James Harden Considering Return To Rockets In Free Agency
Just two years after requesting a trade out of Houston, star Sixers guard James Harden is seriously mulling the possibility of returning to the Rockets when he becomes eligible for free agency in the summer of 2023, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
According to Wojnarowski, Harden and his camp have been “openly weighing Houston in recent weeks and months.”
Wojnarowski describes the city as having a “magnetic pull” on the former MVP due to the community, lifestyle, and family he had there. Having spent seven-and-a-half years of his NBA career with the Rockets, Harden could choose to return to Houston if he opts for “comfort and familiarity” over a chance to immediately contend for a title, Woj writes.
However, that doesn’t mean Harden is set on leaving Philadelphia. The Sixers have been on a roll lately and Harden’s on-court partnership with Joel Embiid finally seems to be firing on all cylinders. If that success continues and the team enjoys a deep playoff run in the spring, the 33-year-old guard would likely become more inclined to stick around beyond this season, Wojnarowski writes.
A free agent this past summer, Harden could have signed with the 76ers for up to five years, but decided to negotiate a shorter-team deal, signing a two-year, $68.6MM pact with a player option for the second season.
The contract – which saw Harden accept a significant pay cut – freed up space under the hard cap for Philadelphia to add a couple free agents (P.J. Tucker and Danuel House). There was a belief outside the organization that the agreement came with an understanding that Daryl Morey and the Sixers’ front office would be willing to offer Harden a more lucrative long-term contract next summer.
Although Harden has connections with Morey and CEO Tad Brown in Philadelphia, his working relationships with Embiid and head coach Doc Rivers are more of a “work in progress,” according to Wojnarowski.
However, as Wojnarowski points out, the current version of the Rockets isn’t the same one Harden remembers — his exit came just after Morey and longtime head coach Mike D’Antoni left the organization, and the roster has also undergone a major overhaul in recent years. If Harden is legitimately interested in returning to Houston, the franchise would have to consider how reacquiring him would impact the development of core pieces like Jalen Green, Jabari Smith, and Kevin Porter, Woj observes.
For what it’s worth, Houston projects to have a substantial chunk of cap space, so from a practical perspective, signing Harden as a free agent would be doable. ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link) has the club projected at about $45MM in cap room, and that number would increase without Eric Gordon‘s $20.9MM non-guaranteed salary on the books.
Harden, who has made 10 consecutive All-Star teams, has missed some time due to injury this season, but has been productive when healthy, averaging 21.4 points, 10.9 assists, and 6.6 rebounds in 37.8 minutes per night. His .364 3PT% is his highest mark since 2018/19.
Devin Booker Expected To Return On Sunday
Suns guard Devin Booker is expected to be available on Sunday following a three-game absence due to a groin injury, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
Phoenix will be visiting the West-leading Nuggets in the fifth and final game of the NBA’s Christmas Day slate. Booker is officially listed as questionable for the contest, but Wojnarowski’s report suggests the Suns’ top scorer won’t miss the opportunity to play on a national stage in a marquee Western Conference showdown.
Booker, a three-time All-Star, is averaging a career-high 28.0 points per game in his first 28 contests (35.6 MPG) this season for the Suns. He has also contributed 5.8 APG and 4.8 RPG with a shooting line of .477/.370/.850.
Assuming Booker is able to play on Sunday, he’ll presumably replace Landry Shamet in the starting lineup. Shamet started in Booker’s place on Friday after Damion Lee occupied that spot for the previous two games.
Community Shootaround: Best Team In The East
When we took a closer look at the Western Conference earlier this week, we pointed out that the No. 1 seed had changed hands many times this season, with eight different teams holding it at some point and five of those clubs spending at least six days as the West’s top team.
That hasn’t been the case in the Eastern Conference, where the Celtics and Bucks have essentially shared the top seed all season. According to Basketball-Reference, Milwaukee held it from October 24 to November 13, Boston had it from November 14 to December 17, and the two teams have traded it back and forth during the past week.
