Philadelphia 76ers, James Harden (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
To the relief and little surprise of the fans of the Philadelphia 76ers, the franchise has re-signed James Harden according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Sources: James Harden is taking a $15 million paycut for next season that allowed Philadelphia to elevate roster — with sole focus on a championship run in 2023. Harden opted out of his $47M player option and now plans to sign a new two-year deal with a player option in Year 2.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 8, 2022
This is certainly the best outcome that the Sixers’ front office and their fan base could hope for. This gave the club flexibility to make other moves this offseason such as the additions of P.J. Tucker, Danuel House Jr., and Trevelin Queen. Now the question becomes, what to expect from Harden on during this new contract.
Harden re-signs with the Sixers, now what should fans expect from him.
It’s clear that during last season once he came to the 76ers, Harden struggled with health and finding his offense in head coach Doc Rivers’ system. He now has a full offseason on improving his health and condition, while becoming more comfortable with the system.
Should fans expect MVP-level play from Harden? No, however, could Philly get a more efficient shooting version of the Harden that was on the court for the Sixers last season. With the emergence of Tyrese Maxey, Harden could very well be the third-leading scorer on the Sixers, which is fine as long as he’s efficient doing so and leading the club in assists.
Another aspect of this signing to consider is that this gives Harden’s legacy some positive light considering he’s pushed his way out of two separate teams in two season. Taking roughly $15 million less than player option he opted out of shows he’s a team player.
This was a smart deal for Harden and the Sixers, now it will be interesting to see if Philly does moving forward.
