76ers: James Harden's Offseason Narrative Is Shifting

Harden's headed back to Houston? Not so fast.

A betting man might’ve put all of his money on the idea that James Harden would decline his contract option offered by the Philadelphia 76ers this summer as the first step to signing a multi-year deal to reunite with the Houston Rockets at the end of the 2023 playoff run.

Weeks later, that scenario no longer seems like a slam dunk. 

The Sixers have made it clear that getting Harden back to South Philly will be a priority this offseason. When Sixers’ President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey addressed the media for his final press conference of the 2022-2023 season, he mentioned that ‘Plan A’ is to get Harden back.

Reports surfaced hinting that the firing of Doc Rivers might’ve had something to do with Harden’s less-than-great relationship with the head coach. While Harden admitted that his relationship with Rivers was just “OK” after the Game 7 loss against the Boston Celtics last month, it was clear that reuniting the two would be difficult come next season.

The Sixers hired former Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse just a couple of weeks later. During his introductory press conference last week, Nurse revealed that he had spoken to Harden already. When asked whether or not he wanted Harden back on the team, the head coach praised the ten-time All-Star, expressing interest in working with him.

“James Harden’s a great player,” said Nurse. “I would say this: James has a decision to make, and I’d be very happy if he came back.”

Many fans were left with the idea that Harden was as good as gone after Nurse’s response. However, Shams Charania of The Athletic tells a much different story.

On The Ryen Russillo Podcast this week, Charania discussed the state of Harden’s potential upcoming free agency. The NBA insider described Harden as “torn” on staying in Philly or returning to Houston for the first time since 2020.

“My sense right now is that James Harden is someone that’s torn,” said Charania. “Philadelphia makes the big trade for him, moves Ben Simmons, moves some draft assets, gets him. There’s some similarity there with him and Daryl Morey for years in Houston. They make the trade for him. With Nick Nurse there, like he said in the press conference when he was introduced in Philly; if James Harden wants to win, we want him back. We think we’re a better team with James Harden.”

By the end of June, Harden will have to decide whether or not he wants to pick up his $35.6 million option, which would allow him to return to the 76ers for the 2023-2024 season. Considering Harden’s previous two-year deal was technically a discount, he is widely expected to decline the option and search for a multi-year contract with a higher pay rate. 

The league-wide expectation was that Harden could decline his option with the Sixers before negotiating a max contract with the Rockets during free agency. With a max deal not guaranteed, and a new head coach in Philadelphia, where they possess a talented roster that’s more ready for playoff contention next season compared to the Rockets, Harden’s decision won’t be easy.

“I think that winning is always the sell, right?” Nurse said last week. “Can we be good enough to win it all? That’s got to be a goal of his. And if it is, then you should stay here and play for us because I think there’s a possibility of that.”

When the Sixers fell short to the Celtics last month, Harden mentioned that he wanted to be in a situation where he could win. Nurse is selling that idea to the star guard publicly. Now, it’s up to The Beard to decide whether he should gamble on the Rockets for next season or run it back with the Philadelphia 76ers.