Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden is rumored to be on his way to another team; he has a player option for next season that he can decline to become a free agent.
There has been considerable speculation he wants to return to the Houston Rockets, the team he played for from the 2012-13 season until midway through the 2020-21 campaign.
But former NBA player and current ESPN personality Kendrick Perkins said on Wednesday he believes Harden will end up on the Los Angeles Lakers.
On Thursday’s episode of ESPN’s “First Take,” he doubled down as he explained why he thinks Harden is the missing piece Los Angeles needs.
.@KendrickPerkins thinks James Harden could fit in with the Lakers 😳 Agree? pic.twitter.com/aeYderSvl8
— First Take (@FirstTake) June 15, 2023
“I said this yesterday and people went crazy — James Harden actually could be really great for the Los Angeles Lakers because look at his transition and the role that Doc Rivers had him playing in this season. He led the league in assists, he was the ultimate point guard, he could take pressure off LeBron James, and look how dominant Joel Embiid and James Harden were in the pick-and-roll. Can you imagine the easy looks that James Harden could get for Anthony Davis in the pick-and-roll?”
Perkins made some good points, and naturally, some fans will suggest Harden makes sense for the Lakers because he is originally from the Southland. But then again, Harden will be 34 years of age when next season starts, and he hasn’t exactly been diligent when it has come to his conditioning regimen during the offseason.
In addition, the guard has a bad track record in big playoff games, especially in do-or-die contests.
