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NBA rumors: James Harden ‘increasingly likely’ to return to 76ers

By Jonathan Lurensky

May 11, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden (1) shoots against the Boston Celtics during the first quarter in game six of the 2023 NBA playoffs at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
May 11, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden (1) shoots against the Boston Celtics during the first quarter in game six of the 2023 NBA playoffs at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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After weeks of NBA rumors that he seemed to be leaning toward the Houston Rockets, a return to the 76ers seems to be coming for James Harden.

According to Kyle Neubeck, James Harden is inching toward coming back to the team. It seems like the focus of the 76ers is to get him on a team-friendly deal, an effort that has evolved over the past few weeks.

The Rockets are the other main suitor for Harden. The appeal of Houston is that it is a no-state tax and would be a return to the team where he first flourished.

This is the latest development in a story that has been changing for a while. It started out in Christmas when it was reported by Adrian Wojnarowski that the Rockets were interested in bringing back James Harden this offseason.

It seemed like this saga was over before it began when a Sixers insider reported that the Rockets would be getting the All-NBA player last month. After that, other reports did not seem to further confirm this.

What does a James Harden return mean for the 76ers?

While this seems somewhat definitive, there have been a lot of developments and is still up in the air whether Harden will end up with the Sixers or the Rockets. This recent report shows that the Sixers will most likely be offering James Harden a team-friendly extension for the majority of their contract talks with the star.

This means that he could end up taking a way shorter deal if he signs with the 76ers. Philly probably wants to avoid the bad years of his contract that will happen as he ages.

The Rockets seem more likely to be offering him a full five-year max. They probably know that the last two years of the deal will be bad. They don’t mind due to the fact that they want to start making the playoffs and stop tanking. The Rockets are most likely not title contenders with James Harden as their best player. Still, they could be a team that makes the second round of the playoff if everything breaks right.

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