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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 means out of two years in the past, in accordance with a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Harden wanting out at this explicit 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. Up to now, issues are going properly. Philadelphia has received 11 of its final 14 video games since Thanksgiving. Simply final week, he tallied a franchise-record 21 assists and is on observe to be named to his eleventh consecutive All-Star staff. In the meantime, Joel Embiid remains to be peaking. Absolutely, Harden would have shot down this Woj Bomb posthaste on Christmas Day. As an alternative, he supplied up a basic non-denial.
“I’m right here, we’re enjoying very properly,” Harden stated after Philadelphia’s 119-112 victory in opposition to the Knicks. “I don’t know the place the report got here from, however I’m excited to be right here, we’re enjoying properly and we’re persevering with to get higher.”
Harden’s eyes have all the time been greater than his abdomen. In Oklahoma Metropolis 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 means 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 really perfect 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 will seem he’s all however chucking up the sponge 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 along 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 largest pockmark on a playmaking savant who’s immensely proficient, 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 have been drafted first general by the Cavs is the dream. Or he believes he will be the elixir that Chris Paul has been to the Phoenix Suns. James Harden just isn’t that dude.
Anytime Harden faces increased requirements, he both chases his companions away or jumps ship. The grass is all the time greener on the opposite facet. 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 attributable to Harden’s underwhelming play and poor conditioning throughout his first half season as a Sixer.
One other 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 further weight than Black Santa and quite than giving it his all whereas a commerce was negotiated, performed lifeless 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 Inexperienced, Jabari Smith, Kevin Porter Jr., and Alperen Şengün don’t want the dangerous 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.
Enjoying with Harden has by no means been an gratifying expertise. His final 5 years in Houston, his groups have been the exact opposite of Golden State’s platonic concept offense that created open pictures by sharing the ball. As an alternative, they have been final in participant motion from 2016 by way of 2021, in accordance with Second Spectrum, whereas Harden usually dribbled out the clock establishing his personal playmaking alternatives. Paying Harden to develop outdated, ornery, and lackadaisical on a burgeoning Rockets roster is a idiot’s errand.
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