NBA
League insiders have reported that James Harden is ‘torn’ on returning to the Sixers or joining the Rockets via free agency
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated07 Jun 2023
At this stage in his career, James Harden has an important decision to make. He will be 33 by the time next season starts and this could be his last big-time contract. Harden is set to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason and there are two main teams in contention. The Philadelphia 76ers and the Houston Rockets. League insiders have reported that Harden is ‘torn’ on returning to the Sixers or joining the Rockets via free agency.
One thing we know about Harden over the last few years is that he has not stayed long if the vibe is not right. After nine seasons with the Rockets, he played just 80 games for the Brooklyn Nets before forcing a trade. Since then, he’s played 79 total games for the Sixers with a chance he leaves this offseason.
Clearly, the decision is not easy for the 10-time all-star. At this point in his career, he needs to decide what matters to him most.
“You look at the 2 teams that it’ll come down to, the Philadelphia 76ers… Or going and returning to Houston – I’m told James Harden is torn on where this is gonna go” 👀@ShamsCharania on James Harden’s free agency decision#RunItBack pic.twitter.com/htPiDjoiz2
— FanDuel TV (@FanDuelTV) June 7, 2023
Will James Harden return to the Sixers or join the Rockets in free agency this offseason?
According to Shams Charanaia of The Atheltic, Harden is “torn” on what he wants to do with the future of his career. He has the chance to come back to the Sixers and compete for championships or join a rebuilding Houston squad. At the moment, Houston has roughly $60 million in cap space.
They are going to have money to spend this offseason and Charania noted that Houston will be aggressive in the marketplace. Philadelphia has the edge over the Rockets for one simple reason; Joel Embiid. The 2022-23 NBA MVP is Harden’s most realistic chance at winning an NBA championship.
The Rockets are a young team under a new coaching staff in Ime Udoka. However, it’s hard to predict how well the 76ers will mesh with new head coach Nick Nurse. They fired Doc Rivers after he blew a 3-2 series lead vs the 76ers in the second round of the East playoffs. James Harden was reportedly not a fan of Rivers.
