NBA Insiders Refuel James Harden, Rockets Reunion Speculation

As James Harden geared up for a Christmas Day matchup against the New York Knicks, a “Woj Bomb” was dropped on the NBA.

“All-Star guard James Harden is seriously considering a return to the Houston Rockets in free agency this July,” Wojnarowski wrote on Twitter. “If he decides against a new deal with the Philadelphia 76ers.”

With a player option for next season attached to his contract, Harden has the ability to decline his 2023-2024 option and hit the free agency market, mirroring his move from last summer. However, when Harden declined his player option last offseason, it was clear he would return to the Sixers at a discount rate.

This time around, the rumors speculate that something much different could happen.

Following a Christmas Day comeback win over the Knicks, Harden addressed the report. To no surprise, he denied that a possible return to the Houston Rockets was on his mind.

"I'm here," he told reporters in New York. "We're playing very well, and I don't know where that report came from, but I'm excited to be here, and we're playing very well. We're continuing to get better."

Fast forward to February, and not one but two insiders are refueling the idea that a Rockets reunion with Harden could be in play as soon as next season.

Here’s what Kelly Iko of The Athletic said earlier this week:

"I'm putting it at a seven out of 10," Kelly Iko said on KPRC. "Where there's smoke, there's fire. James loves this city and the young guys on the roster. Crazier things have happened. Don't call me crazy. But you might be seeing something different." via Inside the Rockets

A few days later, Tim McMahon of ESPN sprinkled some more speculation while talking NBA on The Hoop Collective Podcast with Brian Windhorst, according to Rockets Wire.

“Not just that Houston wants to, but Houston believes it is a legitimate possibility and that’s not coming out of thin air. James Harden still spends a lot of time in Houston. Spends his summers in Houston. Works out at the Rockets’ facility on a regular basis. It’s a very real possibility. And Harden, by the way, never shot it down. He just said ‘I don’t know where that came from.”

Harden’s love for Houston is well-known. He was one season shy of spending a decade with the Rockets, an organization where he became an NBA superstar and future Hall of Famer.

Will Harden retire a Rocket? Most likely. But if winning titles is at the top of his list of goals to accomplish at this point in his career, the move doesn’t make much sense from Harden’s standpoint.

The Rockets have 13 wins 58 games into the season, which places them last in the Western Conference. Unless the Rockets are planning for a major shakeup, finding a way to recruit other stars to pair up with Harden for a possible Houston reunion, then it’s hard to assume that the star guard is really plotting a move to Houston at this time.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.