James Harden may come back to Houston in the offseason / News - Basketnews.com

James Harden could move to play for the Houston Rockets if the 76ers come up short in the playoffs again. The guard has a player option in his contract after the season and may decide to test free agency.

Credit: AP - Scanpix Credit AP - Scanpix

With the Philadelphia 76ers set to matchup up against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals, a lot is at stake for the team. One of the most important pieces of the franchise might leave the club altogether.

Philadelphia 76ers / Schedule

Philadelphia 76ers Brooklyn Nets121-101 Philadelphia 76ers Brooklyn Nets96-84 Brooklyn Nets Philadelphia 76ersThu23:30 Brooklyn Nets Philadelphia 76ersSat17:00

According to Adrian Wojnarowski from ESPN, James Harden might consider returning to Houston to play for the Rockets in the upcoming season.

"James Harden's future is very unclear in Philadelphia. Houston is very much in play for him," the renowned journalist said in his 'The Woj Pod' podcast. "A lot may depend on [whether] they make a run and win and it's easy to pay him long-term big money, or he just wants to be back in Houston. Win or lose, or it's dependent on the team's success."

The organization feels big pressure to advance past the second round of the playoffs, Wojnarowski notes. Ramona Shelbourne from ESPN added that Harden might not like successive 2nd-round exits and may consider a move.

The guard has a player option in his contract after the season and may decide to test free agency.

Harden has previously spent 10 seasons with the Rockets, becoming an NBA MVP in 2018. He owns a stake in the Houston Dynamo soccer team.

Thank you for reading us! We have even more content for you.