Tim MacMahon: How the Rockets handle James Harden’s desire to be dealt to the Brooklyn Nets. The Rockets insist that they haven’t given up on winning back Harden’s heart — and the series of moves that resulted in high-scoring center Christian Wood’s arrival in Houston were an aggressive, expensive attempt to improve the roster — but the organization is bracing for life after The Beard. Houston can’t afford to be bullied into a bad trade, and time is on the team’s side, with Harden under contract for two more years.
