Houston Rockets star guard James Harden is back in town as trade rumors fire up once again.

James Harden has been all of the talk around the NBA as of late. Last month, as the Houston Rockets changed over the coaching staff and the front office, Harden and fellow point guard Russell Westbrook grew concerned about the organization’s future.

Both stars reportedly requested trades in November. Last week, Westbrook got his wish and was sent packing to the Washington Wizards. Although Westbrook is out of the picture, Harden remains unsatisfied.

According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Harden’s desire to want to be traded hasn’t disappeared. Per MacMahon’s report, the Rockets veteran asked to be re-located to the 76ers or any other contender that has an interest.

Those rumors made it seem as if Harden’s training camp holdout would continue for a while. However, it seems the veteran guard is willing to get back to work this week as he has reportedly arrived at the Toyota Center in Houston to go through the team’s COVID-19 protocols.

Although it indicates Harden will return to the Rockets soon, Houston’s head coach Stephen Silas still seems skeptical. “[He got tested] that’s all I know,” the head coach mentioned following Rockets practice on Tuesday.

Harden might be begging for a trade behind the scenes, but the veteran guard doesn’t have much leverage in the situation. While the Rockets could get a substantial return for the disgruntled superstar, they have the price tag set pretty high and don’t seem to be settling for anything less than a star with first-round picks attached, no matter how much Harden wants out.

Justin Grasso covers the NBA for The Sports Daily. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_