Jalen Rose: Harden an 'acquired taste,' making trade difficult

The Houston Rockets will encounter difficulty trading James Harden for more than one reason. Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports

Jalen Rose: James Harden difficult to trade because he's an 'acquired taste'

By Blake Harper | Last updated 12/17/20

James Harden reportedly wants out of Houston but ESPN's Jalen Rose says that despite being a "fantastic offensive weapon," the Rockets may have some difficulty finding trade partners because the former MVP is an "acquired taste."

Rose explained on "Get Up" that while someone like LeBron James has proven he can win in whatever situation he is in (as evidenced by his titles in Miami, Cleveland and Los Angeles), Harden's unique, ball-centric style of play makes him a superstar who won't fit in every situation. To maximize his abilities, he needs to be put in the right situation.

"He's gonna do a lot of isolations, he's gonna do a lot of step-backs, and he's gonna shoot about 10-15 3-pointers a game," Rose explained. "In order for that to happen, the situation has to be built around you."

.@JalenRose isn't sure James Harden will be able to fit in on just any team, calling his style "an acquired taste."

"He's gonna do a lot of isolations, he's gonna do a lot of step-backs, and he's gonna shoot about 10-15 3-pointers a game." pic.twitter.com/JoifRWSkzX
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) December 17, 2020

Rose may have a point about Harden not being an ideal fit with all 30 NBA teams, but it's hard to imagine the Rockets will have a shortage of potential trade partners if the team is willing to trade him. After all, Harden has proven to be one of the most dynamic offensive players in NBA history and could turn any team into a perennial playoff team, if not an outright contender.

The former NBA player also said that the Rockets seem to be ready to move on from Harden, as evidenced by John Wall taking over ball-handling duties for the team in the preseason, even with Harden joining the team after initially not reporting to training camp.

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