NBA
NBA free agency 2023: James Harden’s possible destinations
After the Draft, now NBA teams will be able to sign players during the free agency window and James Harden is one of the players that could change teams.
Summer is here and as it happens every year, NBA teams will enter the period to try to strengthen their rosters for the next campaign.
After the NBA Draft, with No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama being selected by the San Antonio Spurs at Barclays Center in Brooklyn last Thursday, not it’s time for the free agency period, which begins on Friday, June 30 at 6 p.m. ET.
Some top free agents will be looking to negotiate with teams and will have until July 6 at 12:01 a.m. ET to officially sign the deals.
One of them is James Harden, who has had solid performances throughout the regular season, although the Sixers’ failure in the postseason.
James Harden’s options
Harden led the NBA in assists last season and averaged 21 points per game and having his most efficient 3-point shooting campaign since his last year in Oklahoma in 2012.
The San Antonio Spurs could be Harden’s next team. The addition of star prospect Victor Wembanyama could give Harden the possibility of being part of one of the most impressive duos in the league.
The 19-year-old player will likely be very dominant in many aspects of the game, and that could give Harden more freedom from the long distance and also be more creative.
Time for the Chicago Bulls to shine again? Probably. The six-time NBA champions are looking for a player that will allow them to fight for the title and don’t come up short when most needed.
While Lonzo Ball was seen as the one to lead the team in terms of offense production, knee injuries have stopped his progression.
Harden could be the piece that the Bulls need to be title contenders, as they have a solid roster with good players in every line. DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine are players who can change the outcome of a game, but the team may need a superstar if they want to take a step forward and be considered among the very best in the league.
The Sixers option. The team couldn’t make it to the NBA Finals, but they fought till the very end. They were eliminated in the postseason by the Boston Celtics, although Jason Tatum & co. needed to take the tie to Game 7 to be able to defeat Nick Nurse’s men.
However, the 76ers, with NBA MVP Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey being at their best, will be considered title contenders once again next term.
Although the Houston Rockets are very interested in adding him to their roster, Harden is probably aware that in Philadelphia he will have more chances to win the Championship, and a second year under Nurse’s management and playing alongside a superstar like Embiid seems the safest bet for the point guard.