Despite being a 14-year veteran, James Harden might be the best player on the free agent market. Harden will most likely decline his $35.6 million option and seek a maximum contract on the open market. The Philadelphia 76ers can offer him a maximum of $210 million over four years, although the team would prefer to commit fewer years and money.
Depending on how seriously the Houston Rockets want Harden, a bidding war can take place. The Rockets can offer almost $202 million on a four-year deal. Perhaps Houston pushes Philly to give more money than the team originally wanted.
Philly looks like the front runners for Harden, but rumors won’t go away anytime soon. With NBA Free Agency a couple of weeks away, rumors about Harden’s future won’t end any time soon.
James Harden Free Agent Profile
Background
Harden established himself as one of the best players of this generation with a great eight and a half years in Houston. He led the Rockets to several postseason appearances and won a scoring title in each of his final three full seasons. In 621 games, Harden averaged 29.6 points, 7.7 assists, and 6 rebounds a game. When a rebuild in Houston became inevitable, Harden forced his way out.
In January 2021, Houston traded Harden to the Brooklyn Nets. The star joined Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn in hopes of forming one of the most dominant threesomes ever. That, however, famously never materialized. Harden didn’t last one full season with the Nets as the team traded him to the 76ers just over a year after acquiring him.
In Harden’s lone full season with the team, the 76ers finished 54-28 but got knocked out of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.
Strengths
Despite being around so long, Harden continues to play at a high level. In 58 games last year, the former MVP averaged 21 points, 6.1 rebounds, and a league-leading 10.7 assists per game. Additionally, he shot 44.1 percent from the floor, 38.5 percent from beyond the arc, and 86.7 percent from the free-throw line. His success with the 76ers can be contributed to elite shooting. Harden’s off-the-dribble is still one of the best in the NBA. Additionally, his 60.7 percent true shooting remains on par with his elite years.
Harden’s assist ratio of 34.1 marked the best of his career. The 76ers acquired Harden to form a great pairing with Joel Embiid. Harden clearly was a great fit. Harden’s prowess at feeding teammates like Embiid the ball resulted in Embiid averaging the most points-per-game (33.1) of his career. The partnership led Embiid to win his first MVP.
Weaknesses
As seen through how he played with Embiid, Harden is much more a distributor than a playmaker at this point. With declining athleticism, Harden’s skills are best suited with a star teammate that’s the number one option. It’s possible Harden has focused more on distributing the ball in his post-Houston days because he never had teammates like Durant, Irving, or Embiid before. However, it’s also possible that age and wear and tear are catching up to him.
The future Hall of Famer has dealt with a plethora of lower body injuries in recent years. Since he joined Brooklyn, Harden has dealt with thigh, foot, hamstring, knee, and Achilles injuries. A couple of those injuries have been reoccurring. It’s tough to predict a decline, but these types of injuries that keep popping up for Harden are not a good sign.
Harden has not played more than 70 games in the past four years. Philly has good reason to want to avoid giving him a max deal. Will any team want to be locked into for max money Harden when a decline has started?
Potential Fits
As the best fit, the 76ers remain the favorites to sign Harden. Rumors indicated that he wanted Philadelphia over Brooklyn when Houston traded him. He eventually got his way and settled in nicely. Last season marked the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic that remained with one team for an entire season.
The Rockets have more than $60 million in cap space, by far the most in the NBA. Led by new coach Ime Udoka, Houston wants to start winning. Harden’s future seems to depend on how hard they push for him. In theory, Houston can pivot to other younger and cheaper shooting guards like Josh Hart or Caris LeVert. If this happens, Harden returning to Philly becomes an even stronger likelihood.
Harden seems to have found a home with a Sixers team led by former Rockets boss Daryl Morey. The likeliest outcome sees the two sides reuniting. However, anything can happen in NBA Free Agency.
