After the Philadelphia 76ers were eliminated in the NBA playoffs by the Boston Celtics, the team moved quickly to start to right the ship in hopes of improving next season by firing Doc Rivers and hiring Nick Nurse as their new head coach.
Shortly after the coaching change, rumors began to surface about the immediate future of James Harden, who has a player option for next season at $35.6 million.
All signs began to point to Harden opting out of that final year and heading back to the Houston Rockets as a free agent to ink a lucrative long-term deal, which might end up being his last in the NBA.
That no longer seems to be the case as things have shifted regarding Harden’s future, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, via Get Up, as it seems more likely that he will stay in Philadelphia to continue the pursuit of a championship playing alongside reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid.
.@WindhorstESPN weighs in on Harden’s future with the 76ers:
“The indications are that James Harden is going to remain in Philadelphia.” pic.twitter.com/WggFUxGHb8
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) June 28, 2023
This is great news for the 76ers, as the team would’ve had a lot of trouble replacing what Harden can do for them on the floor in NBA free agency.
Although Harden isn’t the dominant scorer of old, he’s still a high-level player in this league and able to move the needle for this franchise that has been desperate to get to the next level in the playoffs.
From here on out, the real question is what Harden’s next contract will be with the team, as it’s unlikely he simply opts into his contract with the team in order to secure his long-term future.
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Chris Russo Says James Harden Doesn’t Deserve A Max Deal