The Philadelphia 76ers are having a great season, but rumors about James Harden’s departure persist. Speculations were fueled further when Sixers president Daryl Morey commented on Harden’s future in Philly on ESPN’s “SportsCenter” last Friday. Morey weighed in on whether the star point guard’s future with the Sixers depends on a deep playoff run, saying that Harden is focused on winning the championship and will go wherever he feels like he has the best chance.
This week, ESPN’s Tim McMahon reignited rumors that Harden could return to one of his old teams, the Houston Rockets. McMahon noted that there was a lot of “gossip” about the possibility of Harden returning to his old stomping grounds, connecting the same dots he had back in December.
Sixers President @dmorey joined me on SportsCenter tonight and shared his thoughts on the type of pressure put on the @sixers to get past the 2nd round of the playoffs and whether the future of James Harden depends on their postseason success. pic.twitter.com/5CUswar62t
— Kevin Negandhi (@KevinNegandhi) February 25, 2023
Harden had sacrificed to help the Sixers build a winning team. Last offseason, the 33-year-old declined a $47.4 million player option to re-sign with the Sixers for less. This allowed the team to add depth pieces to its roster.
However, if things don’t work out this season in Philadelphia, Harden may consider a change of scenery.
Some people find it hard to believe that Harden would move from an Eastern Conference contender to a last-place team in the West. After all, the 14-year pro spent parts of nine seasons with the Rockets and still considers Houston home in the offseason.
However, with the Rockets having possibly more than $60 million in cap space this offseason and multiple first-round picks over the next few seasons, they could theoretically afford Harden and become a rising up-and-comer in the league.
Harden’s future with the Sixers may largely depend on how the 2022-23 season ends. Despite having MVP candidate Joel Embiid on the roster, the 76ers haven’t made it past the second round of the playoffs since 2001 and have failed to overcome the hump in five consecutive postseason appearances. If the Sixers don’t perform well in the playoffs this season, it could be the last we see of Harden in Philly.
