James Harden

Woj: Lottery Win Wouldn’t Affect Rockets’ Plans For James Harden

May 15th, 2023 at 10:10am CST by Arthur Hill

The Rockets are expected to pursue a reunion with James Harden even if they win the draft lottery Tuesday night, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said Monday morning on “Get Up” (video link).

The chance to add French big man Victor Wembanyama would be franchise-changing in Houston, but Wojnarowski implied that it won’t be enough to convince the Rockets to continue with their youth movement. After three years of losing — prompted by Harden’s forced trade early in the 2020/21 season — the organization is determined to turn things around quickly.

Houston could have more than $60MM to spend in free agency and may be willing to unload some of its young talent to field a more veteran-oriented squad next season. The hiring of Ime Udoka as head coach after Stephen Silas was dismissed in April is one step in that direction.

Harden’s return could be another part of that plan, and rumors of a potential reunion have been swirling since Wojnarowski first raised the possibility on Christmas Day. The former MVP still has strong ties to the Houston area, where he remains a popular figure, and he might enjoy the idea of being the No. 1 option again after playing a supporting role to Kevin Durant in Brooklyn and Joel Embiid in Philadelphia.

Wojnarowski admits that the Harden rumors could be part of a strategy to help him get the contract he wants from the Sixers, but his interest in the Rockets shouldn’t be dismissed.

“Houston may be his way to get him the kind of guaranteed money, long-term money he wants from Philly,” Wojnarowski said. “But I wouldn’t underestimate it as just a leverage play. I think he’s very serious about returning. And Philadelphia now, they have strong relationships in that organization from Daryl Morey, starting with him in their front office. It’s going to be a really interesting couple of months.”

The contract that Harden signed with Philadelphia last summer includes a $35.64MM player option for next season. He has until June 29 to make a decision, but he’s expected to decline the option and seek a long-term deal.

Doc Rivers Plans To Remain Sixers’ Coach

May 14th, 2023 at 9:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Doc Rivers plans to coach the Sixers again next season, he told ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and other media members after the team’s Game 7 flameout in Boston on Sunday.

“I think I have two years left (on my contract),” Rivers said.

Given that such coaching luminaries as Monty Williams and Mike Budenholzer have lost their jobs after early playoff exits, Rivers knows he may not get the chance.

“No one’s safe in our business, I get that,” Rivers said (Twitter video link via NBA Central).

As Bontemps points out, the Sixers have seen their regular season record improve during Rivers’ three seasons. They won 49 games in his first season with Philadelphia, 51 last season and 54 this year while claiming the Eastern Conference’s No. 3 seed. However, the Sixers have stalled in the conference semifinals for three consecutive seasons.

Most Valuable Player award winner Joel Embiid praised his coach after the loss. That could bode well for Rivers, considering the extent to which franchises cater to their superstars’ whims.

“Coach has been fantastic and he’s done a great job, in my opinion,” Embiid said.

James Harden, who can opt out of his contract, was much more subdued when asked about Rivers. “Our relationship is OK,” Harden said.

Rivers admits that the lopsided defeat on Sunday after the Sixers led 3-2 in the series will be the lasting memory of the season.

“We played great all year,” Rivers said, “and this loss absolutely diminishes that, what we did this year, in some ways.”

Sixers Notes: Harden, Embiid, Tucker, Melton

May 9th, 2023 at 11:28am CST by Luke Adams

While Sixers stars Joel Embiid and James Harden have had a tendency to occasionally fall back on “my turn, your turn” style offense this season, their chemistry in Game 4 was what the team envisioned when it acquired Harden at last year’s deadline to pair him with Embiid, as David Aldridge of The Athletic writes.

Embiid and Harden combined for 76 points on 27-of-49 (55.1%) shooting in Sunday’s crucial home win. They were also involved in the biggest offensive possession of the night, when Embiid passed out of a double team with about 20 seconds left in overtime and found Harden, who hit a three-pointer to give Philadelphia a one-point win lead. That shot proved to be the game-winner.

“When we space the floor, and we do the things we need to do, it’ll find an open shot,” Harden said. “Not just me and Joel, but just everybody who’s open. Once we did that, tonight, we did that at a high level, consistently. And that’s just great offense for us.”

