Despite an ugly breakup two years ago, a reunion between the Houston Rockets and future Hall-of-Famer James Harden may not be out of the question in NBA free agency next year.
During his three-year tenure as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Harden was seen as a talented sixth man with serious potential. After signing a $75 million deal in 2013 with the Rockets, the NBA world saw the upside in Harden’s game as he would go on to become one of the best players on the planet during his run in Houston.
The 33-year-old was an All-Star all eight and half years he was in Texas, was the NBA MVP in 2017-2018 and helped to make the Rockets a perennial contender for nearly a decade. However, all good things come to an end, and for Harden and Houston, it was not the most pleasant of finishes.
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The 10-time All-Star came into the 2020-2021 season badly out of shape and very much over being a member of the organization. It lead to a 2021 NBA trade deadline deal that sent him to Brooklyn Nets. However, his time in New York was drama-filled and it showed that the grass is not always greener on the other side.
Houston Rockets could seek out a reunion with James Harden in NBA free agency
James Harden was able to find his way out of New York and to the Philadelphia 76ers. A team with legitimate NBA championship aspirations this season. However, he can opt-out of his new two-year deal with the team next summer. If the All-Star wants to land one last massive deal, ESPN NBA insider Tim MacMahon claimed on Tuesday that the Rockets surprisingly be in the running.
“They’ve got like, $60 million, potentially, in cap space this summer. This is not Oklahoma City, Salt Lake City, or San Antonio. This is Houston, a potentially desirable market for free agents… There’s already been a lot of gossip and dot-connecting, ‘Hey, if things don’t work out in Philly, keep an eye out on James Harden back to Houston.’
“I think ‘keep an eye out on that’ is certainly fair. First, let’s see how things work out in Philadelphia, where they’re starting to play really good basketball.”
– Report on possible Harden/Houston reunion (h/t Rockets Wire)
- James Harden stats (2022): 21.9 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 10.5 APG, 1.3 SPG, 36% 3PT FG
While it still seems unlikely, especially if the 76ers make a trip to the NBA Finals this spring, money talks. And Harden as much as any player in the league is open to listening. Especially if he can become the main guy again in a major city.