The Philadelphia 76ers have to figure out what the long-term plan is with James Harden. While Harden is still a very good basketball player, Father Time looked like he started catching up to him in a big way this past season, as the former league MVP lacked the burst that made him one of the most devastating players off the dribble at his peak.
Harden was dealing with hamstring issues, but the question Philadelphia has to answer is whether or not he can get his body right and return to form. Making this an even bigger question is that Harden has a player option for the 2022-23 season, and if he picks it up (which reports indicate he will do), he can hit unrestricted free agency next summer.
Giving a five-year supermax to a soon-to-be 33-year-old who struggled last season is, of course, not an easy pill to swallow. But a new report by Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report indicates Philly might not need to do that if it wants to convince Harden to stick around.
Two weeks from the beginning of NBA free agency on June 30 at 6 p.m. ET, all signs point toward All-Star guard James Harden returning to the Philadelphia 76ers on a shorter-term contract extension, league sources told B/R.
Harden and Sixers leadership are aligned on one clear directive, sources said: The franchise’s best opportunity to compete for a championship starring Joel Embiid, as well as Harden’s optimal opportunity to earn his first NBA ring, resides with Harden playing in Philadelphia for the foreseeable future.
Harden joined the Sixers at the trade deadline in a move that sent a package headlined by Ben Simmons to the Brooklyn Nets. While he had some games where he looked like a perfect compliment alongside Embiid, he averaged 18.6 points, 8.6 assists, and 5.7 rebounds in 39.9 minutes per game in the postseason.
