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The Houston Rockets might have a limit to which they’re willing to go to sign James Harden this offseason.
Michael Scotto reported on the HoopsHype Podcast that “there are rumblings the Rockets don’t want to give him a max contract.”
The Athletic’s Kelly Iko, who was a guest on the show, echoed the sentiment:
“Do I think the Rockets are willing to give him the max? No. They want to add at least three or four veterans, and you can’t do that conceivably if you’re giving Harden upwards of $45-50 million. If it comes to a deal in the range of $30-33 million, I can see that. Then, you still have enough to get another marquee guy or two.”
As Iko implied, the Rockets aren’t only one James Harden away from contending. Even if the 10-time All-Star were in his prime, he might struggle to lift the current supporting cast into the top six of the Western Conference. This is a franchise that won only 59 games over the past three years combined.
If Houston actually landed Harden, the front office would need to add further reinforcements through either free agency or trades. Getting the 33-year-old to take a little less money would aid in that process.
More broadly, it’s tough to justify even handing Harden a full max. He’s eligible to sign a four-year deal that’s worth $210.1 million from the Philadelphia 76ers and $201.7 million from any other team, per Spotrac’s Keith Smith.
Harden had another disappearing act in the postseason after a bright start, shooting 11-of-35 and scoring 39 total points in the Sixers’ final three games of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
His performance in the regular season didn’t really ease concerns about his perceived decline, either. The 6’5″ guard led the NBA in assists (10.7) but averaged only 21.0 points, his lowest since getting traded by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2012.
There are plenty of merits to a reunion with Harden from Houston’s perspective. The team will be more relevant than it has been in years, and his presence might help to elevate the younger stars on the roster.
Signing him to a max contract would be a risky proposition, though. It could present serious problems down the road if the move didn’t pan out.
