Getty James Harden #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts after committing a foul during the third quarter of the game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on December 25, 2022 in New York City.
Seemingly everyone around the NBA has been caught off guard by the recent report of Philadelphia 76ers’ star James Harden’s desire to return to Houston. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski dropped a report confirming these whispers just an hour before the tip-off of the Sixers’ Christmas Day matchup with the Knicks. Near the top of the list of people surprised by it seems to be Jalen Rose of the NBA on ESPN. When discussing the report with Woj before the Sixers game, the 1994-95 NBA All-Rookie Team Member and 1999-2000 Most Improved Player had some strong words for Harden.
As Rose put it, “He didn’t get the long-term big deal he wanted from Philly, so he may be using Houston as leverage. When you talk about a long playoff run, that ain’t happening if he goes back to Houston. See one thing about being a great player, you guys know this, at some point, we have to win because we got you. Okay, so he wanted out of Houston, he got to the Nets, that didn’t work. Wanted out of the Nets, got to the Sixers, let’s see if that works.” Rose went on to dig about how this would be contradictory to everything Harden has been preaching regarding sacrifice and the desire to win.
Jalen Rose does NOT hold back on James Harden’s rumored desire to leave the Sixers for Rockets 👀
🎥 via @Nba0nEspn
Could Report be a Leverage Leak?
Any talks of off-season negotiations at this point in the season are extremely premature. The Sixers have turned a corner of late and are playing their most impressive basketball of the season. Philadelphia entered the Christmas Day matchup with the Knicks on a seven-game winning streak and put forth an impressive effort to secure a 119-112 victory and extend this.
Harden’s desire to win will be put to the test based on his next moves, but it should be no surprise money is a major factor. The former MVP elected to make a team-friendly decision and opt out of his $47.4 million player option this summer to allow the Sixers the flexibility to bring in players like P.J. Tucker and Danuel House Jr. with the hopes they can take the team over the edge. Many have theorized there was some sort of future deal discussed which even drew investigation from the league. Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey and Harden have a closer relationship than nearly every player and executive dynamic, and the bottom line seems there is an expectation he will be taken care of in the long run.
Leaking that Harden is not cemented in viewing Philadelphia as his long-term landing spot could be nothing more than a reminder that he still expected to be taken care of financially. However, jumping ship to a rebuilding Houston team would be a step away from the championship he has openly declared he desires so much. If legacy is his focus at this point in his career, taking a step back in his opportunity to win would be a surprise.
Could the Sixers Seek to Move on From Harden?
There also is a chance the Sixers may not be cemented in their belief in Harden as well. The three-time scoring champion deserves a ton of credit for the adjustments he has made to his game of late. Harden has grown into a more pass-first role and uses his impressive basketball IQ to orchestrate the offense. He also still possesses better scoring ability than any co-star Joel Embiid has ever been paired with and has made use of the mid-range more this season than ever in his career.
Through the first 18 games he has been active this year, Harden is averaging 21.8 points, 11.1 assists, and 6.4 rebounds. He has found an impressive balance as a scorer and playmaker which has brought on praise from Doc Rivers and his teammates. Harden leads the NBA in assists per game on the season and is blowing everyone else in the league away in assist points created since returning from injury.
James Harden is posting absurd shot creation numbers since Dec 9th on basically the same number of passes as the next two (CP3 and Jokic) 🤯
At his peak, Harden is the ideal co-star the Sixers have been in search of. However, there are still some red flags surrounding the 33-year-old. He still has not proven to stay healthy for an extended period of time since leaving Houston and the veteran is not getting any younger. Taking just two shots in the second half of the Sixers’ Game 6 loss to the Miami Heat, which eliminated them from the postseason last year, also sticks in the mind of many fans. With Harden not getting any younger and the Sixers’ window narrowing, inking him to a long-term deal is a decision they must consider carefully.
Both Harden and the Sixers will be weighing how this season ends in a major way for what makes the most sense moving forward. A deep playoff run or early-round burnout would change the perspective of both sides- and there will be a great deal of attention to Harden’s level of play. For the time being, the Sixers will continue giving their best effort toward growing into the contenders they believe they can be this season. They have improved their record to 20-12 and are just three games out from the top seed. Harden will play a huge role in their level of play moving forward and can earn the money he desires in Philadelphia or Houston if he produces when it matters most.