Rockets mulling James Harden trade offers from Nets, 76ers

Sources tell The Athletic the Rockets are sifting through offers on a potential James Harden from two teams — the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers — that could culminate quickly.

The Nets have prepared a package to Houston for Harden featuring all of their four future first-round picks and three future pick swaps, multiple sources said. This would place significant pressure on the team to win immediately and the potential partnership between two former star teammates in Harden and Kevin Durant....For the Nets, there could be hesitation to mortgage future assets with this type of ferocity. Brooklyn does not owe any extra firsts or have any owed to it, so it has four firsts and three swaps available.

The Rockets have pursued a 76ers package centered on All-NBA star Ben Simmons, sources said. Boston and Toronto have also expressed interest at various points...One player whom the Rockets and 76ers have discussed in potential packages is 2019 first-round pick Matisse Thybulle, with Houston having interest in the defensive-minded forward, sources said.

Source: Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic

ANALYSIS: Following Tuesday night's lopsided loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, Harden appeared defeated and dejected before a shocking public admission that things weren't working out and "can't be fixed" with Rockets' current situation. It shouldn't come as a surprise that the trade talks for Harden are beginning to heat up again, especially since he will clearly never be bought into what Houston is trying to do.