Stephen A. Smith: James Harden 'Talked Himself out of' Rockets Max Contract in NBA FA

James Harden reportedly squandered an opportunity to land a maximum contract with the Houston Rockets in free agency this offseason.

Speaking Wednesday on ESPN's First Take, Stephen A. Smith said a "very reliable source" told him that Harden "talked himself out of" a max contract during a meeting with the Rockets:

Smith said he was told Harden talked about his desire to return to being a scoring champion upon signing with Houston, prompting head coach Ime Udoka and the Rockets front office to move on to other options.

Harden, 34, spent parts of nine seasons with the Rockets and was named an All-Star nine times. He also won three consecutive NBA scoring titles for 2018 to 2020 and won an NBA MVP Award.

All told, Harden appeared in 621 regular-season games for the Rockets and averaged 29.6 points, 7.7 assists and 6.0 rebounds per game, making him one of the NBA's top players during that time.

The Rockets traded Harden to the Brooklyn Nets early in the 2020-21 season, and he was then dealt to Philly during the 2021-22 campaign.

Last season was his first full year with the Sixers, and while he missed out on All-Star honors for the first time since the 2011-12 season, he led the NBA with 10.7 assists per game and also averaged 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals.

Harden became more of a playmaker in support of NBA MVP Joel Embiid than a primary scoring option, but Smith's report suggests he preferred to reprise his high-volume scoring role in Houston had he returned there.

Upon opting into the final year of his contract with the Sixers this offseason, it was believed that Philly would work on finding a trade partner, but no deal has been struck, and Harden reported to training camp with the team Wednesday, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Instead of investing significant money in Harden, the Rockets signed guard Fred VanVleet to a three-year, $128.5 million contract and wing Dillon Brooks to a four-year, $86 million deal.

Those vets are joining a young, talented team headlined by Jalen Green, Jabari Smith, Alperen Şengün and rookie first-round pick Amen Thompson.

As for Harden, he remains in Philadelphia and is reportedly disgruntled that he has not been traded yet with the regular season quickly approaching.

Sam Amick of The Athletic reported Wednesday that Harden is "just as incensed" as ever with Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey due to the belief that he was dishonest about trading Harden.

It remains unclear where Harden will be once the regular season begins, but as of now, he is in line to be on the 76ers' roster, which could make for an uncomfortable and explosive situation.