NBA rumors: Rockets ‘very much in play’ for James Harden
By Ian Levy
The NBA rumors about James Harden to the Rockets have been around for a while. But they just seem to keep bubbling back up.
We first heard the NBA rumors about James Harden being interested in a return to the Rockets back in December. Since then they’ve popped up again periodically and today, as Harden’s 76ers get set to take on the Brooklyn Nets in Game 3 of the first-round playoff series, they’re back.
On his podcast today, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said this:
"“James Harden’s future is very unclear in Philadelphia. Houston is very much in play for him. And I think a lot may depend on [whether] they make a run and win and it’s easy to pay him long-term big money, or he just wants to be in Houston. Win or lose he goes, or it’s dependent on the team’s success.”"
The NBA rumors about James Harden returning to the Rockets just won’t stop
Woj is as plugged in as any reporter and I suppose the source of his information here matters quite a bit. If it’s coming from Harden or someone close to him, it’s probably a bad sign that he has this on his mind in the middle of a playoff run. If it’s coming from someone around the Rockets, it’s a lot less serious and maybe some intentional seed-planting to keep the idea in front of Harden. It’s possible the information could have come from someone around the 76ers, setting the table for them to potentially try and extricate themselves but that seems like the remotest possibility.
Harden has a player option for next season, at about $35 million. He’ll be 34 by the beginning of next season and his next contract may well be his last significant one. Even if he ultimately decides to stay in Philly, he might decide to opt out and see if he can secure a new deal with a few extra years at a higher salary before his play declines any further.
Either way, this is probably not what 76ers fans want to be thinking about as they prepare for Game 3. But, again, it sounds like this rumor isn’t going to be going anywhere.
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