Superstar guard James Harden has a major decision to make this summer, which will almost certainly impact his legacy as one of the best scorers this league has ever seen.
All season long, there’s been speculation that once Harden becomes a free agent in July that he’ll sign with the Houston Rockets and return to the team where he’s had the most success in the NBA.
However, Harden would be leaving an ideal situation with the Philadelphia 76ers, who are a team that is a perennial title contender with superstar center Joel Embiid leading the way.
As Sean Barnard of Philly Sports Network points out, Harden’s legacy will take a hit if he leaves Philadelphia for Houston, as it will become clear he favors money over winning.
When James Harden first forced his way out of Houston he cited his desire to win as the reason. When he took the 1+1 year deal with the Sixers Harden claimed the same reason
If Harden elects to go back to Houston for the rest of his career he can. But it’s also a huge hit to his…
— Sean Barnard (@Sean_Barnard1) June 7, 2023
With a few more weeks before NBA free agency gets underway, this situation could change, with Harden ultimately staying with the 76ers in an attempt to win a title alongside the reigning NBA MVP.
Although Philadelphia has its fair share of issues that need to be corrected over the summer to be a true contender in the Eastern Conference, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that this team wins it all next season with a motivated Embiid and Nurse being the right guy calling the shots from the sideline.
Only time will tell what Harden ultimately decides to do, as there’s been no clear indication of what will go down next month, but if he does head back to Houston, the superstar will definitely hear his fair share of criticism moving forward.
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