Milwaukee and Boston have made a strong case to be considered the East’s most serious championship threats. The Celtics have been especially impressive, posting the NBA’s best offensive rating (116.6) and net rating (+6.0) while getting an MVP-caliber performance from Jayson Tatum. They’ve also spent most of the season playing without their best rim protector, Robert Williams, and could have an even higher ceiling now that he’s back.
The Bucks have stuck right there with them though, buoyed by the league’s third-best defense and an MVP candidate of their own in forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. Like Boston, Milwaukee has gotten off to a strong start despite playing shorthanded — All-Star forward Khris Middleton has been limited to seven games and has struggled mightily in those appearances, so the Bucks could presumably reach another gear if and when they’re fully healthy and firing on all cylinders.
Both the Celtics and Bucks have been up and down in recent weeks, however. Boston has lost five of seven games and actually has the NBA’s worst offensive rating (107.0) during the month of December. Milwaukee has lost four of its last seven.
As the East’s leaders have struggled, several other would-be contenders have closed the gap at the top of the standings, starting with the Cavaliers. The offseason addition of Donovan Mitchell has helped Cleveland take a step forward this season, while the frontcourt duo of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley has led the NBA’s best defense (107.2 rating).
Cleveland’s +6.0 net rating is tied with Boston for the league’s best mark. The Cavs also have a pair of victories over Boston under their belts already this season and beat Milwaukee on Wednesday, proving they can hang with the East’s top clubs.
Meanwhile, two teams expected to be title contenders before the season began have been on fire lately after getting off to sluggish starts — the Nets have won eight games in a row and 12 of their last 13, while the Sixers are riding their own seven-game winning streak. Brooklyn is now within two games of the East’s top seed, while Philadelphia is just three games out.
The Nets’ offense has looked in recent weeks like the well-oiled machine that we thought it could be, as they comfortably lead the NBA with a 120.4 offensive rating in December. Kevin Durant has played some of the best basketball of his career, Kyrie Irving is staying out of the news and playing great basketball following his return from an eight-game suspension, and Ben Simmons is looking a whole lot more comfortable on both ends of the court after a concerning start to the season.
Somewhat surprisingly, Philadelphia has been most effective on the defensive end of the ball, trailing only the Cavs with a 108.3 defensive rating, but James Harden and Joel Embiid have been clicking on offense lately too. In a win over the Clippers on Friday, Embiid racked up 44 points while Harden had 21 assists. The offense should take another step forward once Tyrese Maxey returns from a foot injury.
The East’s top five seeds look like the best bets to come out of the conference, but we should also mention the Knicks (18-15), who have the East’s best net rating (+10.2) in December, along with the Hawks (17-16), Pacers (17-16), Heat (16-17), and Raptors (15-18), who are lurking in play-in territory for now.
We want to know what you think. Which team do you expect to finish the regular season holding the East’s No. 1 seed? Will the same club represent the conference in the NBA Finals, or will another team make a deeper playoff run? Do you consider the East to be as wide open as the West, or are there fewer real title threats here beyond the top few seeds?
Head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!
Stephen Curry To Be Reevaluated In Two Weeks
Warriors star Stephen Curry, who was diagnosed earlier this month with a left shoulder subluxation, is “making good progress” in his recovery, the team announced today in a brief press release (Twitter link).
The Warriors declined to offer any specifics on Curry’s rehab process, simply stating that he’ll be reevaluated in two weeks.
That means the former MVP will remain sidelined through at least January 7, making him unavailable for the team’s next seven games. In all likelihood, Curry will miss more games beyond that, since he’s unlikely to be cleared to return immediately after being reevaluated.
The Warriors’ update doesn’t come as a surprise, since reports around the time of Curry’s diagnosis on December 15 suggested he was expected to remain on the shelf for at least three or four weeks and could potentially miss a month or more.
Golden State has struggled without Curry, dropping three of its last four games. All three of those losses were by double digits, including a 38-point shellacking in New York on Tuesday, followed by a 30-point blowout in Brooklyn on Wednesday. After three days off, the Warriors will be back in action on Christmas Day, hosting the ascendant Grizzlies.