Here’s more on the 76ers:

As Rich Hofmann of The Athletic writes, it has been a roller-coaster series so far for Harden, who has averaged 43.5 points per game on .622/.565/1.000 shooting in the Sixers’ two wins and 14.0 PPG on .179/.154/.842 shooting in the two losses. Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports takes a look at what Harden’s performance in the present could mean for his future, noting that the guard’s name up frequently during the Rockets‘ interview process with head coaching candidates.
The 76ers’ decision to give P.J. Tucker a fully guaranteed three-year, $33MM contract last summer raised some eyebrows, but veteran postseason leadership the club sought from the 38-year-old was on full display in Game 4, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. After Embiid shied away from attacking Celtics center Al Horford during the final minutes of regulation, Tucker delivered a spirited on-court message to this season’s MVP. “Nobody can guard Jo, one-on-one. There’s no way,” Tucker said. “That’s not disrespect to Al or anybody else, but I guarded him for a lot of years. When he’s aggressive and assertive, it’s impossible. And I’d seen him, two or three plays in a row, not do that. And we can’t have that. We can’t have that. Not with the season in the line. We can’t have it.”
After letting a 16-point lead slip away, the Sixers looked like they might be headed for another devastating playoff loss on Sunday, but they pulled out a victory that head coach Doc Rivers attributed to the group’s improved “mental toughness,” as Tim Bontemps of ESPN relays. “We’ve just got veteran presence,” Embiid told ESPN. “Guys that know how to win, that know how to play. A lot of teams could have quit. But we just stuck together. We just got a different mindset this year.”
De’Anthony Melton, a new addition to the team ahead of the 2022/23 season, has emerged as a consistent bright spot for the 76ers in the postseason, per Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Melton went scoreless in Game 4 but had put up at last 13 points in four of the five games before that and has played strong, versatile defense.

Sixers Notes: Maxey, Rivers, Harden, Embiid

May 6th, 2023 at 9:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

Sixers players didn’t hold back at today’s film session as they reviewed their Game 3 loss to the Celtics, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. There was plenty to critique as Philadelphia fell by double digits and watched home court advantage slip away. The Sixers will have to regroup for Sunday to avoid heading back to Boston with a 3-1 deficit.

“I think the biggest thing was today that we were real with each other, and that’s good,” Tyrese Maxey said. “Family has to be real with each other. Family has to express themselves. They have to express the emotions that they’re feeling and you have to get that off your chest. And I think we’ve done a great job of that all year.”

Bontemps states that Maxey shot for the entire hour that reporters were present Saturday as he tries to regain his rhythm following a 4-for-16 performance Friday night. His drills included shooting over taller defenders in the lane.

“(Coach Doc Rivers) was on me,” Maxey said. “He said he felt like I started the third quarter with confidence, and then he said he felt like after I missed a shot or two, then my confidence stopped, and I stopped being aggressive and then started trying to press the issue. I just got to be confident throughout the entire game, and keep being aggressive.”

There’s more from Philadelphia:

Rivers tried to get his team back in the right frame of mind following a disappointing outing, Bontemps adds. There have already been a couple of momentum swings in the series, and the long-time coach knows that more are possible. “This is part of going through a playoff grind,” he said. “It’s emotional terrorism at times, and you have to deal with it. You have to be able to handle it. Or you lose. … I thought, after watching the film, we were in a much better place than before.”
The Sixers’ perimeter defense is being exploited in a series that Boston could easily be leading 3-0, observes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Pompey states that De’Anthony Melton, P.J. Tucker and Georges Niang have done fine, but the Celtics are taking advantage of Philadelphia’s other defenders and are especially targeting James Harden. Pompey notes that Harden’s best playoff games have come in the series openers when he had time to rest, but he hasn’t been nearly as effective otherwise.
Joel Embiid played 39 minutes in his second game since returning from a sprained knee, but he told Rivers he felt great on Saturday, Pompey tweets. Even so, Embiid is listed as questionable on the Sixers’ injury report for Game 4.

Atlantic Notes: Tatum, Harden, Borrego, Nets

May 6th, 2023 at 8:01am CST by Luke Adams

Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, who finished fourth in Most Valuable Player voting this season, was motivated on Friday night by watching Joel Embiid receive his MVP trophy before Game 3 of the Sixers/Celtics series in Philadelphia, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN.

It wasn’t exactly Hakeem Olajuwon dominating David Robinson and the Spurs following Robinson’s MVP ceremony in 1995, but Tatum led the Celtics to a 114-102 win in Game 3, scoring a team-high 27 points and helping Boston reclaim home-court advantage in the series.

