24 February 2023 , 23:09
793
0
NBA superstar James Harden has been linked with a sensational return to the Houston Rockets amid his rise in form with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Harden's career had been on a downward spiral since leaving the Rockets, as he signed for the Brooklyn Nets in 2021 - where he joined forces with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.
All three of those players are rightly-recognised as ball-dominant scorers, and many had doubts on how the three would work together. And those fears proved correct in what turned out to be an underwhelming stint.
Harden quickly went from a 30+ points per game scorer to an inefficient player, who begun to be a defensive liability while making questionable decisions.
He was traded again just months later as he joined the Sixers, where his struggles continued throughout his first season with the team.
LeBron James edges closer to NBA scoring record with jaw-dropping Lakers display
But now in his second year, he has recaptured his Rockets form, playing at an elite level alongside Joel Embiid, with the pair potentially becoming a deadly duo for years to come.
However, Harden has surprisingly been linked with a return to Houston. ESPN's Tim MacMahon has reported that Harden playing for the team in the near future again is a "very real possibility".
James Harden re-joining the Rockets would be a surprising move (Elsa/Getty Images)It would be a peculiar move right now, with the Rockets having the worst record in the NBA and looking like it will be years before they will be able to compete again.
Harden has yet to win an NBA championship as he enters the latter years of his career.
But if the Rockets are able to acquire the number one overall draft pick, they would be immediately boosted by the arrival of prospect Victor Wembanyama.
The Frenchman is seen as the most exciting prospect to enter the NBA since LeBron James in 2003, standing at 7'3 while being able to shoot from distance and move like a point guard.