James Harden's return to the Philadelphia 76ers next season might not be a foregone conclusion.
The Indiana Pacers ($49.8 million) and San Antonio Spurs ($47.1 million) are the only two other teams projected to have enough cap space for Harden's full max, while the Utah Jazz ($42.6 million) and Los Angeles Lakers ($33.4 million) are the only teams with cap space that could feasibly give Harden a shot at playoff contention right away. "Despite forcing his way out of the Rockets in January 2021, Harden has maintained something of a magnetic pull to Houston, drawn to the community, lifestyle and family there," Wojnarowski wrote Sunday. If they flame out before the conference finals and balk at shelling out nine figures for Harden, though, a Rockets reunion might be in order. In fact, some executives wondered whether the Sixers already had a "handshake agreement in place on a future contract—which would be in violation of collective bargaining rules," [Wojnarowski wrote](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34314466/sources-nba-investigating-philadelphia-76ers-possible-tampering-centered-james-harden-pj-tucker-danuel-house-deals) in late July. [did eventually strip](https://twitter.com/NBAPR/status/1587172648127266817) the Sixers of their 2023 and 2024 second-round picks for illegal communication with Tucker and House ahead of free agency. All odds via [FanDuel Sportsbook](https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba). [Keith Smith](https://www.spotrac.com/spots/2023-nba-cap-space-projections-december-edition-1693/) of Spotrac. He described Harden's relationships with Embiid and Sixers head coach Doc Rivers as "something closer to a work in progress," which suggests the next six months could prove decisive either way. Harden's contractual sacrifice seemingly suggested that he planned to stay in Philadelphia long term. They also wouldn't have had the bi-annual exception, which teams only get when they're below the apron. Tucker using the non-taxpayer mid-level exception and Danuel House Jr. "Harden and his inner circle have been openly weighing Houston in recent months," Wojnarowski added.
James Harden responded to an ESPN report Sunday that he's considering a return to the Rockets in free agency. He also enjoyed the present on Christmas at ...
[signed a two-year, $68.6 million deal with the Sixers that has a player option in Year 2.](https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/sixers/james-harden-contract-sixers-nba-sixers-roster-2022-23-nba-season) That contract enabled the Sixers to sign two of Harden's former Rockets teammates in P.J. There’s a lot of questions, but it’s good questions to have, good problems to have.” They've lately appeared to be a team with formidable star talent, elite defensive potential, and role players with both toughness and the tools to do their jobs. “He’s a huge part of what we want to do. Harden is clearly going to be a big part of however this season turns out. [At media day in late September](https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/sixers/james-harden-sixers-media-day-2022-joel-embiid-danuel-house-nba), Harden sounded like he expected a long-term stay in Philadelphia. The Sixers didn't have a championship-contending sort of start to this season. Just going through what I went through these past few years, my focus is on taking it one year at a time and just making sure I fulfill everything that I do individually. [helped guide the 20-12 Sixers to an eighth win a row. In the regular season, the Sixers are now 24-12 when that duo plays. “I’m here, we’re playing very well and I don’t know where that report came from," Harden said. And, with Joel Embiid on the bench ahead of his final stint, Harden drained tightly contested three-pointers, fed Georges Niang open jumpers, and
The NBA's hottest team resides in Philadelphia. Joel Embiid had 35 points and James Harden added a 29-point, 13-assist double-double as the 76ers came from.
Embiid sleepwalked through a quiet first quarter before finally turning it on late in the second, scoring seven points in the final two minutes, nine seconds to help the Sixers pull within three at the break. 5 seed if the season ended today. His 29 points were his most in more than two months, while his five threes tied a season high. LeBron James (28)
*Made 5 threes vs. The second was up-and-down. FINAL: Sixers 119, Knicks 112.
The first quarter was horrific.
He signed a two-year, $68.8 million contract with Philadelphia in July. The Sixers entered Christmas on a seven-game winning streak, but, according to ESPN, he ...
[Ben Simmons](/nba/players/2202822/ben-simmons/), [Seth Curry](/nba/players/2089523/seth-curry/), [Andre Drummond](/nba/players/1992788/andre-drummond/) and two first-round picks to the Nets. Smith and [Iman Shumpert](/nba/players/1646428/iman-shumpert/). He would lead the league in assists if he had played enough games to be eligible. 1 picks in the draft -- for [Kevin Love](/nba/players/1622545/kevin-love/). [Andrew Wiggins](/nba/players/2135571/andrew-wiggins/) -- at the time, the last two No. According to ESPN, Harden could be months away from leaving a team that is all-in on winning a championship to rejoin the team that he left less than two years ago, a team that now has a 9-23 record, the worst in the West, and is in the league's bottom four on both offense and defense. [Jalen Green](/nba/players/26602347/jalen-green/), 21-year-old [Jabari Smith](/nba/players/26776259/jabari-smith/) Jr. Tucker](/nba/players/1113186/p-j-tucker/) and Danuel House, and, in October, [the league took away its 2023 and 2024 second-round picks](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nba-docks-76ers-two-future-second-round-picks-for-violating-leagues-tampering-rules-in-offseason/) after an investigation revealed that it had engaged in discussions with Tucker and House before it was permitted to do so. [Philadelphia 76ers](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/PHI/philadelphia-76ers/) something pretty strange. For all of Harden's history and connection with Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and CEO Tad Brown, his working relationships with Embiid and coach Doc Rivers resemble something closer to a work in progress. "We're playing very well and I don't know where that report came from, but I'm excited to be here and we're playing very well. After what would become relatively brief stops in Brooklyn and Philadelphia, a move back to a rebuilding Rockets franchise would effectively represent comfort and familiarity over an immediate championship pursuit.
The Philadelphia 76ers surged past the New York Knicks with a big second half on Sunday afternoon to win the game 119-112. Embiid had 35 points.
With the 76ers rolling, Harden didn't want to think about his future. He made another 3 in the opening minute of the fourth to tie it at 98, then found Niang for a 3 that gave the 76ers their first lead with 10:37 to play. Bernard King, who set the Christmas record with 60 points in 1984, was at the game. 24, 2014, by Carmelo Anthony, the former All-Star who was seated next to him and got a huge ovation when shown on the overhead videoboard in the first quarter. ... The Knicks played their final home game of 2022. Embiid, the NBA's scoring leader, started slowly and the Knicks led 37-25 after one. "It was one of those games where you’ve just got to stick around," Harden said. Knicks: The Knicks fell to 23-32 in their league-high 55 Christmas appearance. 76ers: Coach Doc Rivers said PJ Tucker had some kind of pain or injury that was affecting his hand, but he wasn't worried about it yet. Embiid scored 15 in the third quarter and Harden took over the game when Embiid went to the bench, with a four-point play and another 3-pointer that trimmed it to 96-95. Embiid scored 35 points, Harden had 29 points and 13 assists and the 76ers blew by the He and James Harden have the Sixers on too good a roll to stay down too long.
James Harden's two-year $68.6 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers has a player option for 2023-24 that allows him to become a free agent this summer.
The Sixers face the New York Knicks on Christmas Day at 12 p.m. PT on Sportsnet and SN NOW. The Nets then dealt Harden to the 76ers in a blockbuster deal this past February.
The early chatter about Philadelphia 76ers All-Star guard James Harden considering a return to Houston dates back to before he requested a trade out of ...
A rolling stone gathers no moss, they say. And don't confuse James Harden's beard for the flowerless plant. After a three-year hiatus, the three-time ...
Wordfence is a security plugin installed on over 4 million WordPress sites. Generated by Wordfence at Mon, 26 Dec 2022 6:46:25 GMT. If you are a WordPress user with administrative privileges on this site, please enter your email address in the box below and click "Send".
The Sixers never led through three quarters, then outscored the Knicks 24-9 to open the fourth, turning a one-point deficit into a 116-102 lead. Julius Randle ...
With the 76ers rolling, Harden didn't want to think about his future. Bernard King, who set the Christmas record with 60 points in 1984, was at the game. He made another 3 in the opening minute of the fourth to tie it at 98, then found Niang for a 3 that gave the 76ers their first lead with 10:37 to play. ... The Knicks played their final home game of 2022. Embiid, the NBA's scoring leader, started slowly and the Knicks led 37-25 after one. “It was one of those games where you’ve just got to stick around,” Harden said.
Read the recent NBA news and rumors about James Harden for fantasy basketball. Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden was stellar in the Christmas Day win…
Harden has excelled since returning from his lengthy absence and will look to continue his case for top-five value moving forward. Source: Harden finished with 29 points, 13 assists, four rebounds, four steals and one block in 43 minutes.
Before the start of Sunday's game between the 76ers and Knicks, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Harden is "seriously considering" a return to the ...
Despite forcing his way out of the Rockets in January 2021, Harden has maintained something of a magnetic pull to Houston, drawn to the community, lifestyle and family there, sources said. He has a player option for the 2023-24 season, which would allow him to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. As Wojnarowski noted, this would be a surprising development considering Harden requested a trade out of Houston during the 2020-21 season. Entering their Christmas Day contest at Madison Square Garden, the 76ers had won seven straight games and sat at 19-12 overall. "Why would you ask me about that on Christmas, man?" [Vote now for your favorite NBA All-Star starters!](https://app.link.nba.com/e/DsakeLlbUvb)
Joel Embiid scored 35 points and James Harden added 29 as Philadelphia beat host New York 119-112.
