As the Philadelphia 76ers were about to tip-off on Christmas Day, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported something that I had written about here back in September.

Adrian Wojnarowski @wojespn

ESPN Sources: All-Star guard James Harden is seriously considering a return to the Houston Rockets in free agency this July -- if he decides against a new deal with the Philadelphia 76ers:

es.pnSources: Harden would consider Houston returnAll-Star guard James Harden is seriously considering a return to the Houston Rockets in free agency this July -- if he decides against a new deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, sources told ESPN.

And this news appeared to shock the NBA - another indication that nobody in NBA media outside of Houston seems to pay attention to the Rockets. To smart Rockets fans, the only thing surprising about Harden’s rumored interest in returning to Houston was the timing. We are more than six months away from free agency and the 76ers are playing some of the best basketball since Harden first arrived in Philadelphia. They have a legitimate chance at winning the NBA title this year and it feels rather clunky for Harden to allow news of his wandering eye to leak out now.

Some are suggesting that Harden is using Houston as a stalking horse to generate increased leverage for a full-max deal this summer. While that’s certainly possible, it’s incredibly ignorant to believe it’s the only reason this news leaked out. Here’s another possibility my media colleagues failed to consider:

Red Nation Hoops

Nobody actually knows the answer to the James…

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