76ers: Another Sign Rockets are Going All In for James Harden
The future of James Harden remains unclear at this point in the offseason. While the Philadelphia 76ers once again hope to re-sign Harden this summer after trading for and re-signing him last year, they have competition this time around.
Since December, the Houston Rockets have been rumored to have interest in a reunion for Harden. Although Harden forced his way out of Houston following a nine-year run, there’s been plenty of smoke surrounding the former MVP’s interest in making a return to the organization where he established a Hall of Fame career.
As the Rockets rumors hit the net over the last few months, there was a common question; how do the Rockets make sense for Harden at this time?
At 33 years old, Harden has yet to accomplish winning the NBA Finals. While he made the 2022-2023 run with the Sixers his season of sacrifice, in hopes that it contributes to winning it all, Harden and the Sixers fell short in the 2023 playoffs.
While the Sixers are expected to remain playoff contenders in the Eastern Conference, the Rockets surely don’t look like a team that possesses the type of roster that would help Harden accomplish his primary goal of winning a title.
Since trading Harden to the Brooklyn Nets, the Rockets have been rebuilding. They finished last season with just 22 wins, which placed them 14th in the Western Conference. Considering Harden mentioned he wants to be in a winning situation following the Sixers’ second-round loss earlier this month, many questioned his interest in Houston, considering where they’re at.
However, it seems the Rockets are looking to make win-now types of moves this offseason. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, NBA executives believe that the Rockets’ fourth-overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft will be “heavily discussed in trade talks.” Per Scotto, the expectation is that the Rockets hope to have a decent chance of acquiring a “win-now player.”
Not only did the Rockets hire former Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka, who coached Harden back in Brooklyn, but it seems Houston is willing to move some of their younger players and draft assets to potentially satisfy a Harden-led roster ahead of the upcoming season.
Will the Rockets’ ultimate plan work? Or do the Sixers still have the upper hand at this time? We’ll have a better idea of Houston’s direction later next month.
