Report: Harden staying with 76ers on two-year deal
Published
James Harden is indeed staying with the Philadelphia 76ers, but it won't be on a long-term deal like many anticipated.
According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, Harden is taking a $15 million paycut for next season and now plans to sign a two-year deal with a player option in the second year. Charania notes this allows the Sixers to elevate the roster and direct their sole focus to winning a championship in 2023 while Harden could become a free agent again after next season.
Harden opted out of a player option for 2022-23 that would have paid him $47 million.
The 32-year-old was acquired by Philadelphia last season in a blockbuster deal that saw former No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons and others wind up with the Brooklyn Nets.
In 65 games combined between the Nets and 76ers last season, Harden averaged 22.0 points, his lowest total since 2011-12, and 10.3 assists per game.
A 13-year NBA veteran, Harden owns a career scoring average of 24.9 points per game and is a three-time NBA scoring champion.