The Philadelphia 76ers shocked the NBA by trading for James Harden last year. However, it’s safe to say things haven’t gone according to plan so far. If not, we wouldn’t be talking about his future.
The Beard has failed to bring immediate success to the City of Brotherly Love, when that was exactly what the team was looking for with his arrival. Instead, nothing seemed to change for the Sixers in the playoffs.
There were moments in which Harden found chemistry with Joel Embiid, but not when the team really needed it. The Sixers are reportedly not giving up on Harden yet, but they would only re-sign him on a ‘team-friendly’ deal.
Rumor: Sixers would only bring back Harden on a team-friendly contract
(Via Kyle Neubeck of The Philly Voice)
“Harden returning to the Sixers on a team-friendly deal remains the focus of Philadelphia’s offseason, and it looks increasingly likely that they might be able to make that happen. The Houston Rockets are Harden’s biggest suitor outside of Philadelphia, but the indication is that they are not willing to go over the top with years or dollars to sign him specifically.
“Sources told PhillyVoice that Rockets owner Tillman Fertitta wants to establish a more solid culture alongside the arrival of head coach Ime Udoka, and Houston has shown interest in free agents Fred Van Vleet, Brook Lopez, and Dillon Brooks, among others.”
Harden is not getting any younger (he turns 34 in August) and his constant changes of scenery also don’t help him at the time of pursuing a bigger contract. If the Sixers bring him back, it will probably be one of his last opportunities to contend.
