James Harden 'Serious' About Signing With Rockets; Impact on Mavs?
DALLAS - The Tuesday night NBA Lottery can change everything when it comes to the future fortunes of the league's "have-nots,'' a group that indisputably includes the Houston Rockets, and ... well, given the fact that the Dallas Mavs are involved in the ping-pong-ball watch (full story on the lottery here)?
Yes, even though Dallas is but a year removed from its Luka Doncic-led Western Conference Finals appearance, the Mavs are a "have-not'' as well.
And if the widely anticipated free agency decision by Sixers star guard James Harden goes a certain way? Houston may leap up. And Dallas may have itself another obstacle.
Rumors have been swirling for months about the idea of Harden "going home'' to Houston via free agency. The Rockets have $60 million in salary cap room. That helps. They also have a great shot at winning the lottery so they can draft Victor Wembanyama. That helps even more.
And now that his Sixers have been bumped from the playoffs, what does Harden want? Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski: "Houston is a very real possibility for Philadelphia’s James Harden in free agency. ... There’s a comfort level in Houston for James Harden. He’s got family there. He’s very comfortable in that environment. This is an organization where he knows ownership, he knows the front office.
That’s going to be the story here between now and July. … I wouldn’t underestimate it as just a leverage play. I think he’s very serious about returning.''
The rejuvenation of basketball in H-Town? Hey, that's a good thing for the NBA. The rejuvenation coming in a way that adds another blockage to the Mavs reaching back toward the top of the mountain? That's a bad thing for Dallas.
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