If James Harden leaves the 76ers in free agency, he would be open to a reunion with his former teammates. It takes 2 minutes.
If James Harden doesn't sign a new contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, he will return to the Houston Rockets in free agency this July, according to sources.
Sources said that Harden and his inner circle have been weighing in on Houston in recent months, a possibility given that he requested and received a trade out of the team less than two years ago.
His future with the 76ers is still up in the air as they prepare to face the New York Knicks in a Christmas Day game. The state of Harden's partnership with the All-NBA center, as well as the success of the 76ers in the playoffs, could be indicators of how Harden will proceed past this season. Experiencing a deep playoff run in Philadelphia could have a positive effect on his thinking.
Harden will be able to return to free agency this summer after signing a two-year contract with the 76ers. The Philadelphia 76ers are fifth in the East and expect to get star Tyrese Maxey back in the next week.
Harden forced his way out of the Astros in January 2021. After a brief stop in Brooklyn and Philadelphia, a return to a rebuilding Houston team would represent comfort and familiarity.
The Rockets have a lot of salary cap space and want to improve next summer. Harden's stature and talent make him an attractive proposition, but his arrival would have to be evaluated to see how it would benefit the young core of talent.
Harden's evolution as a pass-first guard has continued after he stopped with Houston. He had a career-high 21 points in the victory over the LA Clippers.
Harden was an All-Star in eight of his nine seasons with the Rockets, including a trip to the Western Conference finals in his most recent season. Harden is second to Hakeem Olajuwon in all-time franchise scoring and first in assists.
After spending time with co-stars such as Chris Paul and Chris Howard, Harden decided to leave the Houston Astros and join the Nets. Simmons, Curry, and two future first-round picks were traded by the 76ers to the Nets in order to get Harden.
Harden's relationship with the Philadelphia 76ers and their president of basketball operations, Morey, resembles something closer to a work in progress than his relationship with the team. Harden is expected to be a priority to re-sign on a new deal for a second year in a row.
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