“It just got me really ready to play,” Tatum said of the pregame ceremony, per Collier. “You could feel the energy from the crowd and the building. I’m happy for (Embiid). He earned it, he deserved it, but I was just focused on trying to win tonight.”

In addition to his 27 points, Tatum grabbed a team-best 10 rebounds, handed out five assists, and had a a pair of steals and a block, earning praise from his teammates for a “superstar” performance.

“He played a terrific game all around, but he finished a tough game on the road in a hostile environment for us,” Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon said. “That’s what superstars do.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

After scoring 45 points on 17-of-30 shooting in Game 1, James Harden has totaled just 28 points on 5-of-28 shooting in his last two games, both Sixers losses. Embiid wants to see his star teammate be more assertive on offense going forward, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “I mean, you just talk to him and you keep telling him to keep shooting,” Embiid said after Friday’s loss. “Be aggressive. Can’t get too high, can’t get too low. Some nights you’re going to make lots of other shots, a lot of tough ones, and some nights you’re not going to make them. So it’s about finding other ways to impact the game.”
After Marc Stein suggested that the Nets could be one of the teams with interest in James Borrego as an assistant coach, a league source confirms to NetsDaily that Brooklyn is “100%” in on pursuing Borrego for a spot on Jacque Vaughn‘s staff. The Nets, who are parting ways with multiple assistant coaches, also expressed interest in Borrego last year, per NetsDaily.
Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required) poses four questions for the Nets to answer this offseason, including what their long-term plan is at point guard and what the cost will be to re-sign restricted free agent Cameron Johnson.

Rockets Notes: Eason, Smith, Udoka, FA Targets

May 4th, 2023 at 7:27pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Rockets forward Tari Eason has switched agents. Eason is signing on with Wasserman, his new agency has announced (Twitter link).

Excel Sports Management had served as Eason’s prior representation to this point. Per Liz Mullen of The Sports Business Journal, Thad Foucher and Chafie Fields will be his Wasserman reps.

The 6’8″ forward out of LSU appeared in all 82 games for Houston in 2022/23, averaging 9.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.2 SPG, 1.1 APG and 0.6 BPG off the bench.

There’s more out of Houston:

2022 Rockets lottery pick Jabari Smith Jr. is switching his jersey number ahead of his second NBA season, from No. 1 to No. 10, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Smith had worn No. 10 while at Auburn, but former teammate Eric Gordon had already staked his claim to that number prior to Smith’s arrival. With the veteran shooting guard now on the Clippers, a path has been cleared for Smith to secure his former college digits.
New Rockets head coach Ime Udoka was brought aboard after thorough vetting from Houston decision makers. Kelly Iko of The Athletic takes a deep dive into the process of bringing the former Celtics head coach to the Rockets, who also seriously considered former Lakers head coach Frank Vogel and ex-Hornets head coach James Borrego. Houston was said to be intrigued by the quick, strong bond Udoka had forged with Boston players during his lone NBA Finals-bound with the club.
In a separate piece, Iko spoke with various scouts around the league about several possible free agent targets for the Rockets this summer. Iko took a look at former Houston guard James Harden, who won an MVP in 2018 with the Rockets, and restricted Lakers free agent Austin Reaves. Veteran forwards Draymond Green and Harrison Barnes, along with Bucks wing Khris Middleton, were also examined.

Atlantic Notes: Harden, Embiid, Celtics, D. Rose

May 2nd, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Since arriving in Philadelphia at the 2022 trade deadline, James Harden has accepted a reduced offensive role, playing second fiddle to Joel Embiid. Harden’s 25.0% usage rate in 79 regular season games since joining the Sixers is his lowest mark since his last year in Oklahoma City in 2011/12.

With Embiid sidelined for Game 1 of the Sixers’ second-round series vs. Boston, however, Harden turned in a vintage performance, matching his career playoff high with 45 points on 17-of-30 shooting in a narrow upset victory. While the scoring outburst may have surprised many observers, Harden suggested in his postgame comments that it was simply a matter of adjusting his mindset on offense.

