The Philadelphia 76ers may have the best team they have ever had to try and clinch an NBA Championship this season. While Philly will be favored behind the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks, it’d be foolish to not consider the 76ers one of the elite contenders in the conference.
James Harden and his playmaking brilliance have been one of the main reasons behind this success. However, the 2022-23 Philadelphia 76ers may be the best chance the franchise has to win a title due to the possibility of Harden leaving the team to reunite with the Houston Rockets in the summer.
The rumors of the same have been permeating for a while, but Kelly Iko of The Athletic has quantified Harden’s likelihood to return at a 70% chance.
Harden going back to the Rockets with their incredible young core and the possibility of adding Victor Wembanyama through the draft will be very enticing. But, if the 76ers fail to win a title, will Harden be content with returning to Houston to lead the squad from their current rebuilding self to title winners?
Would This Be A Good Move For James Harden?
When James Harden’s career is remembered, he will be remembered as a member of the Houston Rocket before any other franchise. He could’ve been the greatest Rocket of all time if he broke the championship hump and lived up to the greatness of Hakeem Olajuwon. He failed, but in a LeBron-esque move, he could come back to the franchise to deliver on the championship promise.
The current Rockets team is still a few years away from contending. The players have to establish good habits before they can hope to outcompete the best teams in the league. Harden will be a massive boost but won’t be enough. The 76ers can offer him more success in the short term, so it’ll be an interesting decision for the man known as ‘The Beard’.
Source: fadeawayworld
