The Denver Nuggets have interest in participating in a multi-team trade with the Houston Rockets even if they don't end up acquiring James Harden. 

The Rockets are known to be targeting Michael Porter Jr. as a young player with All-Star potential. It is not known what type of return the Nuggets would seek if they included Porter. The Nuggets have had interest in Jrue Holiday and Bradley Beal in recent months.

Denver has made Jamal Murray untouchable in Harden talks.

The Philadelphia 76ers were determined to enter the 20-21 season with their present roster in place to determine how Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and their new acquisitions would play before assessing whether to pursue a trade for James Harden.

Sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic that "the results, chemistry, perceived ceiling and the like would all be factored in when it came to what might come next on the Harden front.

The 76ers are widely believed to have the capacity to put together the most attractive trade package for Harden due to the presence of a young star in Simmons. Daryl Morey also may covet acquiring Harden more than any other executive in the league due to their history together with the Houston Rockets.

The Milwaukee Bucks don't view James Harden "as a culture fit for their group" and have no plans to try to trade for him, sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic. 

After trading for Jrue Holiday this offseason, the Bucks also likely lack the requisite trade pieces to acquire Harden unless they found a third team who desperately wants Holiday or Khris Middleton.

Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo have also appeared to have an icy relationship as they finished first and second in MVP voting in 2019.

The Brooklyn Nets have been on James Harden's trade list, but there appears to have been very little in the way of discussions with the Houston Rockets.

Spencer Dinwiddie has been linked with a potential trade for Harden, but he was ruled out for the season on Monday with a partially torn ACL.

"Spencer Dinwiddie's health did not make or break the Nets' ability to get James Harden," said Zach Lowe on his podcast. "It's unclear to me, frankly, if those teams have had anything resembling a serious conversation about James Harden. Let's make that clear. I don't sense that there's been hardly any traction there at all. And maybe the way the Nets started had them thinking 'Why are we messing with this?'"

The key to Brooklyn potentially trading for Harden has been believed to be centered more on their ability to put a young star from another team in a three-team package.

Daryl Morey has been fined $50,000 for a violation of the NBA's anti-tampering rules.

The fine stems from a social media post Morey made on December 20th regarding James Harden.

Morey left the Houston Rockets in October and joined the Philadelphia 76ers shortly thereafter. Philadelphia has been linked with a potential trade for Harden. 

John Wall, Eric Gordon, DeMarcus Cousins, and Mason Jones all received seven-day quarantines, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

The Rockets' players will miss games against the Blazers and Nuggets, and are expected to return next Thursday against the Kings. 

The Houston Rockets are traveling with nine players for their road game on Saturday at the Portland Trail Blazers. NBA rules mandate teams have at least eight available players to start a game.

The Rockets have six players missing because of a paid of positive COVID-19 tests and contact tracing.

James Harden will play in the game. Harden was fined $50,000 for attending a private indoor party Monday.

Ben McLemore and Kenyon Martin Jr. tested positive this week, while DeMarcus Cousins, John Wall, Eric Gordon and Mason Jones are out due to "health and safety protocols."

Several Houston Rockets players may have to quarantine for seven days after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19, sources told Shams Charania of The Athletic.

The players include Eric Gordon, John Wall, and DeMarcus Cousins. 

The Rockets, who had their opening night game postponed due to COVID-19 testing, are scheduled to play the Blazers on Saturday. 

James Harden added the Portland Trail Blazers and Boston Celtics to his list of preferred trade destinations, sources told Sam Amick and Kelly Iko of The Athletic.

Harden's list initially included the Nets and 76ers, with the Heat and Bucks later added.

The Athletic adds that the Rockets have engaged in trade talks with teams outside of Harden's list, and that the potential for a deal with the Celtics or Blazers is currently unclear. 

James Harden will be required to isolate until Friday and continue testing negative for COVID-19 before he's cleared to play.

Harden should be available to play on Saturday against the Portland Trail Blazers. The league is directing a four-day quarantine that began on Tuesday. 

The NBA postponed Houston's regular season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder as the Rockets didn't have the league mandated minimum of eight available players.