James Harden to Become a Free Agent

James Harden vs. Boston

James Harden has reportedly declined his $36.5 million option. As a result, he will be one of the more sought-after free agents this offseason. While the former MVP’s best days may be behind him, he will still garner plenty of interest from around the league. This is still a three-time scoring champion and two-time assists title winner we are talking about who will be available on the free agent market. With this in mind, here are three possible destinations for the 10-time All-Star.

James Harden Declines $36.5 Million Option

Possible Destinations for James Harden

One intriguing destination for Harden that has been swirling around in rumors in the Phoenix Suns. The Suns could be looking to get off their contracts for point guard, Chris Paul and center, Deandre Ayton. If they can do this, this would free up plenty of space to lure James Harden to Phoenix to team up with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.

Another destination is a reunion with none other than the Houston Rockets. With the fourth pick in the NBA Draft, the Rockets have a lot of options. They could trade the pick or use it surround Harden with young talent if he does return to the city he won an MVP in a few seasons ago. Last, but not least is returning to Philadelphia. Harden and Joel Embiid formed too much chemistry this season for the 76ers not to try and retain the point guard. After all, he was the league-leader in assists and proved he could still get points in bunches with the 76ers. With a new head coach eventually coming in, Harden may want to consider signing a new deal with Philadelphia.

His Numbers From This Season

As alluded to already, James Harden had an impressive campaign. Despite his struggles in the postseason, one cannot take away from what accomplished in the regular season. The Beard averaged 21.0 points, 10.7 assists, and 6.1 total rebounds per game. On top of this, he also stroked it from beyond the arc at a rate of 38.5 percent, the highest total since his 2020-21 campaign. Not to mention, the Beard also possessed a player efficiency rating of 21.6 to couple with a box plus/minus rating of +5.4. As a result, James Harden will have plenty of suitors lining up for his services this NBA offseason. He will arguably be the most touted free agent this coming offseason.

 


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