- James Harden reportedly opted into a $35.6 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers.
- The 76ers are expected to immediately seek a trade suitor for Harden after he signs the deal.
- If the 76ers trade Harden, the Houston Rockets are the most likely landing spot in a trade.
The Philadelphia 76ers are expected to sign James Harden to a $35.6 million deal. Not so fast, though, as the 76ers are looking to trade him. Harden’s next team, if a trade materializes, is favored to be the Houston Rockets. At BetUS, the Rockets are currently the overwhelming favorite to acquire Harden at -400 odds.
According to NBA columnist Adrian Wojnarowski, the 76ers are not planning on retaining Harden’s services. The two parties have had a mutual interest in finding a new team. Harden and the 76ers’ president of basketball operations, Daryl Morey, agree that it is time to move on.
Note that the 76ers are not required to trade Harden. If the 76ers suddenly had a change of heart and wanted to keep Harden, they are within their rights after signing him to a $35.6 contract. As it stands, the future of Harden is in the hands of the 76ers.
There are only so many franchises in the NBA that have the cap space on their roster to sign Harden. Wojnarowski notes that the Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks have the most interest in Harden. Nevertheless, the Rockets are heavily favored to win the Harden sweepstakes.
BREAKING: 76ers G James Harden is picking up his $35.6 million option and sides are beginning to work together in exploring trade scenarios, sources tell ESPN. It’s expected that Harden has played his last game for Philadelphia. pic.twitter.com/GguWgysfNZ
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2023
Harden Heading Back To Houston?
Oddsmakers and bettors at BetUS are confident that the Rockets have to be the team for Harden. With -400 odds, the implied probability of Harden signing in Houston is 80%.
The Rockets are one of a handful of teams that have ample room on their roster for the ten-time NBA All-Star. They have the most money to play with in the NBA this offseason. Harden spent just over eight seasons in Houston from 2013 to 2021 before requesting a trade.
There isn’t another team in the NBA that can accommodate Harden’s hefty contract better than the Rockets. The Rockets have more than $60 million in cap space available for the 2023-24 season.
While the 76ers control his destiny, Morey is expected to listen to Harden’s input. At age 33, it is likely that Harden will want to chase a ring and play for a major contender.
The Rockets are an up-and-coming team. Over the past few years, they’ve had the privilege of picking high in the NBA Draft as a result of their awful results in the regular season. In 2022-23, the Rockets finished with a record of 22-60 and were one of three teams with the best odds to win the Draft Lottery.
James Harden is the only player in franchise history for the
— Nets
— Rockets
— 76ersto record a 20/5/10 season. pic.twitter.com/N20Dy8UGPy
— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 29, 2023
Despite losing the Draft Lottery, the Rockets selected a potential future star in Amen Thompson. Additionally, the Rockets have a plethora of young talent with Jalen Green and Jabari Smith. Add in Harden, and suddenly the Rockets look like a dangerous team.
Currently, the Rockets are a longshot to win the 2023-24 NBA Championship. They are tied for the second-worst odds at +25000.
Rockets Interested In Fred VanVleet
If not Harden, then who are the Rockets going to spend money on? Wojnarowski mentioned in his report that the Rockets are interested in pursuing Fred VanVleet.
The former Toronto Raptors’ star is free to sign wherever he pleases. VanVleet’s four-year $85 million contract expired this past season. If VanVleet is going to leave Toronto, he reportedly needs a $83.6 million offer from the Rockets.
The Raptors are stuck between a rebuild and believing that they can win in 2023-24. They’d like to bring VanVleet back, but the Raptors are not in a position to overpay and have luxury tax issues. Conversely, the Rockets have over $60 million to work with in free agency.
VanVleet seems like a more realistic option for the Rockets. But, the odds at BetUS suggest otherwise. If you don’t want to lay -400, there is fortunately better value for this prop bet.
A potential Clippers starting lineup if they re-sign Russell Westbrook and trade for James Harden
Russell Westbrook
James Harden
Paul George
Kawhi Leonard
Ivica Zubac pic.twitter.com/OmSdRypyKr— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) June 29, 2023
Clippers and Knicks In Mix For Harden
The Clippers and Knicks will continue to be mentioned in Harden trade rumors. Harden is from Los Angeles, California, and potentially has an opportunity to move home.
Currently, the Clippers have the second-best odds to acquire Harden. At +600 odds, the Clippers have an implied probability of 14.3% to land the pure-scoring guard. That doesn’t leave the Clippers with much of a chance versus the Rockets, at least according to these odds at BetUS.
As soon as Wojnarowski announced the news, the public loaded up on Harden going to the Rockets. However, with the Clippers at +600 and the Knicks at +650, there is better value on the board than laying -400 odds.
The Clippers would be a terrific team on paper. Harden would join Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to form a super team. Staying healthy would be the biggest issue for that trio. Between load management and injuries, it would be an interesting season in Los Angeles.
Nonetheless, Clippers’ owner Steve Ballmer has a win-at-all-costs attitude. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Clippers make a play for Harden. Ballmer would likely approve.
The Clippers are tied with the 76ers for the best odds to win an NBA title in 2024. At +1800, there isn’t much confidence in the Clippers winning, regardless of the Harden rumors.
However, the Clippers still have the best odds out of the teams most seriously tied to Harden. While the Knicks are trending up, they have long odds of winning the 2023-24 NBA Championship at +5000.
