‘Come Back Home’: Rockets’ Standout Calls for James Harden Return

There is a real chance the Philadelphia 76ers could lose their All-Star guard James Harden this offseason. Although Harden could be on the hook for another season in Philadelphia if he simply opted in with his player option, the league-wide expectation is that Harden will decline the $35 million option and become an unrestricted free agent.

Harden made the same move last season after initially claiming he would pick up his option. In an attempt to give the Sixers flexibility to build a roster that’s tailored to fit the duo of Harden and Joel Embiid, Harden declined his option and re-signed on a team-friendly contract.

Harden is understandably ready to cash in after his season of sacrifice. Now, the question becomes where he will sign. While the Phoenix Suns have been listed as a potential sleeper lately, the Sixers and the Houston Rockets are by far the favorites.

And recently, one of Houston’s young standouts, Jabari Smith Jr., put out a message for the ten-time All-Star, encouraging his next move to be a return to Houston.

“Come back home,” Smith told HoopsHype’s Dionysis Aravantinos. “He did so much for that city; there’s still so much love for him in Houston. It would definitely feel like home for him if he came back. …. That’d be great. The team would want a Hall of Famer. It’s promising, but we’re not just banking on that. We’re still focused on us and how we can improve as a team.”

Being that the Rockets are a young team still navigating through the early stages of a rebuilding phase, they don’t necessarily align with Harden’s timeline as he desires to compete for a title as early as next season. If the Rockets want to win the eventual Harden sweepstakes, they’ll have to turn some of their assets and young players into established veterans.

While it won’t be easy for Houston to create the ideal situation for Harden, it’s certainly possible. For starters, the Rockets possess two first-round picks for the 2023 NBA Draft, with their first coming in at fourth overall. Over the next two drafts following 2023, Houston holds ten picks.

With draft assets, young players that have high upside, and enough cap space to make a splash in free agency, the Rockets have the tools to change the outlook of their timeline, which could help them further convince Harden he should make his way back to H-Town.

At this point, it’s clear the Rockets’ organization and members of the roster want to make it happen one way or another. It will be up to Harden to decide how much he’s willing to take and whether or not the changes they make are worth it.