Marquese Chriss' agent has asked the Houston Rockets to either give Chriss more playing time or trade him to a team where he can be in the rotation.

“Marquese didn’t ask to be traded to Houston. The Rockets are a great organization and the kid has done everything they’ve asked of him to get on the floor. If it’s not going to happen there, we just want him to be treated fairly," said Aaron Goodwin.

The 21-year-old is averaging 6.7 minutes per game this season and has appeared in just 15 games.

“He’s on a really good team that has two or three guys ahead of him. That’s about the only thing. He’s a good kid and he works hard. It’s just not his time yet," said Mike D'Antoni earlier this month. 

Chris Paul made his return after missing 17 games with a hamstring injury in the Houston Rockets' 103-98 win over the Orlando Magic. Paul finished the game with 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists.

James Harden added 40 points, his 23rd straight game with over 30 points.

"He looked good. He looked like he had a little extra pep in his step, obviously, his first game back. He did that same spin move and some other moves to check his body and how it felt. He looked great, and he made some big-time shots. It was good to see him back on the floor," said Harden.

Mike D'Antoni said that Paul's return will lighten Harden's workload.

"I think that Chris, when he really feels good, he'll take a lot of [burden] away from James in the sense of, 'You don't have to go every time. Then James can even be better. I don't think his points will go down. I think he will be better. He played 37 minutes [against the Magic]. If we can get it down to 35, it would be great. Then he'll have even more energy to get more points. I think it will be better in the long run," added D'Antoni. 

After coming up with a defensive stop against Kawhi Leonard at the end of the Houston Rockets' 121-119 win over the Toronto Raptors, PJ Tucker, Mike D'Antoni, and Austin Rivers complimented James Harden's defensive ability.

"He can play defense when he wants to. Everybody always talks [bad] on James about him playing defense, but he wants to win," said Tucker.

"James has actually been playing solid defense since I've been here, to be honest. That whole defensive liability thing for him is dead, from what I've seen," added Rivers. 

Harden is giving up just 0.74 points per post-up possession according to Second Spectrum data. It is the fourth fewest among NBA players who have defended at least 75 possessions. 

Chris Paul is expected to make his return to the Houston Rockets lineup on Sunday against the Orlando Magic.

Paul missed the previous 17 games with a hamstring injury. The Rockets went 12-5 in his absence.

The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook set James Harden's over/under for points for Friday's game against the Toronto Raptors at 42.5, marking the highest line the casino has ever posted for a point total. 

"It's a reaction to what we're seeing through the betting window. If Harden goes on a string of games where he hits 50 a few times in a row, we may have to increase it more because in the low 40s, we're not going to get much under money on it," said Jeff Sherman, the vice president of risk management at the SuperBook.

Harden is also a -500 favorite for MVP, with Giannis Antetokounmpo second-best at +350. 

Chris Paul and Brandon Knight were upgraded to questionable for the Houston Rockets game against the Toronto Raptors on Friday.

Paul has been out since December 20th with a hamstring injury. The Rockets have gone 11-5 in his absence.

Knight has missed the last 6 games due to knee soreness. 

James Harden scored a career-high 61 points in the Houston Rockets' 114-110 against the New York Knicks. 

The 61 points tied Harden with Kobe Bryant for the second-highest total scored at Madison Square Garden, 1 point behind Carmelo Anthony.

Harden is currently averaging 35.7 points for the season. 

"This is one of the historical buildings in the sport that we have. Obviously, the fans are one of the best that we have in this league. And so it's pretty cool to come out here and put on a show for them," said Harden.

Harden shot 17-38 from the field, and went 22-25 from the free-throw line. He also added 15 rebounds and 5 steals. 

The Houston Rockets have traded Carmelo Anthony, the rights to Jon Diebler, and cash considerations to Chicago in exchange for the rights to Tadija Dragićević.

Dragićević (6-9, 247) was the 53rd overall pick by Utah in the 2008 NBA Draft. His rights were acquired by Chicago in 2014. Dragićević has played professionally in several countries during his career, most recently in Spain this season.

James Harden finished with 37 points in the Houston Rockets' 121-93 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, his 20th straight game with at least 30 points.

Harden joins Wilt Chamberlain as the only two players in NBA history to score 30 points in at least 20 straight games. 

"Wilt was doing some obviously unbelievable things and numbers that nobody will ever catch. Just to be in the same conversation as those guys is just credit to the work I put in. That's what you play this game for, to be listed with those guys, those top players," said Harden.

Harden has scored 200 points in his last 4 games. None of those points have come off assists. 

The last time Harden scored under 30 points was December 11th.

"I don't see any end in sight. I know there will be, but I don't see it happening," added Mike D'Antoni.

The Los Angeles Lakers remain interested in adding Carmelo Anthony if he was waived by the Chicago Bulls, although the Lakers will not waive one of their current players to open up a roster spot. 

The Bulls will not immediately waive Anthony as they search for a one-for-one trade before the deadline. They will waive Anthony if they cannot find a trade partner. 

The Lakers would then be a potential destination for Anthony if they open up a spot before or after the trade deadline.