The Wizards, who have been enduring a tough season, faced the Rockets at the Toyota Center in Houston. Unfortunately for Washington, they slumped to their second straight defeat, losing 135-119. This marked their 17th loss in the last 19 games, leaving them with a league-worst record of 11-55. Playoff contention seemed like a distant dream.

Tari Eason, the Rockets’ forward (currently sidelined due to a lower leg injury), seized the moment. He took to social media during the game, directing his attention to Kyle Kuzma. The reference? Kyle Kuzma’s old viral tweet that had caused quite a stir.

What was Kyle Kuzma’s Tweet that resulted in this revenge?

Back in late December, when the Detroit Pistons were languishing as the league’s worst team, Kyle Kuzma had taken to X (formerly known as Twitter) with a bold proclamation. He urged the rest of the league not to be the first team to fall to the struggling Pistons. His tweet read: “It’s like at this point, don’t be that team.”

At this point its like “dont be that team” 🤣 https://t.co/qmWMgPt9Jz

— kuz (@kylekuzma) December 29, 2023

Fast forward to the Rockets-Wizards game. As Kuzma and the Wizards faced another tough loss, Eason saw an opportunity. H

e fired off a tweet of his own, playfully mocking Kuzma: “It’s like at this point, don’t be that team.” The irony was palpable, considering the Wizards’ dismal record.

Interestingly, Kuzma had a chance to change his fate. Before the trade deadline, the Dallas Mavericks expressed interest in acquiring him. However, Kuzma decided to stay put with the Wizards. In an interview, he revealed that he wanted to continue building something in Washington. The decision to remain loyal to his current team came despite the Mavericks’ better standing in the Western Conference.

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The 36-year-old was able to reach the finals of the Western Conference with Harden, but could not win a ring. His wait for a championship ring continues. He agonizingly missed out on winning this season after losing to Milwaukee Bucks in the finals while representing Phoenix Suns.

In their time together, the Rockets finished as the number one seed in the regular season for the first time in franchise history. However, with Paul getting injured in Game 5 of the series, the Rockets blew a 3-2 series lead to the Warriors. Speaking on “No Chill with Gilbert Arenas”, Paul said:

“Can’t nobody score the ball like he can. It’s crazy man — I wouldn’t trade any experience or what not, but I wish we would have had more of those conversations.”

“And the thing that frustrated me the most was that first year, I wasn’t healthy. It’s crazy. Them years in Houston are kinda a blur, to a certain extent, because there was so much going on at the time. But dang, we was good. We was real good.” he added

Harden has already sent out a warning to the rest of the league

James Harden, who is still in search of his first championship ring, made his exit out of Houston Rockets, a franchise he represented for a long period of time. His wish was granted and he found himself with the Brooklyn Nets with the likes of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

The franchise was unable to field the trio on the court together due to injury and other persistent issues, they managed to capture the second seed in the Eastern Conference.

James Harden found himself injured in the Eastern Conference semi-finals against the Bucks. His involvement was minimal as they crashed out to the eventual champions. After opting out of Team USA in the Olympics, Harden has fully recovered from his hamstring injury and has labelled his return to his best full fit version of himself as ‘scary‘ for the rest of the league.

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James Harden has settled into his new home alongside Kyrie Irving and former teammate Kevin Durant. The 31-year-old has been a welcome addition to the Nets team, that is looking to dominate the Eastern Conference.

The player’s antics were well documented prior to his move to the Nets. Skipping practice, flouting safety regulations and being out of shape were regular occurrences during his final days with the Rockets.

He finally opened up about his infamous exit and expressed regret over the way the trade played out in the end. In an interview with ESPN, he felt that the entire move could have been a lot smoother and described his final days in Houston

I don’t like it at all, because that’s not who I am. The drama, the negativity, for me, I don’t really like negative energy. It’s draining, so I don’t like how it necessarily happened. I feel like it could have happened a lot smoother, a lot easier, but it is what it is.

Will not do anything differently: Harden on his move away from Houston

The former all-star asserted that he was not trying to be disrespectful or selfish, but commended the franchise for being professional and trading him to the Nets.

“I wasn’t trying to be disrespectful, I wasn’t trying to be selfish. I feel like the front office knew where I stood and what I wanted. I apologize for how it went down, but I guess I had to do what I had to do in order to get to where I wanted to go. 

Credit to Houston, they didn’t necessarily have to trade me to Brooklyn. They could’ve traded me anywhere, but those are some stand-up guys over there. It ended up the right way, I just didn’t like how that month or two played out.”

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Houston Rockets are still finding their rhythm after being ushered into a new era following the exits of Mike D’Antoni, Russell Westbrook and James Harden.

Wood’s injury serves as the latest blow, with the 25-year-old being one of the key players for the side alongside John Wall.

The power forward could only contest for 20 minutes on the court before suffering the ill-fated injury. While he was able to walk off the court with the help of his teammates, he eventually had to take the assistance of the wheelchair where he left in tears.