And-Ones: Suns’ Sale, Expansion, Udoh, Ignite, Warkentien
There wasn’t a ton of trade chatter at the G League Winter Showcase in Las Vegas this past week, but the news of the Suns‘ sale to Mat Ishbia generated plenty of discussion, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic. Specifically, the franchise’s $4 billion valuation raised eyebrows, given how far above recent projections it was.
As Hollinger explains, that eye-popping sale price led to speculation on two fronts. For one, there were conversations about whether other franchises could find their way onto the market — for instance, Paul Allen‘s estate appears content to exercise patience before eventually opening the bidding on the Trail Blazers, but it’s possible the Suns’ valuation could help expedite that process. Hollinger adds that there have also been whispers over the years about whether Michael Jordan will sell the Hornets.
Perhaps more importantly, the Suns’ high sale price could be good news for the prospect of NBA expansion. As Hollinger observes, the existing 30 team owners are more likely to agree to bring in two new partners if their cut of the expansion fee high enough to offset their losses from splitting the NBA’s TV deal and other sources of revenue 32 ways instead of 30 ways. The Suns selling for $4 billion increases the odds of expansion fees for teams in cities like Seattle and Las Vegas reaching the neighborhood of $4-5 billion, says Hollinger.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Former NBA lottery pick Ekpe Udoh is resuming his playing career in Japan, according to Alessandro Maggi of Sportando, who relays that the big man has signed with the Shimane Susanoo Magic. The No. 6 overall pick in the 2010 draft, Udoh appeared in 384 total NBA games, but hasn’t played in the league since the 2018/19 season.
- Scoot Henderson wasn’t available for the G League Ignite during the league’s Winter Showcase event in Las Vegas this past week, but Jeremy Woo of SI.com got a chance to scout several other Ignite players, including London Johnson, Leonard Miller, Sidy Cissoko, and Mojave King. Woo shares several of his key takeaways on the Ignite’s non-Henderson prospects, identifying Miller and Cissoko as players who have a chance to be selected in the first round of the 2023 NBA draft (Johnson will be draft-eligible in 2024).
- Veteran NBA executive Mark Warkentien, who won an Executive of the Year award in 2009 as the Nuggets‘ head of basketball operations, has passed away at age 69 (Twitter link via the Nuggets). Warkentien most recently worked in the league as a special assignment evaluator for the Thunder. We at Hoops Rumors send our condolences to his family and friends.
Injury Notes: Giannis, Butler, Sabonis, Bryant
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo appears to have avoided a major injury after falling awkwardly on his right hand during Friday’s loss to Brooklyn, writes Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Head coach Mike Budenholzer said after the game that X-rays on Antetokounmpo’s hand came back clean.
“Mostly means he’s OK,” Budenholzer said. “I’m sure he may be a little bit sore, a little bit banged up.”
Antetokounmpo injured his hand in the third quarter when he attempted to make his way to the basket and was spun to the ground by Nets forward Royce O’Neale (video link). Antetokounmpo told reporters that he considered it to be a clean, hard foul, though Budenholzer was less certain.
“I thought it was close to excessive,” Budenholzer said. “Borderline or close. The referees didn’t review it and didn’t think it was and I respect that decision and call. Felt like he kind of grabbed him and threw him down but it was probably a good, hard NBA foul.”
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Heat star Jimmy Butler sprained his ankle in the first quarter of Friday’s loss to Indiana and tried to play through it before eventually leaving the game in the fourth quarter, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Butler, who has already missed 12 games this season due to health issues, will be evaluated on Saturday to determine the severity of the sprain, Reynolds adds.
- Domantas Sabonis exited the Kings‘ loss to Washington on Friday in the fourth quarter due to what appeared to be a right hand injury, according to James Ham of The Kings Beat (Twitter links). Head coach Mike Brown was unable to provide an update after the game, but as Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee notes, it would be a major blow for the Kings if Sabonis has to miss any time. He has been on a tear as of late (19.9 PPG, 16.1 RPG, and 7.5 APG in his last 10 games) and the team hasn’t gotten consistent production from its backup centers.
