James Harden in the summer could make a sensational return to his former NBA team, the Houston Rockets. The Philadelphia 76ers guard is said to be no longer engaged with them, after bowing out of the playoffs. However, there is no animosity involved from either of the parties. The possibility of it is very real as Harden as well as the Rockets are interested to join hands for next season.
Tilman Fertitta, the owner of the Rockets admires or “loves” the MVP. There is a strong belief surrounding the NBA that Harden could very well join the Rockets this summer. The Rockets appointed Ime Udoku as their new head coach for next season. With that said the Rockets even went further by asking the candidates about their opinion about coaching Harden.
James Harden is expected to rejoin the Houston Rockets this summer, per @PompeyOnSixers pic.twitter.com/Y9rXYQFhWt
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) May 19, 2023
The Rockets have a huge salary-cap space of around $60 million in the offseason. With that kind of cap space, the Rockets are in a very comfortable spot to re-sign James Harden for next season. In addition to that, Harden has already made his decision about becoming a free agent. It could be a huge loss for the Sixers if they don’t pursue Harden of re-signing with them in the offseason.
James Harden was a ‘driving force’ behind Doc Rivers’ firing, per @JakeLFischer pic.twitter.com/tE1miNdaZJ
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) May 18, 2023
As reported by Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, Harden was the “driving force” behind firing Doc Rivers. The Beard played a crucial role for the Sixers, and led the league in assists with 10.7 assists per game. As far as the stats show, he proved as a top guard, facilitating the majority of the Sixers’ attack. Nonetheless, it will be a huge addition for any team to have Harden with them, and vice-versa for the Sixers.
How does Ime Udoka feel about bringing in new players for the Houston Rockets?
Ime Udoka was hired by the Rockets a few months ago. In addition to this, the Rockets will have the 4th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. One thing is for certain, the Rockets will have new faces on and off the court for next season. However, with a massive $60 million salary cap, Udoka was asked about his idea of adding core players.
“You want to add veterans that aren’t just a voice only, you want them to be out there, play and push the guys. But, as I’ve said, regardless of free agency and the draft, we still have a group of guys we want to grow, and we’re looking for internal growth,” Udoka said. “More so than necessarily looking for an outside guy to try to save the day…but we’re going to add pieces to push and compete… the young guys that we already have,” Udoka added.
It is hence fair to say that the new head coach does not completely rule out the idea of signing veterans, like Harden. However, he has also emphasized his philosophy of developing the existing players in the team. Hence, the idea goes hand in hand. The veterans pass down the knowledge to the young guys and develop their game further.