“It didn’t look great,” coach Stephen Silas said after the game. “It was unfortunate.”

The early signs based on the reactions do not look good for Wood and the franchise. The severity of the injury or the time frame for his return is yet to be known.

“Christian Wood will undergo an MRI tomorrow to determine the severity of his ankle injury, a source said. He missed three games after rolling the ankle in similarly ugly fashion last month,” ESPN’s Tim McMahon reported

Christian Wood has been instrumental for Rockets

Rockets have done surprisingly well ever since losing James Harden to Brooklyn Nets in a trade deal. Christian Wood is currently averaging 22.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game on 55.3 percent shooting from the field and 39.7 percent shooting from 3-point range.

The player was on his way to yet another fruitful outing against the Grizzlies before disaster struck. He had already racked up 17 points and 7 rebounds in 20 minutes of action for the side.

Rockets are building momentum with 7 wins out of their last 8 matches. The latest run of form has improved their record to a great extent which currently reads 11-10. Placed 10th on the Western Conference table, they next face the San Antonio Spurs.

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Harden’s teammates were not pleased with the topsy-turvy situation involving Harden which impacted the franchise. Following the meeting, Harden claimed in a press conference that the situation with the Rockets cannot be fixed and also that the current team lacks in quality compared to the elite teams in the league.

According to The Athletic, the franchise held a team meeting led by coach Stephen Silas. The meeting involving the players was reportedly tense and saw senior players such as John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins demanding accountability from the eight-time All-Star player. They also questioned Harden’s commitment during the meeting.

“During the meeting, which was led by Silas, and which sealed his decision to keep Harden out of subsequent team activities until a trade was complete, sources say multiple teammates expressed displeasure with Harden’s recent body language and effort,

“Silas had asked if anyone wanted to share their unfiltered views, and the dialogue about their dysfunction began from there.” the report stated

Same points about Harden were addressed by Russell Westbrook

The meeting progressed with John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins raising their concerns and reportedly, these were the same points brought up by former Rockets player Russell Westbrook.

It painted an uncomfortable and the same old picture for the members who were present before as well.

“John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins both spoke during the meeting, sources said, seeking a direct response on Harden’s level of commitment and preaching about the importance of accountability.

For those who had been with the Rockets back when Westbrook preached the same message to anyone who would listen, these uncomfortable dynamics were all too familiar,”

Houston Rockets haven’t had a merry start to the season and they currently lie 13th in the table with a 4-7 record.

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The franchise finally granted a trade move for the former MVP following his comments after their loss to the Lakers. Harden had claimed that the current situation is not fixable and asserted that the team is not good enough to compete with the likes of the defending champions.

The blockbuster deal involves several clauses and obligations involving two more teams as reported by ESPN.

“Brooklyn’s acquiring James Harden in a three-way deal with Cleveland. Caris LeVert, Dante Exum, Rodions Kurucs, four 1st round picks – including Cavs’ 2022 first via Bucks — and 4 Nets pick swaps to Rockets. Jarrett Allen, Taurean Prince to Cavs.“

“Brooklyn sends three unprotected first-round picks — 2022, 2024 and 2026 in deal — plus pick swaps in 2021, 2023, 2025 and 2027. The Rockets get Cleveland 2022 first-round pick via the Bucks.‘

“James Harden hired Jason Ranne and Chafie Fields from Wasserman to secure a trade for him. They worked closely with the Rockets and all teams involved to secure the deal. Wasserman also represented Russell Westbrook and worked closely with the Rockets on his trade to Wizards.‘

Harden set to form a menacing trio in the Eastern Conference

The deal involving the Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers is also likely to involve more players and draft picks. As of now, the Nets offered Rockets a series of incentives along with Caris LaVert, who is set to be traded by the Rockets to Indiana Pacers for Victor Oladipo.

Center Jarrett Allen and forward Taurean Prince also find themselves moving to the Cavaliers from the Nets. Rockets, on the other hand, will receive Cleveland guard Dante Exum and Brooklyn forward Rodions Kurucs in the deal.

The star studded trio of James Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving will be a major threat in the Eastern Conference and can be considered as title contenders.

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The Rockets are now only ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Eastern Conference table with a 3-6 start to the season. Despite starting the season well on a personal note, Harden’s numbers are beginning to dip. The former MVP has failed to register 20 points for four straight matches now, the last time he had to face such a slump was eight years back.

Harden’s exit might be closer than ever after the eight-time all star proclaimed that he has done all that he can, and still the ‘crazy’ situation is far from being fixed.

“I love this city,” Harden said. “I literally have done everything that I can. This situation is crazy. It’s something that I don’t think can be fixed. So, yeah. Thanks.”

Following the encounter against the Lakers, Harden claimed that the Rockets are nowhere close to the defending champions and the elite franchises in the league. He proceeded to praise the Lakers for their convincing display against the Rockets for the second time in a row.

