Report: James Harden 'wasn't too keen on' Rockets star's comments
After months of speculation that James Harden would join a new team this offseason, the 10-time All-Star appears to have played his final game with the Philadelphia 76ers.
On Thursday, news broke that Harden is picking up his $35.6 player option so that he and the Sixers can arrange a trade for the former MVP to leave Philadelphia. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski named the Clippers and Knicks as potential landing spots, though not so long ago, it seemed that Harden returning to the Houston Rockets was inevitable.
The possibility of Harden heading back to Houston came to light after Wojnarowski reported on the subject last Christmas Day, and the rumor persisted throughout the regular season. Despite this, it seems that the Clippers are the front-runners for Harden, with Houston entirely out of the mix for his services.
Whether that's due to a lack of interest on Houston's or Harden's part is unclear, but apparently comments from Rockets shooting guard Jalen Green might've derailed a potential reunion. According to The Athletic's Kelly Iko, Harden "wasn't too keen on" a few comments Green made about him rejoining the Rockets during an appearance on Paul George's podcast last month.
For context, during the conversation, George expressed concern that adding Harden to the Rockets roster might "hinder" Green's development, a notion with which the former second-overall pick agreed.
"[Harden] caught wind of Jalen's podcast with Paul George, and he wasn't too keen on some of the things Jalen Green was saying... For [Green] to say [Harden returning to Houston] could be good, it could be bad,' [Harden] didn't like that very much," Iko said on Thursday's episode of "The Athletic NBA Show."
Fit-wise, Green has a valid argument against Harden hypothetically playing for the Rockets, as the backcourt would be overcrowded, especially after selecting Amen Thompson fourth overall in last week's draft.
With Harden reportedly optimistic about his chances of being traded to the Clippers, Green shouldn't have to worry about backtracking on his remarks. However, their first encounter next season will be intriguing to watch.
More must-reads: