James Harden expected to join Rockets this offseason
There is a growing belief among NBA executives that James Harden will opt out of his player option with the Philadelphia 76ers and return to the Houston Rockets, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Recently, there has been a lot of smoke suggesting that the Rockets are all in on adding Harden. Come to find out, that smoke was serious as it seems imminent Harden will be a Rocket in the coming months.
Harden, 33, was a massive piece in the 76ers’ playoffs run, but he was unable to produce at an elite level. In a handful of games, he looked great. The issue came in the Eastern Conference semifinals where he disappointed in several games against the Boston Celtics.
At this point, it should not come as a surprise that Harden is not returning to Philadelphia. It looks like the 76ers are going to make massive shifts this offseason. The team has already fired Doc Rivers and it looks like Harden will be the next piece out the door.
The Rockets are more than capable of acquiring Harden if he hits the open market. At the moment, Houston has nearly $60 million worth of cap space, which would make them one of the few teams that could afford to offer Harden a lucrative contract.
From a team perspective, Houston is a surprising landing spot for Harden. The Rockets are not in a position to win and adding Harden does not immediately change that. Furthermore, it will be interesting to see how adding Harden affects the Rockets’ young core. Currently, the team is centered around young guards Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green. Additionally, after falling out of the top three in the 2023 Draft Lottery, the Rockets may be in a position to add another guard in Overtime Elite’s Amen Thompson in this year’s draft.
The Rockets may end up having one of the most interesting offseasons. The team desperately needs to build for the future with young talent, but they seem set on adding a veteran superstar in Harden. The Rockets will have to carefully construct their roster amidst a seemingly win-now attitude without destroying their future.
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