“We’re not even close, honestly, to that team – obviously the defending champions – and to all the other elite teams out there,”

“You can tell the difference in these last two games. Obviously, chemistry, talent-wise, everything, and it was clear like I said these last few games.

From the beginning of the game, they were just aggressive, veteran team, obviously, a championship team, and one of the best teams that we have in this league.” Harden said

Lakers ran riot against the Rockets and secured their biggest half-time lead so far of over 20 points.

Teammate John Wall comments on the performance following Harden’s criticism

While John Wall declined to comment on the criticism dished out by his teammate, he then proceeded to talk and stated that there is still a long way to go in the season.

“He’s entitled to his own opinion,” Wall said. “It’s a lot of basketball to be played. We’ve only played nine games.

Rockets will now play successive fixtures against San Antonio Spurs, who are placed 8th in the table.

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While the former MVP still desires a move out of Houston, he is willing to stay put and is enjoying playing under Stephen Silas’ pick-and-roll offense with the likes of Christian Wood and John Wall.

As a result, the executives of the franchise are growing confident that they will be able to retain the player for the season. A report in The Ringer claimed:

“Front office executives around the NBA say Houston is growing more confident that Harden will be content to stick around at least through the rest of the season. Sources say Harden still prefers to be dealt,”

The 31-year-old stated on Saturday that he believes this Rockets team have the chance to do something special. They currently lie 14th in the conference table with a 3-5 record against their name.

Harden enjoying a good start to the season despite off-court controversies

The eight-time all-star player is currently averaging  26.0 points and 11.0 assists per game so far this season.

He still has to wait two seasons to enter the free agency market and the Rockets are not willing to let go of him on a reduced price, which makes a deal at this point of time, complicated.

Given the unpredictable nature of the saga so far, it is possible that Harden might change his mind and press for a move before the deadline on March 25.

Rockets were recently subjected to a loss against defending champions Los Angeles Lakers and will face them again tomorrow. Harden had scored 20 points during the franchise’s loss with Christian Wood leading the scoring.

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Reportedly all the teams which The Beard had placed in his wishlist, are no longer keen on acquiring the services of the player.

With almost two weeks into the 2020-21 season, there have been no moves tilting towards his exit from his current franchise. While Harden has hit the ground running with a great start to the season, circumstances have prevailed at the other end which have forced other franchises to hold off their interest in the former MVP.

One of his desired destinations, Brooklyn Nets, are no longer interested in keeping the recent season-ending injury to Spencer Dinwiddie, which jeopardizes the possibility of any sort of a trade deal. Moreover, Rockets’ former coach Mike D’Antoni also had a role to play in the Nets’ final decision to not go for Harden.

“I heard that Brooklyn cooled of on Harden and one reason was D’Antoni, they were like ‘were good, lets keep what we have here, Harden presents some problems,’” Simmons was quoted as saying in the Bill Simmons podcast

Meanwhile, table toppers Philadelphia 76ers are reluctant to break off their core involving Ben Simmons. The team have only tasted defeat once so far and boast a 4-1 record.

Harden praises coach Silas for his tactics

Despite all the drama off court, Harden has been quite satisfied with how the Rockets have started off the season under new coach Stephen Silas.

The All-Star player had praised the coach for his offense play which involves more scoring positions.

“Coach [Stephen Silas] does a good job of that. Putting me in [different] positions. Not always on the basketball, but off the ball and scoring positions….First game with all of us together. We will watch film and get better.”

The Rockets coped up well in the absence of Harden as the franchise led by John Wall and Christian Wood led the side to a second successive win against the Sacramento Kings.

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The former MVP is desperate to make an exit from the Rockets with his recent actions reflecting the same. Harden skipped most of the team’s training camp which left newly appointed coach Stephen Silas exasperated. Moreover, he opted to party with a rapper during the time his teammates were hard at work. In the pre-season fixtures, he was seen horribly out of shape and recently, his violation of the safety norms resulted in a hefty fine.

According to The Athletic, Harden has added Portland Trail Blazers and the Boston Celtics to his list as well. Despite the player’s wishes, there is yet to be any contact between the franchises for a prospective trade deal.

Unknown NBA Team reportedly hired a Private Investigator for James Harden

Despite all the controversies, Harden is still a player that several teams would love to have under their wing. As a result, sources claim that all of this recent behaviour will not have an effect on the all-star at all.

An NBA team executive revealed to ESPN that the team has even hired a private investigator to do a thorough background check on the player.

Harden had cleared the air about his recent strip club outing which landed him the fine. The Beard had put up an Instagram story shedding details from his perspective, before deleting it altogether.

While NBA legend Charles Barkley spoke his mind out regarding the player, Stephen A Smith also claimed that Houston have a serious problem.

If that’s what James Harden says, we should believe him. The brother deserves the benefit of the doubt; he always shows up. None of that load management stuff. But let’s also be clear about this: he will be a distraction for the Rockets because he wants OUT!

In the end, that reality is what makes anything he does right now a story. Houston……you have a problem. He wants out!

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