NBA Rumors: What's Being Said About James Harden's Future?

James Harden's future with the 76ers is in question. What's being said about the All-Star's thoughts about a potential return to Houston?

Roughly an hour before the Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks were set to tip off for their Christmas Day matchup, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on something that was already being speculated in the weeks leading up to the primetime matchup at Madison Square Garden.

According to the NBA Insider, Sixers guard James Harden and his “inner circle” have been “openly weighing Houston in recent months.” Harden, who has a player option attached to his contract for the 2023-2024 season, could become a free agent for the second-straight season if he chooses not to pick up the option to stay with the Sixers beyond this season.

The Houston Rockets aren’t Harden’s first NBA franchise, but they are certainly the home for the ten-time All-Star. After starting his career off on the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Rockets were the team to bet big on the former third-overall pick in 2012. 

For eight full seasons, Harden starred for the Rockets. In the midst of his ninth season in Houston, Harden forced his way out, landing with the Brooklyn Nets. As we know now, Harden’s time in Brooklyn was short-lived, and the star eventually landed with the Sixers during the second half of the 2021-2022 NBA season.

Although Harden declined his player option for the 2022-2023 season on his last contract, the star guard re-signed a team-friendly deal to return to Philly and have a full season with the Sixers. While there was a lot of speculation about a potentially significant long-term deal getting done later on down the line, the narrative has now shifted towards whether Harden wants to remain in Philly long-term or if he wants to move back to Houston to reunite with the Rockets.

Yahoo Sports insider Jake Fischer added fuel to the fire on Christmas. Not long after Wojnarowski’s initial report surfaced, Fischer followed up with additional information on the situation, mentioning that Harden’s thoughts about a possible return to Houston “dates back to before he requested a trade out of Brooklyn.”

Why Would Harden Want Out?

The answer seems to be simple; Houston has become home to James Harden. While the star guard has been eyeing a better situation to help the future Hall of Famer obtain his first championship victory after coming up short with the Rockets throughout all of those years, the reports about Harden’s future both point to the same factors.

Wojnarowski mentioned Harden has maintained something of a “magnetic pull” to Houston, citing that the star guard is “drawn to the community, lifestyle, and family there.” 

The follow-up report from Fischer mentioned something similar, as Fischer wrote that Harden has “longed for the familiarity of Houston, where he rose into a central magnate of the area’s popular culture and entertainment industry.”

What Does Harden Have to Say?

Before Sunday’s matchup at The Garden, Harden showed resistance against responding to the initial wave of rumors. According to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Harden refused to acknowledge the report and grew agitated that he was being asked about it prior to the Sixers’ big game against the New York Knicks.

Shortly after the Sixers completed their miraculous Christmas Day comeback against the Knicks on the road, Harden addressed reporters at Madison Square Garden, finally acknowledging the talk around the NBA and dishing his thoughts on the situation, according to Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire.

“I’m here,” he stated. “We’re playing very well and I don’t know where that report came from, but I’m excited to be here and we’re playing very well. We’re continuing to get better.”

With the Sixers on an eight-game win streak, sitting just three games back from the Eastern Conference’s third seed, all is going well for Harden and the 76ers. 

Despite all of the rumors going around about The Beard’s interest in potentially packing up and leaving Philly after his first full season in the City of Brotherly Love, it seems Harden is at least one hundred percent committed to the Sixers in the short term.

As we all know, Harden took a pay cut over the summer so the Sixers could create the cap space to sign key additions such as PJ Tucker and Danuel House Jr. Nobody can predict what Harden will do beyond the 2022-2023 season, but Fischer’s final note ruled out the possibility of another mid-season trade involving Harden, as the superstar wants to see a full season in Philly through.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.