James Harden saved the Philadelphia Sixers $14 million this summer. Declining his player option of 47.3 million and re-signing for less is a superb operation to restore his image and strengthen his team. But suspicions remain as to his sincerity.
When he requested his transfer from the Rockets, his image took a hit. His departure from the Nets certainly didn’t help matters. Now his gesture for the Sixers is raising public esteem.
“I told him to sign the guys he needed to sign and leave me what was left. It shows how much I want to win.”, Harden recently said. For the more candid, all is well in the best of worlds. A nice gesture to aim for the title, the prerogative of great players. For skeptics, however, the story does not end there.
The promise of a big contract in 2023 or 2024?
According to journalist Marc Stein, some league members suspect some sort of set-up. They believe the Sixers could have made a promise to James Harden regarding his future contract. Potentially a free agent next year, he could thus recover the salary he so kindly sacrificed for the good of the collective.
These rumors emerge from the relationship that the player has with Daryl Morey, the president of basketball operations. Over several years at the Rockets, the two built a strong bond that seemingly survived their successive moves. We imagine then that Morey, who brought Harden to Philadelphia after having articulated his entire project around him in Houston, would have found an arrangement with his protege.
Next year, the fullback will be eligible for a $46.6 million salary if he declines his player option. He will, at the latest, be a free agent in 2024. And some believe that his franchise will offer him this amount despite his relatively advanced age. A hypothesis that looks like a conspiracy theory, yet not so improbable.
The Sixers have no trouble flirting with league rules, if not breaking them. The signing of PJ Tucker just minutes after the opening of the Free Agency is already expected to be investigated by the NBA. Even at the Rockets, Daryl Morey has often been “creative” in his contracts, sometimes rejected by the league. Distrust is therefore in order.
James Harden, still a maximum player?
It would be surprising, however, if Harden landed the maximum given his performance this season. The guard is averaging 21 points, 10.5 assists and 7.1 rebounds per game in Philadelphia. Nice statistics, which however hide rather low percentages: 40.2% shooting and 32.6% at three points. All this without forgetting his negative contribution on the defensive level.
Certainly, the former MVP is one of the pillars of the workforce with Joel Embiid. But he took a serious shot of old this year, during which he proved to be much less explosive and incisive. His playoffs were particularly disappointing and he will have to prove next season that he is not yet on the decline – if that is the case, at least.
Whether it’s getting a big contract or winning, as he claims, it’s all going to come down to the pitch. With this signing, Harden has shown himself to be up to his ambitions, whether competitive or financial. He will now have to do the same on the floor.
The Sixers intend to move
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