James Harden reportedly threw ball at teammate during practice

With the start of the NBA season just a few hours away, James Harden and the Houston Rockets are stuck in a stalemate, as the former MVP reportedly wants to be traded by the team to join a contender. But while Harden has mostly tried to remain civil publicly, it appears that the tension has started to boil over, as The Athletic's Shams Charania reported that Harden has gotten into multiple confrontations with teammates.

Charania wrote that "Harden has had multiple verbal confrontations with teammates in practice on Sunday and Monday, and one confrontation included Harden throwing a basketball at a teammate on Monday."

The teammate seems to be Jae'Sean Tate, as Charania reported that the rookie and Harden had a "heated exchange" during practice earlier this week that resulted in Harden throwing a basketball at his teammate. 

On the one hand, this sort of tense moment is common in such a competitive environment, and it's possible the two let the moment pass without a second thought. However, even if Harden does not hold anything against Tate, his outburst may indicate that his patience with the Rockets is wearing thin, as the team has been unable (or perhaps unwilling) to trade Harden with the season set to begin.

The primary issue the Rockets appear to be facing is having trouble finding a trade partner that will match their hefty price tag. If the Rockets are going to give up Harden, they are expected to want a massive haul of picks and/or young prospects in return and, so far, few teams are willing to pay that price.