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The Houston Rockets made headlines this week ahead of the draft lottery when it was announced that the team had signed former Coach of the Year Ime Udoka. The news stirred up quite a bit of speculation as many questioned what the franchise has up its sleeve.
According to a Yahoo! report, the team could be targeting James Harden or Khris Middleton this offseason in hopes of competing in a stacked Western Conference. Of course, Harden is currently in the midst of a playoff run with the Philadelphia 76ers. They are currently awaiting the start of their second-round playoff matchup against the Boston Celtics.
Middleton and the Milwaukee Bucks were eliminated in the first round by the Miami Heat.
This isn't the first time that reports have surfaced indicating that Harden could be headed back to the Houston Rockets. With a player option on the horizon for the 2023-24 season, the former MVP could opt to return to the Houston Rockets. In December, Adrian Wojnarowski spoke about the possible reunion:
“All-Star guard James Harden is seriously considering a return to the Houston Rockets in free agency this July — if he decides against a new deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, sources told ESPN.
"Harden and his inner circle have been openly weighing Houston in recent months, sources said, a remarkable possibility given that he requested and received a trade out of the franchise less than two years ago.”
Other indications that James Harden could rejoin the Houston Rockets
The latest report from Yahoo Sports regarding Harden's potential return and Wojnarowski's comments from December aren't the only indications of a reunion. Just last month, Bill Simmons stated that it was a foregone conclusion that Harden would be heading back to the Houston Rockets.
NBA fans may remember at the start of the season that Harden was somewhat frustrated after not getting the credit he wanted for taking a pay cut. By re-negotiating his contract and taking less money, he helped the team free up cap space that was used to sign P.J. Tucker.
According to Harden, he didn't get the credit he deserved for the move. He was quoted by The Athletic as saying:
“Nope, but guess what? I don’t care. There’s like a stereotype (of Harden) where people always want to talk. People don’t really know me, so they feel like they can just say anything. One thing I won’t do is give them any attention. I won’t say anything, media-wise, publicly.
"I don’t care, because I’m comfortable, and I’m confident in the things I do on and off the court.”
It was then that many started questioning if Harden missed playing for the Houston Rockets, where he reportedly had quite a bit of leeway. With a big decision on the horizon regarding his player option, only time will tell how things will play out.
(Suggested Reading: Ime Udoka's contract details with the Rockets)
