Harden absent again as Silas gives 'no timetable' on Rockets return amid trade rumours

Harden reportedly wants to be traded to the Brooklyn Nets, where he would reunite with former Oklahoma City Thunder team-mate Kevin Durant and team up with Kyrie Irving.

Talk of Harden’s future has been further amplified after Russell Westbrook was dealt to the Washington Wizards in exchange for John Wall on Wednesday.

Harden committed to Rockets? You’ll have to ask him – Silas

Harden was absent from Houston’s first practice of training camp on Sunday due to coronavirus protocols, but the former MVP did not report for the individual workout later in the evening.

The eight-time All-Star was a no-show again on Monday as first-year coach Silas fronted the media.

“There is no timetable, as far as I know,” Silas said after practice. “It is a setback. You want your best player to be here.”

Gordon x Wallpic.twitter.com/27QNpHte5B

— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) December 7, 2020

In 2019-20, points scored by Harden and points scored off his assists averaged 52.4 per game. It followed 53.9 in 2018-19, 51.3 in 2017-18 and 56 the season previous.

That marked four successive seasons with 50-plus points per game created, tying Oscar Robertson (1963-64 to 1966-67) for the longest streak in NBA history.

Harden averaged 34.3 points, 7.5 assists and 6.6 rebounds per game for the Rockets, who lost in the Western Conference semi-finals at Walt Disney World Resort.

“I have no clarity about the message, honestly,” Silas said. “I take it basically at face value that he’s not here. What the reasoning is, is on him. He’s the one who can explain why or why not he’s not here.

“For me to make inferences and think about the possibilities isn’t real to me. What’s real is he’s not here, and he has a reason, but that’s on him to tell whoever what his reason is.”

Silas, who replaced Mike D’Antoni at the end of the 2019-20 season, added: “I’ve been in situations before where it was a holdout, and we just kind of handled each individual situation on its own merit and individually.

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