James Harden still hasn't made his mind up. It's either he will pick up his player option for the 2023-24 NBA season and give it another go with the Philadelphia 76ers (or sign an extension with Philly) or he'll leave the Sixers and chase his title dreams somewhere else — probably with the Houston Rockets.

But in a recent Substack piece by Marc Stein, it's been revealed that the belief around the league is that the Sixers are making some progress in convincing the former NBA Most Valuable Player to stay on the strength of a new contract.

“Amid a steady drumbeat of chatter over the past week or two that the Philadelphia 76ers have gained momentum in their quest to convince Harden, at 33, to bypass a return to his adopted home of Houston and stick with the contending Sixers on a two- or three-year deal, there have been equally compelling signals that the Rockets will be strong contenders to sign both VanVleet and Brooks.”

At the end of the day, everything hinges on what James Harden's final decision will be. The Sixers appear to present the better immediate shot at an NBA title for Harden, with a reigning MVP alongside him in the form of Joel Embiid. The Rockets, on the other hand, have a spacious cap space and a plethora of talented youngsters, including the likes of Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, and Cam Whitmore. The question for the Rockets is are they willing to toss a tremendous amount of money for a reunion with their former franchise cornerstone?