Is Houston still all in on James Harden?
Even though the Rockets could find themselves winning the lottery Tuesday night. They don’t want to close the door to a James Harden reunion. At least that’s what ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski seemed to think on a segment of Get Up this morning.
I think at this point we are all aware of how coveted a prospect Victor Wembanyama is. The length, speed, fluidity and overall skillset he has had teams drooling for the past season for a chance to select him. I mean some of the videos of this guy just don’t make him look human.
That said, the Rockets seem to feel that the addition of Wembanyama alone isn’t enough to turn this team around in a quick enough manner. The Rockets have been at the bottom of the league for the last few years. They have a surplus of young talent, but still seem a few years away.
The hiring of Ime Udoka also signifies that the Rockets want to be more competitive in the near future. This is also news that isn’t coming up for the first time, back at around Christmas Woj first revealed the possibility of a Harden to Houston reunion. He still has strong ties to the Houston area and is beloved by many of its people. He also could enjoy being a top option again, which hasn’t been the case for Harden with the Brooklyn Nets or Philadelphia 76ers.
But why would Houston do this?
So my only question is why Houston would do this. I understand you have a lot of money to spend and want to be competitive, but is bringing in a 33-year-old James Harden really the solution to that? It’s clear he’s lost a step and isn’t the same scoring weapon he once was.
It just would make no sense to me for Houston to actually do this. You are much better off using that money to either bring in a different superstar or bring in some depth guys and trust in the picks you have made. Either way, I just do not think signing Harden to a long-term deal does anything good for Houston.
This all could be a tactic used by Harden to milk the Sixers for as much money as he can. His contract includes a $35.64 million player option that he is unlikely to opt into. All I can say, as a Sixer fan, is I hope he doesn’t accept and that someone else signs him to a long-term contract.
I know it’s been bleak for Rockets fans. But I can promise you that signing Harden long-term is just a temporary solution to the problem. Continue to build your core and bring in young talent, and if you want to send some away to bring in a proven star, maybe just make sure they are a little better than James Harden.
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