James Harden is a deeply unserious franchise cornerstone. However, 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 compelled his method out of two years in the past, in keeping with 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 choice for subsequent season. Thus far, issues are going effectively. Philadelphia has received 11 of its final 14 video games since Thanksgiving. Just final week, he tallied a franchise-record 21 assists and is on observe to be named to his eleventh consecutive All-Star staff. Meanwhile, Joel Embiid continues to be peaking. Surely, Harden would have shot down this Woj Bomb posthaste on Christmas Day. Instead, he provided up a traditional non-denial.
“I’m here, we’re playing very well,” Harden mentioned after Philadelphia’s 119-112 victory in opposition to the Knicks. “I don’t know where the report came from, but I’m excited to be here, we’re playing well and we’re continuing to get better.”
Harden’s eyes have at all times been greater than his abdomen. In Oklahoma City he had staff success however longed to be the main star elsewhere. For practically a decade in Houston, he registered absurd numbers, however clashed with friends who may 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 Game 7.
He’s nonetheless in an excellent 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 falling by the wayside on a title.
He may have entertained a transfer to Sacramento or Atlanta or Los Angeles to affix the Lakers, however Harden has tried pairing up together with his friends earlier than. He’s not constructed for that form of accountability. His low effort when confronted with adversity and slothful play are the largest pockmark on a playmaking savant who’s immensely gifted, 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 high contributors all on rookie contracts off the following 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 isn’t that dude.
Anytime Harden faces larger requirements, he both chases his companions away or jumps ship. The grass is at all times greener on the opposite facet. But 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 as a consequence of Harden’s underwhelming play and poor conditioning throughout his first half season as a Sixer.
Another knock in opposition to the chances of a Houston reunion is that it’s solely been two years since he reported to coaching camp packing on extra additional weight than Black Santa and fairly 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 high gamers in minutes logged are 22 or youthful. Jalen Green, 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 one of the best odds for the highest decide within the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes with Detroit and Charlotte.
Playing with Harden has by no means been an pleasant 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. Instead, they had been final in participant motion from 2016 by means of 2021, in keeping with Second Spectrum, whereas Harden typically 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.