Rockets reportedly open to eventual James Harden return; fans torn

In the aftermath of James Harden’s forced January 2021 trade to leave Houston for Brooklyn, could an eventual reunion between the Rockets and the superstar guard already be in the works?

As reports of Harden’s current unhappiness with the Nets continue to grow, a new report Saturday from Sam Amick of The Athletic states that Houston is very much open to an eventual Harden return. He writes:

The Rockets, who sources say made it clear to Harden that they would welcome him back in Houston if that was ever in the cards, were operating like a player-friendly operation in their handling of the deal…

While Harden is reportedly on the trade block right now and could become a free agent as soon as this summer, it’s important to remember that a reunion with the Rockets would be more likely in 2023 than 2022.

First, Harden left Houston in the 2020-21 season primarily because he was no longer convinced that he could compete for a championship with the Rockets. At the moment, Houston (15-37) owns the worst record in the Western Conference, with a roster featuring many talented but raw players — like 19-year-old rookies Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun, who were both taken in the first round of the 2021 NBA draft.

While those young players should improve some by next season, it’s unlikely to be enough to where Harden alone could make them a title contender. Moreover, even if Harden dropped his desire for immediate contention, it’s hard to envision Brooklyn trading him back to Houston for far less than the huge haul of first-round draft assets through 2027 that they gave up to acquire him in the first place. Finally, even if Harden was open to joining Houston in 2022 free agency, the Rockets aren’t in position to have salary cap room due to John Wall’s large contract.

But in 2023, Wall’s contract will be off the books, giving the Rockets significant financial flexibility, if desired. The current young core will also be a season further along in their development, perhaps to the point that a serious playoff push is plausible by the 2023-24 season.

Should Harden play out the final year of his current contract and avoid a multi-year commitment — as he did before each of the last two seasons, when he declined extensions with both the Rockets and the Nets — a 2023 reunion would appear to be at least possible.

It’s far from a given, of course. For starters, if Harden continues to play at his current All-Star level, there would obviously be many other suitors attempting to acquire his services. But with Harden turning 34 years old before the 2023-24 season, it isn’t a lock that he will continue to play at such a high level that a huge investment would be worth it.

Much remains to be determined over the next 17 months, but the door definitely appears to be open, at this early stage.

Within a fanbase that devoutly supported Harden over his eight-plus seasons with the Rockets and felt jilted by his messy departure, not everyone is ready to accept a reconciliation with “The Beard.” Some are ready, pointing to a historic run of MVP-caliber seasons have already made Harden arguably the second-greatest player in franchise history, behind only Hall of Famer and two-time champion Hakeem Olajuwon.

Others, however, still have hard feelings from the breakup and/or are concerned about Harden interrupting the development of young guards like Kevin Porter Jr. and Green — who are central to the team’s current rebuilding plan. Here’s a sampling of the immediate fan reaction.