The Philadelphia 76ers have bigger problems to worry about at the moment as they are looking to go on a deep playoff run and finally win a championship. They haven’t won a title since 1983, and they have a great deal of confidence in this current team.
However, the future of James Harden is very much a talking point. The future Hall of Famer signed a two-year deal with the Sixers in the 2022 offseason but the second season is a player option. That means he can opt out and either sign elsewhere or work out a new deal with Philadelphia.
There have been whispers since Christmas about a Harden return to the Houston Rockets. The Beard didn’t do much to silence those rumors, and with the offseason looming, there are still talks about a Rockets reunion for Harden.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on his latest episode of “The Woj Pod” that a lot of his future depends on whether Philadelphia gets past the second round:
James Harden’s future is very unclear in Philadelphia. Houston is very much in play for him and I think a lot may depend on — do they make a run and win? And it’s easy to pay him long-term big money? Or he just wants to be in Houston and in or lose he goes, or it’s dependent on the team’s success? But it’s gonna look different.
This playoff run might decide Harden’s immediate future. If the Sixers can break through and get past the Eastern Conference semifinals, maybe The Beard returns to Philadelphia. If not? A return to the Rockets could really be in play.
What’s that saying? “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire?” This appears to be a real possibility in the offseason.
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