James Harden’s signing with the Los Angeles Clippers this summer was always suspected, but not guaranteed. Harden and his camp explored the open market, including a check-in with his former team the Houston Rockets.
While there was some logical appeal to rejoin forces with the organization that he spent nearly a decade with, Houston head coach Ime Udoka came in with a pitch. Just not the one you would expect.
Udoka was honest to James Harden and other free agents about the rebuilding stage the Rockets were in and didn’t believe their aspirations aligned with theirs.
Ime Udoka Told James Harden To Sign Elsewhere
“Out of respect for James, [I told him], ‘You’re at the stage where you want to win, and we’re not there yet.’,” Udoka said to The Athletic’s Sam Amick. “And it wasn’t just James. I had five, or six veteran guys who went to championship-level teams who wanted to come, and I said the same thing to all of them.”
The Clippers were viewed as giving Harden, 35, a stronger chance of competing in the post-season as he gets to the home stretch of his career. The Rockets failed to make the Play-In Tournament last season.
Also Read: Clippers Give Kawhi Leonard Injury Update
“I told them, ‘We’re not there. Go try to win a championship.’ Udoka said. “And so, it’s just about fit and where we’re at… Our guys needed the reps.”
It’s hard to give a young core of players valuable playing time with a ball-centric player like James Harden on the roster.
Ironically, those reps have paid off quickly with Houston hoisting a 17-9 record, the third-best in the Western Conference. The Clippers currently sit at 15-12, good enough for 9th place. However, star forward Kahwi Leonard’s return to the floor is nearing, which will give the team a huge boost.