“My coaches, my teammates, what they expect me to do all throughout the course of the year was be a facilitator and get Joel the basketball and score when necessary. Joel wasn’t here tonight, you know what I mean?” Harden said, per ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “…Now it’s like, ‘All right, open the floor. James, you be aggressive.’ And tonight, I was aggressive. So, it’s not that I’m not capable of doing it, it just … this is my role for this team. Now, if you want me to do (what I did) tonight, then I can do that as well.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Joel Embiid worked out on Tuesday afternoon, but Sixers head coach Doc Rivers said there’s “no change in his status” yet, Bontemps writes for ESPN.com. Previous reporting suggested there was optimism about Embiid’s ability to return from his knee injury for Game 2. While Rivers didn’t confirm that, he did say that Philadelphia’s Game 1 win won’t make the team any less willing to bring back the star center for Game 2. “It’s just health-based,” Rivers said. “If he can play, he plays. If he can’t, he can’t. And if it’s 50-50, we would probably err on (the side of sitting him), because we’ve done that all year.”
Following the Celtics‘ disappointing Game 1 loss, Al Horford told reporters that the team lacked defensive urgency and that he believes Embiid’s absence contributed to that, according to Jamal Collier of ESPN. Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon hypothesized that other Sixers players felt “empowered” with Embiid unavailable. “Everybody else has the green light and guys are gonna step up, and I thought that’s what happened tonight,” Brogdon said, per Jared Weiss of The Athletic. “I think we expected that, guys to step up, but we still struggled with it. We just gotta be prepared.”
Even though he believes he still has “a lot left in the tank,” Knicks guard Derrick Rose has embraced his role as a veteran mentor who’s not part of the rotation, writes Marc J. Spears of Andscape. “I’m fully invested in everything to be here. And if I (wasn’t), I wouldn’t be on the team,” Rose said. “… I’m thankful that they didn’t trade me or buy me out or waive me. I’m happy I have some type of value.”

Sixers Notes: Embiid, Harden, Lineup Changes

May 1st, 2023 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Sixers center Joel Embiid received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection in his injured right knee as he tries to return for the team’s second-round playoff series, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (video link). He is listed as doubtful for Game 1, which will take place on Monday night in Boston.

Embiid had the injection last week and was able to take part in portions of Sunday’s practice, Charania adds, but he reiterates that the LCL injury Embiid suffered is more serious than the Grade 1 sprain that was reported. The Sixers star has been able to do some shooting recently, but sources tell Charania that he has done very little running and the team would consider it “a miracle” if he is able to play tonight.

Embiid participated in Philadelphia’s shootaround this morning, where he did some light shooting (video link from Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer). His last game action was April 20, when he injured the knee late in Game 3 against the Nets.

There’s more on the Sixers:

Embiid’s workout on Sunday was encouraging and there’s optimism that he’ll return at some point even if he’s not ready tonight, Pompey states in a full story. Embiid didn’t require a brace and was able to move around “fluidly,” according to Pompey. He also participated in shooting drills with James Harden after practice. “He did a little bit more,” coach Doc Rivers said. “Not much. He didn’t do any running or anything like that, but just did some shooting. So he’s better. He’s progressing.”
This may be Harden’s best opportunity to change the narrative about his playoff failures, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Harden said he has emphasized “sacrifice” this season, from taking a contract below market value that left the Sixers with cap room to sign free agents to making an effort to involve his teammates more in the offense. “I think he and Doc and Joel really have been on the same page, but probably the person who had to change the way he approaches and plays the game the most was James,” said president of basketball operations Daryl Morey.
Embiid’s uncertain status is causing the Celtics to prepare for lineups they may not have been before, per Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. “It doesn’t change our mindset,” Malcolm Brogdon said. “It does change our game plan. That’s a team that’s built around Joel, everything he does. All the isos and just a high level of scoring, and now that scoring is going to be a little bit dispersed. Harden is going to be more aggressive, (Tyrese) Maxey is going to be more aggressive, and then all the role guys are going to be more aggressive. They’ve got a lot of good players, so we can’t just focus in on one guy.”

Fischer’s Latest: Green, Middleton, Budenholzer, Raptors

April 28th, 2023 at 1:07pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Rockets are ready to move past the rebuilding stage and may be willing to include Jalen Green in an offseason trade for veteran help, sources tell Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. Fischer notes that new head coach Ime Udoka, general manager Rafael Stone and owner Tilman Fertitta all mentioned the team’s available cap space — which could be in the $60MM range — during Udoka’s introductory news conference this week.

The Rockets are determined to upgrade their roster, whether it’s through free agency or the trade market. There have been long-running rumors that Sixers guard James Harden is interested in a return to Houston, and Fischer hears that Bucks wing Khris Middleton was mentioned as another possibility during discussions with coaching candidates. Harden and Middleton both hold player options for next season — Harden is considered likely to opt out and Middleton is a candidate to do so too.

