The Philadelphia 76ers may have to choose between guard James Harden and head coach Doc Rivers this offseason.

"Behind the scenes, from what I'm told, one person said to me it would be hard for me to see James wanting to come back and play for Doc again," ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported Monday.

Harden has a $35.6 million player option for 2023-24, which means he will become a free agent if he declines it. That could put the 76ers in a position where they would need to give him a multiyear offer to keep him in the fold.

The 10-time All-Star didn't exactly sound like someone itching to return to play under Rivers following Sunday's loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of their second-round playoff series.