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The Houston Rockets could be ramping up their plans to pursue a reunion with Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden in free agency.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported in December that Harden had some interest in returning to his former team, and the Rockets may be putting the pieces together to make a run at him in free agency. Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported that Harden’s potential return to Houston was a “repeated theme” in discussions with coaching candidates, and new hire Ime Udoka has dropped hints that the Rockets could be looking to make a big splash in free agency.
New Rockets Coach Hints at Big Moves
In his introductory press conference this week, Udoka praised Houston’s potential — especially as a destination for potential free agents.
“I took a big look at the landscape of what we have here in Houston. Obviously it’s a destination that’s very attractive to players,” Udoka said. “And the young talent. Sky’s the limit as far as that’s concerned. They’ve done a good job building for the future.”
While Udoka did not explicitly mention Harden, his remarks about Houston as a strong destination track with other recent reports about the Sixers star. Wojnarowski reported in December that Harden had a “magnetic pull to Houston, drawn to the community, lifestyle and family there.”
Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has also hinted that the team is ready to add some veteran talent to their young core of Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun and Kevin Porter Jr.
“We’re gonna develop these young stars. When you mix these young stars with free agents … I’m expecting a lot from these guys,” Fertitta said, via reporter Jerome Solomon of the Houston Chronicle.
Udoka added that Houston’s cap situation was another big drawing point in taking the head coaching job. Bleacher Report’s Timothy Rapp noted that the Rockets have more than $60 million in cap space, and could look to add a player like Harden should they fall short in the sweepstakes to land generational prospect Victor Wembanyama.
“If the Rockets don’t land Wembanyama, however, it’s more feasible to see a scenario in which they try to rebuild a contender quickly through free agency given their massive cap space,” Rapp wrote. “If they could bring aboard a Harden and [Khris] Middleton, for instance, they might then have the young talent and draft capital to swing a trade for a third star.”
James Harden’s Future in Philadelphia
As Yossi Gozlan of Hoops Hype noted in March, Harden’s future with the Sixers is anything but certain. He has a $35.6 million player option that he can decline, and can re-sign with the Sixers for a maximum of four years and $210.1 million.
After giving the Sixers a discount for this season, Gozlan said Harden would likely seek the maximum deal if he returns to Philadelphia.
“We can probably expect Harden to pursue a maximum contract with the Sixers, especially when factoring in the $14 million pay cut he took this season,” Gozlan wrote. “This allowed the Sixers to sign PJ Tucker and Danuel House, giving them much-needed additional depth.”
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