The Philadelphia 76ers made the most of Ben Simmons’ contract by trading him for James Harden, who would obviously and instantly raise their ceiling as they pursued an NBA championship.
Harden’s early returns in Philadelphia were encouraging; he developed instant chemistry with Joel Embiid, and he even led the league in both assists per game and total assists this season.
But aside from a couple of throwback performances, Harden was once again a no-show in the postseason, leading to another early exit by the Sixers.
Sixers’ James Harden expected to reunite with Rockets in free agency, sources say https://t.co/NFOB9pyxmc via @phillyinquirer
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) May 19, 2023
And now that reports state that Harden is looking forward to a reunion with the Houston Rockets, some fans didn’t hold back and took to Twitter to express their true thoughts on the shooting guard.
then why would they fire Doc because of Harden, if Harden plans to leave anyway? Something doesn’t add up…
— artay3 (@artay3) May 19, 2023
If morey actually doesn’t resign him and gets nurse. I’ll have way more confidence in him. He’s creative enough to retool
— H.E. Pennypacker (@Rich14N) May 19, 2023
This isn’t bad if they do a sign and trade.
— Jay (@jsdaman) May 19, 2023
Almost sounds tamper-y
“Before hiring Ime Udoka on April 25, head coaching candidates were asked for their opinion on coaching Harden during the interview process, according to sources.”
— Justin Johnson (@JustinTHW) May 19, 2023
This isn’t the first time that someone has reported Harden’s alleged desire to go back to Houston.
It’s kind of odd to see that the Rockets are interested in bringing him back after the way he forced his trade out of the team, especially considering they have a set of young guards whose development could be severely hampered by inserting him back into the mix.
Also, winning a championship in Houston is pretty much off the table right now, and that will forever be a talking point when discussing Harden’s legacy.
As for the Sixers, Daryl Morey could have a hard time finding someone who could replace Harden’s production.
Tyrese Maxey should take another step forward in his development, but they’d still need someone who could put up numbers off the bench, not to mention a primary playmaker.
NEXT: Former Raptors Coach Will Interview With The 76ers This Week
