James Harden going back to Houston? The rumors are getting louder.
The Rockets will reportedly pursue their former star aggressively this offseason.
MIAMI – Talk of James Harden possibly returning to the Houston Rockets is getting louder.
There have been frequent reports about the 76ers point guard’s interest in rejoining the franchise where he became a household name.
The latest news is the Rockets are expected to aggressively pursue Harden this summer after he turns down his $35.6 million player option, according to The Athletic. The report says Harden is considering the move.
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The 33-year-old was asked about his interest to return to the Rockets back on Christmas Day.
“I’m here,” Harden said. “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.”
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 last 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.
Harden played a little more than eight seasons in Houston before forcing a trade to the Brooklyn Nets on Jan. 13, 2021. One of the Rockets’ all-time best players, Harden won the 2018 NBA MVP award and three scoring titles with Houston.
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After a rocky start this season, he and Joel Embiid have formed a dominant All-NBA pairing.
The Sixers are 39-21 and in third place in the Eastern Conference. Harden is averaging 21.6 points, a league-best 10.7 assists, and 1.3 steals.
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.