temperature and company actually think that the way they were doing it was going to pan out them?

Not consulting with James on moves like Daryl Morey leaving like moves like Mike D'Antoni.

No longer being there, even bringing John Wall.

And did they?

Did they think that was a recipe for success?

Well, remember, J Daryl Morey left Mike D'Antoni left.

You know both guys.

Uh, Mike D'Antoni was a free agent, decided he was not going to return to Houston, and Daryl Morey walked away from the job.

Philadelphia was there, waiting for him.

He takes a six or job.

This organization has consulted with with James Harden on everything.

For years, he's had eyes, much say, as any star player in the league has had with how an organization is run, who his teammates were going to be.

And, you know, that would have continued, I think, if he wanted to be there.

But I think the changes in management coaching were made by those individuals.

They decided to move on.

Who are the rial suitors?

Serious contenders for James Harden Services Wash?

I mean, I think it's, you know, it's all relative.

Brooklyn has interest.

Houston hasn't shown that they're really interested in the next pieces.

They want that knockout great young player Carousel averts a good one.

A very good one.

Borderline all star.

If if Brooklyn really wanted to get into this, um, they probably have to find use their assets to find a young player around league and put him in a three way deal that Houston, uh, would be interested in.

They haven't gotten to that.

Philadelphia is the natural trading partner because they have been Simmons, and they haven't all MBA player who is under 25 years old.

Onda.

They certainly have, You know, a g a president there in Gilmore, who's very fund of James Harden trade for him in Houston, brought in from Oklahoma City.

Uh, they have talked with the Sixers, but they have not gotten close to a deal with them.

And listen, there are teams around the league who kicked the tires on it, Keyshawn, but nobody who has kind of dove into this head first.

And so these trades could be funny.

It can play out over time.

All are, all of a sudden, somebody wakes up one day and says we're ready to get aggressive and put the kind of package it will take to get it done.

I think Houston knows they have time on their side in the sense Heart can't be a free agent for at least two more seasons, so they can wait here and try to find the kind of deal they know they need for a player of his stature, which is, you know, which is Max return for his value.

Well, I know we'll talk about this this Friday night on N B.

A countdown.

But speaking of Brooklyn, considering Kyrie just called people within the media ponds.

Hey.

Then backtracked this comments not only on that, but also on Steve Nash.

Why talk to the media?

Why do that at that certain juncture?

Why back?

Why kind of backtrack?

Those comments?

I don't know, J.

I think he There was no sense it was gonna be a season long ban.

It would have been very expensive to not talk to the media the entire season.

I mean, the media now, for players this season is fairly easy to get on a zoom call for 10, 15 minutes and it's over.

And so, I think, for for Kyrie, uh, you know, Listen, he he decided to talk yesterday.

I imagine he'll talk periodically again.

You're going to get fined by the league, and it also puts a lot of pressure on your teammates when they have to answer to it.

Everybody else, an organization has to answer about you when you're not talking and I think is a leader.

Kyrie knows that.

And I think that's part of the responsibilities of franchise player eyes to be.

You know, certainly he and Kevin Durant are gonna be the focal points, uh, in every way, for the organization.

Talking to the media is part of that.

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