Fischer points out that Udoka was an assistant in Brooklyn when Harden arrived there. He has obviously worked closely with another potential target, Celtics wing Jaylen Brown, who may be made available when he becomes eligible for an extension this offseason.

Green averaged 22.1 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists during his second NBA season, but he continues to be plagued by efficiency questions, as he shot just 41.6% from the field and 33.8% from three-point range. He was billed as a potential scoring champion when the Rockets drafted him in 2021, but it appears the organization may no longer be content to wait for the development of Green and its other young players.

Here are several more rumors from Fischer:

Nick Nurse was considered to be a strong candidate in the Rockets‘ coaching search after he parted ways with the Raptors last week, but he never figured into the team’s interview process. Fischer states that former Lakers coach Frank Vogel and ex-Hornets coach James Borrego were the other leading contenders along with Udoka.
Mike Budenholzer‘s job may be in jeopardy after the Bucks‘ early playoff exit, but Fischer doesn’t believe a coaching change is a sure thing. He notes that the push to replace Budenholzer before Milwaukee won the title two years ago largely came from co-owner Marc Lasry, who sold his stake in the team earlier this month. Fischer also points out that assistant Darvin Ham would have been a leading contender to replace Budenholzer at the time, but he has gone on to become head coach of the Lakers. Current assistant Charles Lee is a finalist for the opening in Detroit, and Fischer isn’t convinced that Milwaukee will make a coaching move without an obvious replacement for Budenholzer.
Sources tell Fischer that the Raptors are planning a thorough coaching search that may extend through the draft combine in mid-May. Several potential candidates were reported Thursday night, and Fischer hears that former Toronto assistant Sergio Scariolo, who runs the Spanish national team, could get an interview as well. Scariolo currently coaches Virtus Bologna in Italy.

Atlantic Notes: Harden, Claxton, Brogdon, Raptors

April 21st, 2023 at 8:02am CST by Luke Adams

While the Sixers were able to hold on and win Game 3 without him, James Harden was fuming after the game about the flagrant foul 2 and ejection he was given near the end of the third quarter on Thursday (Twitter video link).

As Tim Bontemps of ESPN writes, the game’s referees ruled that Harden made “excessive” contact to Royce O’Neale‘s groin while trying to create space against the Nets defender. The Sixers star referred to the decision as “unacceptable” and said he didn’t get an explanation from the officials during the game.

“First time I’ve been ejected. I’m not labeled as a dirty player, and I didn’t hit him in a private area. Somebody is draped on you like that defensively, that’s a natural basketball reaction,” Harden said. “I didn’t hit him hard enough for him to fall down like that. But for a flagrant 2, it’s unacceptable. This is a playoff game. We’ve seen around the league, things are much worse than what that play was. Honestly, I didn’t think it was a foul on me. But that’s unacceptable. It can’t happen.”

While Harden was ejected, his Sixers teammate Joel Embiid avoided a similar fate early in the first quarter. After falling to the floor, Embiid kicked Nets center Nic Claxton when Claxton tried to step over him (Twitter video link). The star center was assessed a flagrant foul 1, but was permitted to remain in the game, much to the chagrin of Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen that in my career before,” Vaughn said. “For a guy to intentionally kick someone in an area that none of us want to be kicked at or towards, for him to continue to play, I’ve never seen that before in a game and a guy continues to play. Intentional.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Claxton’s energy and fight helped keep the Nets in the game on Thursday, but his exuberance got the better of him when he picked up his second technical for taunting Embiid (Twitter video link) and was ejected from the game in the fourth quarter, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “Yeah, when I watched it, it was a little excessive. I got to keep my emotions in check,” Claxton said after the game. “They need me out there. So that’s part of my growth, just keeping my emotions like that when I’m playing well and my emotions are really high. I got to look myself in the mirror and just be smarter in those situations.”
Shortly after arriving in Boston last summer, Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon stressed that he was focused on team – rather than individual – success. He reiterated that message earlier this week, just a couple days before being named the NBA’s Sixth Man of The Year, per Jared Weiss of The Athletic. “All these awards are team awards,” Brogdon said when asked about the possibility of earning Sixth Man of The Year honors. “It takes a team for anybody to get an award because there’s always five guys on the floor. It would be great for the organization, the Celtics, to have me win the award.”
Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri will hold his end-of-season media session on Friday, over a week after the team’s season came to an end. Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca wonders if Ujiri may have delayed his usual spring presser a little this year in the hopes of gaining more clarity on the team’s coaching situation.

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