After a couple of weeks of flying under the radar, James Harden is once again mentioned in rumors around the NBA. The former NBA MVP remains a hot topic of discussion, and his pending free agency will draw a lot of attention as the days go by.
Everybody is speculating about Harden’s future right now, and former player Gilbert Arenas has given his two pennies on this situation. The retired guard mentioned the Miami Heat as a potential landing spot for Harden, adding that Pat Riley would keep the player’s antics under control.
“Miami,” Arenas said. “Do you know who Pat Riley is? Pat had Magic, and he had LeBron James and D-Wade… With Pat Riley, he [Harden] has no choice [but to buy into that culture].”
After Brandon Jennings and the rest of Gil’s Arena Show crew disagreed with Arenas’ claims, saying that Harden likes to party so much to change that in Miami, Agent Zero made it clear that Pat Riley isn’t someone to mess with, revealing what he did to the players that won the NBA championship in 2006.
“They had Shaquille O’Neal, they had Gary Payton, they had Antoine Walker. They clubbed so much they built a barbershop inside the strip club. And a basketball court. Before they won that championship ring, that’s what they did. He broke them.”
What team should be trying to get James Harden this summer?
I SAY THE MIAMI HEAT. pic.twitter.com/Wygezvq3fb
— Gil’s Arena (@GilsArenaShow) June 8, 2023
This is a wild story from Pat Riley, and it’ll be hard to confirm whether it’s true. Still, there’s a reason why he’s called the ‘Godfather’ and everybody within the Heat organization has the utmost respect for him.
After he landed in Miami, Shaquille O’Neal had to wait two years before winning an NBA championship again, and they created a well-rounded team that was afraid of nobody, was cohesive, and didn’t hesitate to do the job. Of course, this all happened between the issues between Shaq and Riley.
Riley has managed big egos during his career as a head coach and executive, and Harden shouldn’t be a big challenge for him. He told LeBron James not to tell him how to run his team, so you know the type of leader he is.
Then again, for somebody who allegedly spent $1 million at a strip club in a single night, it’ll be hard to change his ways if he goes to Miami.
James Harden Has More Options Than The Sixers And Rockets
Besides the Heat, the Beard has more options on the table, including a return to the Houston Rockets or re-signing with the Philadelphia 76ers. In recent hours, the market for him has gotten bigger, and the Phoenix Suns have been mentioned as a dark horse to acquire Harden’s services.
Perhaps a change of air to Miami would be the best path to follow for Harden. Jimmy Butler has thrived with the Heat since he joined them in 2019. Still, Butler seems to have a different mentality than Harden, and the latter wouldn’t adapt so easily to the Heat.
Harden’s championship window is closing, and joining a team like the Heat could maximize his chances of getting a ring soon. This can be one of the biggest sagas of the summer, and fans can’t wait to see what’s next for Harden.
In 56 games with the Sixers this season, Harden posted 21.0 points, 10.7 assists and 6.1 rebounds, shooting 44.1 % from the field, 38.5% from deep and 86.7% from the free-throw line.
This would be a big experiment for the Heat, but if they can get Harden to buy what they’re selling, this team could be incredibly better.
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