Shares

Politics has taken center stage in the sports industry and it’s causing a major rift between the players and general managers in the NBA.

Houston Rockets players James Harden and Russell Westbrook are the newest players to address the issues in the league.

“I’m hearing that Tilman Fertitta’s strong Republican support and donations is one of the things that is contributing to this dissatisfaction, and those two [Westbrook and Harden] are not the only ones to want out of Houston,” said NBA reporter Ric Bucher.

After weeks of speculation, the Houston Rockets announced Wednesday that Westbrook would be traded to the Washington Wizards for the No. 1 overall draft pick, John Wall.

Prior to Westbrook’s exit, Harden expressed a desire to join the Brooklyn Nets but the Nets could not reach H-Town’s hefty trade price tag.

“So, we’re going to set ourselves up to make the moves, to be one of the top teams. We’re going to do whatever we have to do to win. I can promise that to my fans and compete for the NBA championship this year,” Fertitta told CNBC.

Harden has not addressed the Westbrook trade, but he is currently under contract with the Rockets through the 2021- 2022 season and holds a player option for 2022-2023.

All eyes will be on the Houston Rockets this season as they navigate their strained player-management relationships as Harden’s contract comes to an end.