Like it or not, James Harden returning to Houston this summer looks like an increasingly likely proposition with less than six weeks remaining until free agency. As such a seismic move is weighed by both the 10-time All-Star and ex-MVP and his former (and maybe future) franchise, the debate seems to create a dueling faction of Rockets fans.
To some, bringing back Harden undercuts exactly what the Rockets have spent the last three years building. On the surface, the critics may have a point. Harden will turn 34 in August. He could command a contract lasting four years and paying $200 million, and per Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes, Harden is seeking a team that gives him "the basketball freedom for the star to be himself.