2023-06-08 20:15:00
Positioned as a free agent this summer, James Harden will be one of the big names to watch in the Free Agency market. Between a contract extension in Philadelphia and a return home to Houston, the Bearded man seems to be hesitating, but a third franchise could become part of the case. Hint: she’s the one planning to cut Chris Paul.
Philly or H-Town? Play the title with the Sixers or find the Rockets jersey? The city of brotherly love or the city of space?
According to recent information, it is between these two possibilities that the future of James Harden is played out. Nevertheless, if we are to believe Ramona Shelburne d’ESPNkeep a close eye on the Phoenix Suns, especially since reports yesterday indicating a potential upcoming split between Chris Paul and the Arizona franchise.
“The Phoenix Suns don’t cut Chris Paul unless they have a real idea in mind. And keep an eye on James Harden. I don’t want to announce anything, but it was in the air this month. Everyone thinks it’s either Philadelphia or Houston, but I don’t know, there have been discussions.
This is indeed not the first time that James Harden and the Suns are linked. And with the possible departure of CP3 (Harden’s former teammate in Houston, with whom he got on well), it’s a rumor that logically comes back to the fore.
As a reminder, the Bearded man has ties to the country of the Cactus since he did his university training at Arizona State, and spent several offseasons in Phoenix (especially when the NBA was stopped in 2020 due to COVID) for his training in recent years. Finally, the Suns have in Kevin Durant a former teammate of Harden, the two having visibly reconciled since the end of their joint adventure in Brooklyn.
KD &james harden???? @HardensSizeUp pic.twitter.com/UqxQypgi4D
— Sam Maizi (@ub790uy2l) August 6, 2022
“Harden and Durant have no problems between them. Remember, they were together in London last summer. And then there is also that with Phoenix: everyone wants to play with Devin Booker.
– Ramona Shelburne
All that to say that real ties exist between James Harden and Phoenix, and the Suns could offer Ramesse a real opportunity to win that famous NBA title that is missing from his resume.
Now, where it gets complicated is how the Barbu can land in Arizona if he’s actually interested in such a move. As we said, Harden can become a free agent to negotiate a new contract during the offseason, or take his player option at more than 35 million dollars. Even if the Suns cut Chris Paul to free up some salary margin by spreading out the guaranteed 15 million of his contract, they do not have enough room to offer a big deal to the Barbu because of the salaries of Durant (47 million), Booker (36 million) and Deandre Ayton (32 million). So the most realistic scenario is rather an extension of Harden with the Sixers followed by a trade in stride, allowing Philadelphia not to lose Ramesse without any counterpart.
As you have understood, the path that could lead to a potential arrival of James Harden in Phoenix remains unclear for the moment, in any case much more unclear than an extension in Philadelphia or a return to Houston. But it’s a sufficiently credible possibility to keep it in the back of your mind.
Source texte : ESPN
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