Philadelphia, May 16. – (Adnkronos) – “Our relationship is ok”. These were the words used by James Harden when, after the loss in Game 7 against the Boston Celtics, he was asked about his relationship with coach Doc Rivers. A concise and not exactly exhaustive answer for what, according to some, is a relationship that has now reached the end of the line: according to what NBA insider Ramona Shelburne of ESPN said, “behind the scenes someone told me that it will be difficult to see James interested in come back and play for Doc Rivers again”, a sign that something between the two must have broken in the last year and a half since Harden landed in Philadelphia.
Since last Christmas there has been more and more insistent talk of a return of James Harden to “his” Houston, where he misses the lifestyle and the connections he has created in the city where he often returns even during the season. Harden has a $35.6 million player option to return to the Sixers next year, but the indications gathered so far see him much more interested in becoming a free agent and picking a new destination, with the Rockets having all the salary space necessary to offer him the best deal possible.
The Sixers can technically make the highest offer ever and are feeling the pressure to retain Harden, since they don’t have an easy way to replace him, but at the moment it seems that Rivers – with two years remaining on his contract – can stay where he is, thus leading to an inevitable goodbye with Harden.
2023-05-16 21:02:13
#Basketball #Nba #Harden #longer #play #Rivers #close #farewell #Sixers