Poole was tossed for the first time in his career with 9:20 left and Golden State had six technical fouls. “We left it in the locker room at halftime.” had 16 of his 26 points in a huge third quarter for Dallas and the Mavericks beat the Los Angeles Lakers 124-115.
Le garde étoile envisagerait un retour s'il ne parvient pas à s'entendre avec les 76ers.
De leur côté, les Rockets sont derniers dans l’association de l’Ouest avec une fiche de seulement neuf victoires et 23 défaites. Son équipe est cinquième dans l’association de l’Est avec une fiche de 19-12. Harden a passé plus de huit saisons avec les Rockets.
NEW YORK — James Harden has figured out when to pick his spots. The 76ers are not quite there yet, but they are starting to grow a sense of invincibility.
If I’m not aggressive and I’m not dominant to start the game, it just translates to the whole team. The Sixers trailed, 37-25, after the first 12 minutes because of their defensive shortcoming. And they were down 14 in the first quarter to the Knicks. “We just have to take it one game at a time. Some of the guys were talking about that in the locker room after the game. He said the team is heading in the right direction toward their destination: the NBA Finals. “We’ve got to change it, for the start,” Embiid said. “We try not to have that feeling, because obviously we can be beaten any night. He took a backseat when Joel Embiid was cooking in the third quarter. [Today] was one of those scenarios where he just let me go [and continue a two-man game with Niang]. But they need to erase their slow starts. But he took over after Embiid left late in the quarter.
For the third year in a row, we are getting reports of James Harden setting his sights elsewhere. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Harden is ...
Now he can't make it through a regular season without destabilizing a team. The Nets and 76ers were willing to roll those dice because they thought he was good ...
He'd made it clear early in his career that his goal was to bring a championship to his hometown, and that he was returning to finally do that. [Kevin Durant](/nba/players/1231866/kevin-durant/), and if he leaves Philadelphia, it means he wasn't satisfied with [Joel Embiid](/nba/players/2135528/joel-embiid/) either. Perhaps Harden is hoping for something similar, a title push fueled by a combination of Houston's incumbent young players and the assets it could use to get him some older ones. A year later, he forced his way to Philadelphia, and if he's gone this offseason, it means he failed yet again there. They could use that space to absorb bad contracts in exchange for draft capital, as many rebuilding teams have in the past. The 17.6 field goal attempts he takes each game ranks 31st in the league between [Zach LaVine](/nba/players/2135543/zach-lavine/) and [Anthony Davis](/nba/players/1992786/anthony-davis/). [Jabari Smith](/nba/players/26776259/jabari-smith/), the No. At a minimum, it makes sense for Harden to use Houston as leverage against Philadelphia if he wants to maximize his next payday. [Jalen Green](/nba/players/26602347/jalen-green/) and [Kevin Porter](/nba/players/3042574/kevin-porter/) Jr. [Rockets](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/HOU/houston-rockets/), after all, have little in common with the Nets and 76ers. By the time that group is ready to win, the already-declining Harden will by 35 or 36, and given his conditioning habits, likely not aging as well as contemporaries such as [Chris Paul](/nba/players/555969/chris-paul/) and [LeBron James](/nba/players/400553/lebron-james/) have. [Sacramento Kings](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/SAC/sacramento-kings/) that he managed only a meager four points.
On Christmas Day, James Harden blew off the reports he is considering a return to Houston this offseason, saying his focus is in Philly.
[Joel Embiid](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/30040/joel-embiid) is playing like an MVP, Harden has found a groove, the role players are stepping up and Philly has won eight in a row and looked like more of a threat to Boston and Milwaukee. The Rockets have a strong young core — [Jalen Green](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/60023/jalen-green), [Kevin Porter Jr.](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/51051/kevin-porter-jr), Alperen Sengun, [Jabari Smith](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/66333/jabari-smith) Jr. Philly can play this season out, see what happens in the playoffs, then the 76ers can judge next steps and make their offer to Harden. Harden has a player option for next season that nobody expects him to pick up (barring some injury or unexpected circumstance). Harden was colorful on the podium postgame but his comments were straightforward, [via NBC Sports Philadelphia](https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/sixers/sixers-james-harden-report-sixers-vs-knicks-nba-christmas-day-2022). [Harden was considering a return to Houston this offseason](https://nba.nbcsports.com/2022/12/25/harden-reportedly-open-to-houston-return-truth-or-negotiation-tactic/). As we wrote before, this rumor changes nothing for Daryl Morey and the 76ers. Message sent to Philly about next summer’s negotiations, but Sixers fans have what they need to ignore the report. [reports of Harden being interested a Houston reunion are not new](https://sports.yahoo.com/sources-james-harden-has-long-had-interest-in-returning-to-rockets-174548000.html). When it was explained to him, Harden got testy. “I’m here, we’re playing very well and I don’t know where that report came from,” Harden said. The 76ers entered Christmas Day on a seven-game winning streak,
Embiid scored 35 points, Harden had 29 points and 13 assists and the 76ers blew by the New York Knicks in the final quarter, extending their winning streak to ...
