Report: Harden pushed management to fire McHale, wanted Howard traded at deadline

The most powerful man in Houston may be none other than Rockets shooting guard James Harden.

Harden reportedly pushed Rockets management to fire head coach Kevin McHale and has since shifted his efforts to shipping Dwight Howard out of town, according to CBS Sports' Ken Berger, citing multiple league sources.

"This is the team that they go out there and compete with, so (star players) should have some kind of say-so," Harden said. "Obviously, the owners and the general managers and those guys have the final decision, but the star player should have some kind of input."

Reports surfaced earlier in the month that both Harden and Howard maneuvered to have the other traded following the Rockets' disappointing first-round exit in the 2014 playoffs. Daryl Morey was reportedly also shopping Howard prior to the deadline, but failed to find a suitable trade for the 6-foot-11 center.

"It's really bad for the locker-room dynamic," a person familiar with the situation told CBS Sports. "If everybody knows that James Harden can fire you or trade you, are you going to pass the ball to Dwight or are you going to pass the ball to James Harden?"

Houston's poor chemistry has seemingly taken a toll on the team, which currently holds a record of 28-29 - out of a playoff position. However, that hasn't discouraged Harden from wanting to be involved in the decision making.

"If you're the star player and you're going out there trying to lead that team every single night," Harden said, "I think that should be the case."