James Harden seems likely to decline his player option and become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
While it wouldn’t preclude a return to the Philadelphia 76ers, DraftKings believes two other teams have better odds of landing the star guard.
The Rockets are the favorites to close the deal on a reunion with Harden, as the odds of him playing next season for Houston sits at +105.
The Phoenix Suns are also projected to be in the mix. After adding Kevin Durant midseason, they are widely expected to shake up the roster around Durant and Devin Booker in pursuit of a championship.
Phoenix has +425 odds to bring Harden into the fold. Harden played collegiate basketball at Arizona State University in Tempe. He and Durant have paired up before, on the ill-fated attempt at a super team with the Brooklyn Nets.
The 76ers pushed the Boston Celtics to the brink in the Eastern Conference Semifinals and have +600 odds to keep Harden, who seemed noncommittal about his future after the loss to Boston.
Here are the top-10 candidates when it comes to James Harden’s next team odds, according to DraftKings on May 15:
- Houston Rockets +105
- Phoenix Suns +425
- Philadelphia 76ers +600
- Los Angeles Clippers +1200
- Los Angeles Lakers +1500
- Dallas Mavericks +2000
- Miami Heat +2000
- Atlanta Hawks +3500
- Chicago Bulls +3500
- Boston Celtics +3500
ESPN insider Adrian Wjonarowski has spoken of Houston’s reported interest in a reunion with Harden, which is why the odds have the Rockets as the early favorites.
The Suns seem likely to jettison point guard Chris Paul and big man Deandre Ayton this offseason, which would open up a spot for another player to round out the Big Three with Durant and Booker.
There was a report on Monday that said Harden could indeed be in play in Phoenix, which could have affected the odds.
Kyrie Irving has been rumored to land in Phoenix, while other stars will likely be connected to the Suns because the team needs to find another talented player to help the championship push.
Joel Embiid is coming off an MVP season and spoke after the Celtics series about adding more talent in Philly so the team can compete for a title. If there is a good plan in place, Harden may decide to return and give it another shot with his current team.
Every other options is 12-to-1 or longer, with the allure of Los Angeles likely a big reason why the Clippers and Lakers are high on the list.
Here are the rest of the next team odds for Harden’s next stop. As we have seen in the past, these lines can change quickly, with underdogs becoming legitimate contenders as news breaks.
There could be some good value in these longshots depending on what Harden has in mind for his personal future.
- New Orleans Pelicans +4000
- Minnesota Timberwolves +4000
- San Antonio Spurs +4000
- New York Knicks +4000
- Portland Trail Blazers +5000
- Oklahoma City Thunder +5000
- Washington Wizards +5000
- Orlando Magic +5000
- Golden State Warriors +5000
- Milwaukee Bucks +5000
- Memphis Grizzlies +5000
- Brooklyn Nets +5000
- Toronto Raptors +5000
- Indiana Pacers +7500
- Detroit Pistons +7500
- Denver Nuggets +7500
- Utah Jazz +7500
- Sacramento Kings +7500
- Cleveland Cavaliers +7500
- Charlotte Hornets +7500
