Sixers’ James Harden Reuniting With Polarizing Point Guard ‘Hard to Imagine’

Getty Philadelphia 76ers free agent James Harden won't team up with Mavericks free agent Kyrie Irving again, per the New York Post

James Harden won’t be leaving the Philadelphia 76ers to join up with controversial Dallas Mavericks free agent-to-be Kyrie Irving to sign together on the up-and-coming Houston Rockets per the New York Post’s Christian Arnold — this after having previously teamed up on the Brooklyn Nets before “The Beard” begged for a move out of the Big Apple due to the polarizing guard’s behavior.

“While the Rockets have plenty of salary cap space, it would also be hard to imagine Houston convincing both Harden and Irving in joining up to play with one another again after the way things ended in Brooklyn,” Arnold wrote.

With Irving receiving interest from the Mavericks — with the Los Angeles Lakers looming as a possibility due to Irving’s desire to team up with LeBron James again –, the Rockets are likely out as a potential landing spot for “Uncle Drew.” Arnold feels that Harden could end up back in Houston after more than two years away, though.

“While a reunion between Harden and the Rockets became a little less certain with the report that he was torn on what to do, the odds still seem good that he’ll end up back with the Rockets — though the Suns have been floated as a potentially interested party,” Arnold wrote.

Kyrie Irving Doesn’t Have Sentimental Appeal to Rockets

The Rockets wouldn’t consider Irving as they would Harden because of the lack of sentimental appeal the former lacks and the latter has according to CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn. In addition, Quinn sees an awkward fit with Irving and Houston’s core.

“Irving doesn’t have the same sentimental appeal to Houston that Harden does,” Quinn prefaced before saying, “He’s never played for the Rockets, and he’s never meaningfully competed for a regular-season MVP award. On paper, the fit is odd. Houston already has two high-usage guards in Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. Irving is better than both, but it’s surprising to see the Rockets potentially discard younger, less controversial players in favor of Irving, whom they don’t know as well organizationally as they do Harden.”

The Rockets amassed a 397-224 record and reached two Western Conference Finals, in 2015 and 2018, with “The Beard” in uniform. Irving, meanwhile, has only been a part of a team with a playoff win one season (2020-21) since joining the Nets in 2019 free agency.

Mavericks & Sixers Could Re-Sign Stars This Offseason

Quinn sees Irving returning to the Mavericks as a certainty, though the rumors of a Rockets move could be a leverage play from the point guard’s camp to get as much money as possible.

“The reported expectation around the league all offseason has been that Irving remains with the Mavericks on a hefty long-term deal, but these rumors certainly won’t hurt his ability to drum up some leverage with Dallas,” Quinn wrote.

As for Harden, Quinn doesn’t see the Rockets relying on a Harden signing to change their fortunes and instead pivoting to whoever they can get to immediately improve — which could leave the door open for a return to the Sixers.

“What has become clear as player-movement season approaches is that the Rockets are not only targeting Harden this offseason,” Quinn prefaced before saying, “They plan to make a serious step toward the playoffs, with or without their former point guard.”