‘I’m just focused on being here’

HOUSTON – Given the opportunity to address months of speculation that he wants to be traded from the Houston Rockets, James Harden dodged questions with more dexterity than shaking defenders with his trademark step back.

The disgruntled superstar spoke to the media Wednesday for the first time since arriving late to camp amid reports that he wants to get out of Houston. Harden, who made his preseason debut Tuesday night, was asked directly if he wanted to be traded.

“Right now, I’m just focused on being here,” he said. “Today was good. Yesterday it felt really good to be there for the first time since the bubble.”

While the rest of the Rockets were in Houston for the start of training camp earlier this month, Harden was photographed at rapper Lil Baby’s birthday party in Atlanta and at a nightclub in Las Vegas.

Beard was asked what message he was sending to the team by walking around the country when he should have been in practice.

“I was just training,” he said.

For what?

“The beginning of the NBA season,” he said.

Reporters continued to pressure Harden on how being in Atlanta and Las Vegas could prepare him for the season and he replied, “Just, you know, my personal trainers.”

The trade was curious, especially considering that Harden appears to be in worse physical condition than he was during Houston’s final postseason game. Social media went wild with jokes about his apparent weight gain after he was spotted in uniform Tuesday night for the first time in months.

Speculation about Harden’s future has clouded the Rockets since they showed up at camp, and new coach Stephen Silas appears to have grown weary of answering the same questions about his star.

Harden played down the suggestion that the trade rumors could be a distraction for the team.

“Since I’ve been here, nothing has been said about it … I’m preparing for the season, so that’s all that matters,” he said.

Harden was traded to the Rockets from Oklahoma City in 2012 in a deal orchestrated by former general manager Daryl Morey. Now that Morey has left for the 76ers, Harden was asked about his relationship with new general manager Rafael Stone.

His response did not sound encouraging to those who expected to see Harden stay.

“We haven’t had a conversation,” he said.

PHOTO: AP

As for Silas, the coach said he doesn’t have a clearer idea of ​​what Harden wants now that he’s back with the team.

“If we knew exactly … where his head was, I think it would be good for everyone,” Silas said. “But we are dealing with reality, which is that things change day by day. Things change game by game. And like I said before, my job is to coach this basketball team and make sure the guys are in the right position. “.

While Harden did not address his future, he praised Silas and his staff.

“There are a lot of changes,” Harden said. “The whole coaching staff, part of the management, a lot of players. And this is where we are. So the coach has done an incredible job of communicating with the guys and putting the structure in place and making things work.”

The question is whether Harden will remain part of the team when they do.

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