- Already missing starting center Anthony Davis, the Lakers saw fill-in starter Thomas Bryant leave Friday’s loss to Charlotte in the fourth quarter with a right shoulder injury, according to Janis Carr of The Southern California News Group, who says Bryant was holding the shoulder “in obvious pain.” Head coach Darvin Ham told reporters after the game that Bryant was still being evaluated and that there was no update yet, tweets Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
Grizzlies Notes: Morant, Bane, Green, Konchar
Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant raised eyebrows earlier this week when he was asked by ESPN’s Malika Andrews in an NBA Today interview (video link) which teams around the league had caught his eye as opponents Memphis will have to “run through” to win a title. After Morant named the Celtics and fell silent, Andrews observed that he didn’t mention any Western Conference teams.
“Nah,” Morant said. “I’m fine in the West.”
Speaking to reporters later in the week, Morant didn’t back off those comments at all, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. In fact, while the All-NBA guard identified the Bucks as another team he might add to his list, he doubled down on his feelings about his Western rivals.
“Honestly, I don’t care about anybody else feedback but ours,” Morant said. “That’s how we feel. That’s how confident we are in our abilities and where we think we stand in the Western Conference.”
Here’s more out of Memphis:
- Although the Suns were missing leading scorer Devin Booker, Memphis’ 25-blowout win over Phoenix on Friday showed just how good the Grizzlies can be when they’re at full strength, Cole writes for The Commercial Appeal. Desmond Bane was only 4-of-13 from the floor in his return from a toe injury, but he “played decisively and looked fluid in his movements,” according to Cole. The starting five of Morant, Bane, Dillon Brooks, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Steven Adams had a plus-44.8 net rating in its first 11 minutes together this season.
- During ESPN’s broadcast of Friday’s game in Phoenix, Danny Green said he’s aiming to return from his ACL tear before February’s All-Star break, according to Evan Barnes of The Commercial Appeal. Green added that he did some 1-on-1 work on Friday for the first time during his recovery. “The knee is going smoothly,” the 35-year-old swingman said. “We’re in a good pace and hopefully you’ll see me before the break. That’s the target right now.”
- Based on the current construction of the Grizzlies’ roster, Cole believes a healthy Green would likely take John Konchar‘s rotation minutes (Twitter link).
- The Grizzlies will be in action on Christmas Day for the first time in franchise history. Mark Giannotto of The Memphis Commercial Appeal explores what it means for the team to finally be considered one of the NBA’s marquee attractions.
Central Notes: Caruso, LaVine, Markkanen, Allen, Pistons
While much of the trade speculation involving the up-and-down Bulls in recent weeks has revolved around stars like Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic, one Eastern Conference general manager tells Sean Deveney of Heavy.com that veteran guard Alex Caruso shouldn’t be overlooked. Citing sources, Deveney says that multiple teams would be prepared to make offers for Caruso if Chicago becomes a seller and makes him available.
“If things don’t improve, Caruso is the guy most will be looking at in the short term,” the general manager said. “He has good trade value and would get something like 15 interested teams if he were up to be dealt.”
As the GM observes, Caruso’s contract ($9MM this season and two more years worth $19.4MM) is very team-friendly, and he’s the sort of player who could slot into virtually any club’s rotation.
Deveney also spoke to an Eastern Conference executive who believes that LaVine wants to be traded to the Lakers, but that sounds like speculation based primarily on the guard’s ties to UCLA and Klutch Sports and recent reports about possible dysfunction in Chicago.
Here’s more from around the Central:
- Lauri Markkanen had intended to lay down roots in Cleveland and admits that the offseason trade sending him from the Cavaliers to the Jazz came as “kind of a shock,” writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). However, Markkanen doesn’t hold any ill will toward his old team. “It was tough at first because we really enjoyed our time (in Cleveland),” Markkanen said. “Had a really fun year last season so it was tough at first. But then settled in and see the opportunity with Utah. Understanding the business, I know there’s always a chance. It’s not like I had any anger.”
