James Harden dismisses questions about a potential return to the Houston Rockets

NEW YORK — Is James Harden seriously considering a return to the Houston Rockets in free agency? Or is the 76ers point guard letting the team know there will be no discount this time around?

We’ll find out in negotiations this summer. But ESPN reported the former an hour before the Sixers faced the New York Knicks in a Christmas Day game on Sunday at Madison Square Garden.

“I’m here,” Harden said following the Sixers’ 119-112 victory over the Knicks. “We are playing very well. And I don’t know where the report came from. But I’m very excited to be here. We are playing well, and we’re continuing to get better.”

The future Hall of Famer was in no mood to talk about the report hours earlier.

» READ MORE: Sixers recover from slow start, ill-timed report to beat New York Knicks, 119-112, on Christmas Day

Asked before the game about the report, Harden responded: “What report?”

Harden said he didn’t know what the reporter was talking about. He also became agitated when asked about the report that he was considering going back to Houston.

“Why would you ask me about that on Christmas, man?” he said. “You didn’t say Merry Christmas or nothing. You asked me about something that I ain’t even … I’m not answering. I didn’t see nothing.”

Later told why the question had to be asked, Harden responded: ”I’m not talking right now before the game.”

Harden signed a two-year, $68.6 million contract with the Sixers on July 27. He has a player option for the 2023-24 season, which enables him to become a free agent this summer.

Harden opted out of a $47.4 million player option this summer to re-sign with the Sixers. He’s making $33 million this season. The pay cut he accepted created enough cap space to sign his former teammates and friends, P.J. Tucker, Danuel House Jr., and Montrezl Harrell in free agency.

He played a little over eight seasons in Houston before forcing a trade to the Brooklyn Nets on Jan. 13, 2021. Harden, one of the Rockets’ all-time best players, won the 2018 NBA MVP award and three scoring titles as a Rocket.

» READ MORE: ‘Which contract was worse, P.J. Tucker or Al Horford?’

Harden finished with 29 points, 13 assists, and four steals against the Knicks on Sunday.

After a rocky to start this season, he and Joel Embiid have formed a dominant All-NBA pairing. The Sixers are 8-1 since his return, with the only loss coming at Houston in his first game back from a foot injury. During the Sixers’ current eight-game winning streak, Harden, 33, is averaging 21.6 points, 12.8 assists, and 1.8 steals (including four steals against the Knicks).

If he opts out this summer, Harden could demand a lot of money from the Sixers if he is indeed considering going back to the Rockets. Houston will have a lot of cap space this summer.