(SportsRadio 610) -- Rockets star James Harden spoke publicly Wednesday for the first time since last season ended and Russell Westbrook was traded for John Wall.
Harden is also understood to be disgruntled with the franchise, with a trade demand of his own.
On Wednesday, Harden said he has not spoken with first-year general manager Rafael Stone, who replaced Daryl Morey and executed the Westbrook-Wall trade.
But Harden, when asked about wanting to be traded, said he is “just focused on being here.”
ESPN NBA insider Tim MacMahon asked Harden about his trips to Atlanta and Las Vegas, where he was filmed and photographed on social media partying without a mask and celebrating recording artist Lil Baby’s birthday.
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Harden, who was required to test negative for COVID-19 six times before he could practice with the team, said he was just training for the NBA season.
“How did going to Atlanta and Vegas help you there when the Rockets were starting training camp in Houston?” McMahon asked.
“Uh, just, you know, my personal trainers,” Harden said.
Harden’s teammates and especially first-year head coach Stephen Silas seem to have grown tired of the Harden questions.
Silas acknowledged Wednesday it would be good for everybody if there was some clarity with Harden.
“As far as his buy-in with me, it seems pretty good,” Silas said. “We’ve talked hoop and talked about different situations and that sort of thing. I understand where all of these questions are coming from, and I get it because we’re the Rockets and it’s one of the best players in the NBA, but I’m going to kind of keep answering it the same way. That I can’t speak for James. I can’t really say what he is thinking or what he’s not thinking. That’s what his media availability is for. So I’m really concentrating on the group that we have that’s on the floor and making them play their best.”
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