NBA Rumors: James Harden expected to crawl back to Sixers after all?

NBA Rumors: James Harden is expected to re-sign with the Philadelphia 76ers now, but should they embrace him back?

For what felt like the better part of the last few months, it seemed as though James Harden had one foot out the door. He was playing in a Philadelphia 76ers uniform but the whispers surrounding his future suggested that he was ultimately going to find himself back in Houston with the Rockets. Since then, slowly and slowly, those rumors have begun to dissipate.

The recent wave of reporting for Harden and his impending free-agent decision is now pointing to him re-signing with the Sixers. It’s not something that should be all that surprising but it could add another wrinkle to the offseason.

On one hand, there have to be a good amount of fans happy in Philadelphia. If nothing else, it assures that Joel Embiid will remain content with the team. Had Harden decided to leave, it was potentially going to open up an entirely different offseason can of worms involving Embiid that the Sixers probably didn’t want.

At least for now, the team will have the option to run it back with a few tweaks here and there (perhaps a Tobias Harris trade to find another difference-making piece). That’s, of course, if the Sixers want to continue going down this road with Harden.

Should the Philadelphia 76ers want James Harden back?

I don’t think the fair question is whether the Sixers should want Harden back; the better question is at what number (contract figure) would the Sixers want Harden back? In a vacuum, there’s no way the Sixers can let Harden leave in free agency for nothing. That would be malpractice.

That said, Harden has historically struggled in the postseason when it has mattered most. We’ve seen it time and time throughout his career and we saw it again this past season. Harden is not a max player. He hasn’t played like one at this point in his career and probably shouldn’t be paid like one. If he’s willing to take a bit of a pay cut again, the Sixers should be through the roof.

However, if Harden is going to ask for a max contract, they should think again.

At least for now, with the recent developments, it appears that Harden will re-sign with the Sixers. It’s a move that probably makes the most sense for both sides, even if it’s not necessarily the most ideal outcome for Harden or the Sixers.