Return to Rockets Favored Over Staying With Sixers

Less than five seasons ago, James Harden completed his third consecutive season averaging at least 30 points per game for the Houston Rockets. Since then, he’s played with the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers, but championship glory has eluded him.

The Beard, has a player option for the 2023-24 season worth $35.64 million, but could decline and join a new team after another playoff choke job. With a 3-2 series lead on the Celtics, Harden went a combined 7-for-27 from the field in Game 6 and 7, averaging just 11 points and causing some upheaval in Philadelphia.

Already, head coach Doc Rivers has been dismissed, and the main question facing Philly now, is whether Harden will be back or not. Below, we dish out the odds on which uniform Harden will be wearing to start the next campaign.

James Harden’s Next Team Odds 2023-24

Considering he’s due over $35 mil from the Sixers next season, some would be surprised if Harden declines his player option. He’s nowhere near the scorer that led the NBA in scoring for three straight seasons, but can still put up buckets and is one of the best distributors in the game.

Currently, his former squad, the Houston Rockets are the odds on favorite at -125 to have Harden in uniform to open next season. His present squad, the 76ers, check in next at +400, with the Suns the only other team owning odds shorter than +1000 to snag The Beard.

Odds as of May 16th at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Why Harden to Houston Makes Sense

Everything is bigger in Texas, including salary cap space for the Houston Rockets. No team is currently slated to have more cap room than the Rockets next year, who reportedly will have $61 million in cap space this summer.

Not a lot of teams have the money or want to spend the kind of money that Harden will command. It’s the sight of Harden’s greatest individual successes and a city he loves and considers home.

Although the Rockets finished tied for the worst record in the Western Conference last season, they do have a lot of promising young players, led by Jalen Green, that would benefit from a veteran who can serve as the quarterback of the offense.

The Case for Harden Returning to Philadelphia

If Harden were to decline his player option, he would be eligible to sign a four-year deal worth $210 million if he chooses to re-sign with the 76ers. Philadelphia’s advantage over other teams in free agency is the ability to give Harden an extra $8 million over the course of a four-year deal.

However, that wouldn’t necessarily be a smart move considering The Bearded One has already lost a step and has seen a significant decline in scoring over the last few seasons.

James Harden Regular Season Stats

One thing we do know, is that there is a ton of mutual respect and admiration between 76ers President, Daryl Morey and Harden. It was Morey that traded for Harden in Houston and pushed to bring him to Philadelphia.

The 76ers are still one of the top team’s in the East and have the reigning MVP in Joel Embiid. At the very least, Harden knows that if he returns to Philly, he’ll be with a competitive squad.

Other Contenders to Land Harden

Not surprisingly, the two Los Angeles squads and Phoenix occupy the shortest odds to nab Harden other than the Rockets and 76ers. He grew up in LA and played his college ball at Arizona State.

A move back home seems unlikely because the Lakers and Kyrie Irving have a mutual eye on one another, while the Clippers have had a succession of injury problems with their top players, Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, who are due over $90 million between them next season.

Phoenix seems to be an intriguing option. New owner Mat Ishbia just got rid of coach Monty Williams and the rumor mill is rife with speculation that they’ll try to rid themselves of both Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton. If they did that, they would have the cap room to reunite Harden with his former Brooklyn teammate, Kevin Durant.

The problem with that is that the Suns were exposed on the defensive end in these playoffs, and playing defense isn’t exactly Harden’s strongest attribute.

James Harden’s Next Team Prediction

While Harden will always have a soft spot for Houston where he blossomed into a superstar, not to mention his love for the night life there, he knows he only has a few years left to win an NBA title, and the Rockets are years away from being contenders.

After losing Game 7 to the Celtics, he said he hadn’t thought about his plans for next season, although he did point out that he liked the current team, saying that “it’s only year one together.” Our best bet is he sticks with the devil he knows, rather than rolling the dice with the devil he doesn’t.

At +400, the odds of him returning to the 76ers provide the best cash considering the scenarios we laid out.

Picks: Philadelphia 76ers (+400)