With the 76ers rolling, Harden didn't want to think about his future. Bernard King, who set the Christmas record with 60 points in 1984, was at the game. He made another 3 in the opening minute of the fourth to tie it at 98, then found Niang for a 3 that gave the 76ers their first lead with 10:37 to play. ... The Knicks played their final home game of 2022. Embiid, the NBA's scoring leader, started slowly and the Knicks led 37-25 after one. “It was one of those games where you’ve just got to stick around,” Harden said.
The former MVP and 76ers star wasn't exactly in the Christmas spirit when addressing reporters Sunday.
The providers of these cookies may use the data as explained in their privacy policies. You can opt out of these analytics cookies by unselecting the boxes below. You can continue to the site without accepting these cookies but certain features may not be available or function properly.
In case you missed it, the NBA held its much-anticipated Christmas Day games, including some playoff rematches and an interesting James Harden report.
They played up the burgeoning rivalry they have with Memphis with some sublime shi*t talking toward [Dillon Brooks](https://www.slamonline.com/?s=Dillon+Brooks) as well. [Jordan Poole](https://www.slamonline.com/?s=Jordan+Poole) did what he had to do to play Grinch and ruin the Grizzlies’ Christmas after he dropped a team-high 32 points to lead the Warriors past Memphis on Sunday. Oscar Robertson (1961, 1962) accomplished it twice, and James Harden did it in 2016. [02](https://www.slamonline.com/the-magazine/most-elite-hoop-collections-241/) [per ESPN](https://www.espn.com/nba/recap/_/gameId/401468652). The two-time MVP recorded a 40-point, 27-rebound, 10-assist performance a week ago. [per ESPN](https://www.espn.com/nba/recap/_/gameId/401468651). He’s still a young player,” head coach Steve Kerr said Boston grabbed a 100-86 lead after Tatum scored 20 points in the third quarter, and Brown brought the Celtics home with 13 points in the final frame; he also refused to back down after posting a screen that sent the Greek Freak to the ground. The players don’t take it seriously, and neither should basketball fans. “I’m here, we’re playing very well, and I don’t know where that report came from,” Harden said, per NBC Sports Philadelphia. [per ESPN](https://www.espn.com/nba/recap/_/gameId/401468648).
Miami Heat icon Dwyane Wade may be retired, but the mark he left on the league during his career is still impacting active NBA players.
“People familiar with Harden’s thinking have long listed Dwyane Wade’s three titles as something Harden sees ahead of his standing on the great guard rankings in NBA history.” [Udonis Haslem blasts NBA’s sleeved jerseys: ‘When you grow up in the hood, no shirt on’](https://heatnation.com/team-news/udonis-haslem-blasts-nbas-sleeved-jerseys-when-you-grow-up-in-the-hood-no-shirt-on/) [Report: James Harden has been using Dwyane Wade’s 3 titles as benchmark for guard rankings in NBA history](https://heatnation.com/rumors/report-james-harden-has-been-using-dwyane-wades-3-titles-as-benchmark-for-guard-rankings-in-nba-history/) [Report: Bam Adebayo to miss Miami Heat game vs. The veteran lays claim to a couple of the most memorable scoring seasons in recent history. [Miami Heat](https://heatnation.com/) icon Dwyane Wade may be retired, but the mark he left on the league during his career is still impacting active NBA players. He won’t be able to play forever, and time may be running out on his championship hopes. But he’s certainly not done yet, and he’s currently part of a Sixers team that has legitimate title aspirations this season.
After leading the 76ers to a Christmas day victory, James Harden downplays rumors of him reuniting with the Houston Rockets next off-season.
5](https://www.si.com/nba/rockets/news/houston-rockets-growth-double-overtime-victory-76ers-jalen-green-james-harden) inside the Toyota Center. Harden played for the Rockets for nine seasons. harden finished with 21 points on 4-of-19 shooting in the loss. [overtime victory over the 76ers on Dec. His future with the 76ers remains a fluid situation. And Houston has since added a young corps of talent headlined by Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr., Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr.