Zach Lowe on James Harden Rumors: Majority of Execs Would Guess Star Returns to 76ers
James Harden may end up staying with the Philadelphia 76ers after all.
ESPN's Zach Lowe discussed the situation on his podcast (h/t RealGM) and suggested there is growing belief around the league the guard will remain with the Eastern Conference contender instead of going to the Houston Rockets or another team.
"The breaks have now been pumped, like slammed on, around the league to the point that I bet if you poll 50 front-office executives, the majority of them would guess he's going back to Philly," Lowe said. "I don't know what the hell is going to happen. We'll see."
Lowe also added that the 76ers' decision to dismiss Doc Rivers helped the team's chances to retain Harden, which is notable considering ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported on NBA Today (h/t RealGM) in May that the guard didn't want to continue playing for the veteran head coach.
Despite this renewed momentum from Philadelphia's perspective, rumors about Harden potentially reuniting with the Rockets have been circulating for months.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported in December that the 10-time All-Star was "seriously considering a return" even though he previously requested and received a trade away from the franchise in the past.
"Harden has maintained something of a magnetic pull to Houston, drawn to the community, lifestyle and family there," Wojnarowski wrote.
Still, such a move would drastically reduce the future Hall of Famer's chances at winning the first championship of his career.
The Rockets have a new head coach in Ime Udoka and some building blocks with Jabari Smith Jr. and Jalen Green, but they were still a combined 59-177 the past three seasons and likely sit well behind a handful of contenders in the Western Conference even if Harden joined the fold.
Returning to the 76ers would allow the three-time scoring champion more time to build continuity with reigning MVP Joel Embiid and challenge in an Eastern Conference that is fairly wide open after the Miami Heat went from the play-in tournament to the NBA Finals this past season.
As for Philadelphia, it would be difficult to envision the team finding an adequate replacement for Harden even if there are some concerns about his postseason track record.
Whether that will eventually lead to a new long-term contract remains to be seen, but he has a $35.6 million player option for 2023-24 and would still give the team one of the best one-two punches in the league if he exercises it.
