James Harden is a deeply unserious franchise cornerstone. Nevertheless, within the midst of a pivotal, legacy-defining season for his profession, Harden could also be eyeing a return in free company to the Rockets franchise he pressured his method out of two years in the past, in response to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Harden wanting out at this specific time is sudden, to say the least. Harden signed a prove-it two-year, $68.6 million contract with Philadelphia within the offseason that features a participant possibility for subsequent season. Up to now, issues are going properly. Philadelphia has received 11 of its final 14 video games since Thanksgiving. Simply final week, he tallied a franchise-record 21 assists and is on observe to be named to his eleventh consecutive All-Star workforce. In the meantime, Joel Embiid remains to be peaking. Certainly, Harden would have shot down this Woj Bomb posthaste on Christmas Day. As an alternative, he provided up a traditional non-denial.
“I’m right here, we’re taking part in very properly,” Harden stated after Philadelphia’s 119-112 victory towards the Knicks. “I don’t know the place the report got here from, however I’m excited to be right here, we’re taking part in properly and we’re persevering with to get higher.”
Harden’s eyes have all the time been larger than his abdomen. In Oklahoma Metropolis he had workforce success however longed to be the main star elsewhere. For practically a decade in Houston, he registered absurd numbers, however clashed with friends who might have helped him hoist a Larry O’Brien Trophy. He talked his method out of Brooklyn the place he, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving got here inches away from knocking off the eventual champs in a Recreation 7.
He’s nonetheless in a perfect place to compete for rings with Philly, however he’s by no means appeared overly involved with championship pursuits. If he’s sending hints that he’s seeking to rejoin one of many NBA’s youngest groups, then it could seem he’s all however dropping out on a title.
He might have entertained a transfer to Sacramento or Atlanta or Los Angeles to hitch the Lakers, however Harden has tried pairing up along with his friends earlier than. He’s not constructed for that type of accountability. His low effort when confronted with adversity and slothful play are the largest pockmark on a playmaking savant who’s immensely proficient, however unable to entry the additional stage of effort megastars discover within the postseason.
He could also be making the calculation {that a} younger squad with its prime contributors all on rookie contracts off the subsequent two years wouldn’t be so squeamish about paying him $50 million a season.
A return to Houston just like the one LeBron had in Cleveland after Kyrie Irving, and Andrew Wiggins had been drafted first total by the Cavs is the dream. Or he believes he might be the elixir that Chris Paul has been to the Phoenix Suns. James Harden just isn’t that dude.
Anytime Harden faces increased requirements, he both chases his companions away or jumps ship. The grass is all the time greener on the opposite facet. However Harden is delusional if he thinks he’s what Houston’s junior Rockets want proper now. At 34, Philly wouldn’t even decide to a long-term supermax deal attributable to Harden’s underwhelming play and poor conditioning throughout his first half season as a Sixer.
One other knock towards the chances of a Houston reunion is that it’s only been two years since he reported to training camp packing on more extra weight than Black Santa and slightly than giving it his all whereas a commerce was negotiated, performed useless on the ground till a deal was finalized.
Nevermind that he’d be a redundancy. Eight of the Rockets 9 prime gamers in minutes logged are 22 or youthful. Jalen Inexperienced, Jabari Smith, Kevin Porter Jr., and Alperen Şengün don’t want the unhealthy habits Harden would ingrain into their formative basketball minds. At 10-23, the Rockets possess the NBA’s second-worst successful share, which additionally places them in place to share the perfect odds for the highest choose within the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes with Detroit and Charlotte.
Taking part in with Harden has by no means been an satisfying expertise. His final 5 years in Houston, his groups had been the exact opposite of Golden State’s platonic thought offense that created open photographs by sharing the ball. As an alternative, they had been last in player movement from 2016 through 2021, in response to Second Spectrum, whereas Harden usually dribbled out the clock organising his personal playmaking alternatives. Paying Harden to develop previous, ornery, and lackadaisical on a burgeoning Rockets roster is a idiot’s errand.