- In a separate subscriber-only story for Cleveland.com, Fedor makes the case that Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen has emerged as a legitimate candidate for this season’s Defensive Player of the Year award. Allen is the anchor of a unit that now leads the NBA in defensive rating (106.8).
- The Pistons have the NBA’s worst record at 8-26, but they haven’t been disappointed by what they’ve seen from rookies Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren. As Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes, Detroit’s long-term outlook looks better than it did a few months ago due to the promise the team’s two lottery picks have shown.
Hornets, Miles Bridges Making Progress In Contract Talks
The only restricted free agent left on the market may have a deal in place in the near future, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports that the Hornets and forward Miles Bridges are “gathering traction” in their contract negotiations.
Bridges was on track to be one of the top free agents in the class of 2022, but was arrested and charged with felony domestic abuse just days before his rookie contract expired, casting doubt on his NBA future. He was accused of assaulting his then-girlfriend in front of their two children.
Bridges ultimately worked out a plea deal with prosecutors in Los Angeles County, agreeing to plead no contest to one charge of felony domestic violence while two child abuse counts were dismissed. The 24-year-old avoided jail time by accepting three years of probation. He was ordered to attend a year’s worth of domestic violence counseling sessions and parenting classes in addition to completing 100 hours of community service.
Following the resolution of his legal case, Bridges appears to have a path back to the NBA, though the league is completing its own investigation into the incident and has the power to suspend the four-year veteran. As Wojnarowski writes, Bridges can’t begin serving a possible suspension until he signs a new NBA contract, so if the Hornets intend to bring him back into the fold, they could be motivated to get something done sooner rather than later.
It’s unclear how long a suspension Bridges would be facing. Wojnarowski notes that another former Hornet, Jeffrey Taylor, was banned for 24 games in 2014 after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of domestic violence assault. Bridges didn’t formally admit guilt in his case, but the allegations were considered credible and the NBA would likely face substantial pressure not to let him off lightly.
If he’s suspended for at least 20 games, Bridges would lose 1/110th of his 2022/23 salary for each game he misses, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
On the basketball court, Bridges had a breakout season in 2021/22, establishing new career highs in points (20.2), rebounds (7.0), and assists (3.8) per game while starting 80 games and averaging 35.5 minutes per night.
Lakers Say Anthony Davis Has Stress Injury, Out Indefinitely
Nearly a week after Anthony Davis left suffered a right foot injury, the Lakers have issued an official update on Davis’ status, announcing on Friday that he has a stress injury in his foot and has been ruled out indefinitely (Twitter link).
According to the club, the diagnosis was reached after “extensive consultation with Lakers team physicians and outside specialists.” Further updates will be provided when appropriate, the Lakers added in their statement.
Although we waited several days for official word from the Lakers, their announcement doesn’t provide much additional clarity on Davis’ injury or his potential recovery timeline. As Jeff Stotts of In Street Clothes tweets, a “stress injury” could mean a stress reaction or a stress fracture, and it’s difficult to assess the severity of the ailment without knowing which bone is affected.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported five days ago that Davis was expected to be sidelined for at least a month, but it sounds like the big man and the Lakers aren’t prepared to go that far. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), the pain in Davis’ foot has subsided in recent days and the plan is to rest it for another seven-to-10 days before having it reevaluated to see if he can return to the court.
The hope is that Davis will be able to avoid undergoing a procedure on his injured foot, Wojnarowski adds.
With Davis on the shelf, Thomas Bryant has been promoted to the Lakers’ starting five and has played well, averaging 17.5 PPG and 7.8 RPG on .622/.636/.583 shooting in his last four games (28.5 MPG). However, Los Angeles’ defense has struggled without Davis manning the middle, giving up between 117 and 134 points in the three games since his injury. The Lakers’ defensive rating during that time ranks 29th in the NBA.