James Harden is a deeply unserious franchise cornerstone. Nonetheless, 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 manner 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 surprising, 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. To date, issues are going effectively. Philadelphia has gained 11 of its final 14 video games since Thanksgiving. Simply final week, he tallied a franchise-record 21 assists and is on monitor to be named to his eleventh consecutive All-Star crew. In the meantime, Joel Embiid continues to be peaking. Absolutely, Harden would have shot down this Woj Bomb posthaste on Christmas Day. As an alternative, he supplied up a traditional non-denial.
“I’m right here, we’re taking part in very effectively,” 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 effectively 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 crew success however longed to be the main star elsewhere. For almost 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 manner out of Brooklyn the place he, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving got here inches away from knocking off the eventual champs in a Sport 7.
He’s nonetheless in a super 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 trying 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 hitch the Lakers, however Harden has tried pairing up together 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 most important pockmark on a playmaking savant who’s immensely gifted, however unable to entry the additional degree 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 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 general by the Cavs is the dream. Or he believes he may be the elixir that Chris Paul has been to the Phoenix Suns. James Harden isn’t that dude.
Anytime Harden faces greater requirements, he both chases his companions away or jumps ship. The grass is all the time greener on the opposite aspect. 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 because of Harden’s underwhelming play and poor conditioning throughout his first half season as a Sixer.
One other knock towards the percentages 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 relatively 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 profitable 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.
Enjoying with Harden has by no means been an pleasing expertise. His final 5 years in Houston, his groups had been the exact opposite of Golden State’s platonic thought offense that created open pictures 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 establishing his personal playmaking alternatives. Paying Harden to develop previous, ornery, and lackadaisical on a burgeoning Rockets roster is a idiot’s errand.
