I'll bet Chris Paul will retire. And Harden is close. None of these guys stay too much longer past their prime. It's hard when you are done you are done. When you are burned out. And to me it seems like the younger guys are better than them now. Chris Paul is an old midget. Harden isn't in shape enough to be one of the Big 2 or 3 on a team.
So maybe Harden plays a smaller role. Same with Chris Paul. But that also means less money
James Harden has played less than half of a regular season's worth of basketball for the 76ers. His regular season averages in Philadelphia of 21.0 points, 10.5 assists and 7.1 rebounds per game certainly weren't bad. He was at roughly the same level in the 2022 NBA Playoffs, too.
But those statistics are a long way off from his MVP days. Could it already be over?
Harden is eligible to make up to $275 million over the next five years if he re-signs with the Sixers. That would push his salary past $60 million for his age 37 season, which would almost surely be a massive overpay.
Simply put, the Sixers have a huge decision to make this summer.
Harden ultimately controls all of the cards in the first stage of negotiations. He has a $47.4 million player option that he must pick up before July 1. If he does not, he will become an unrestricted free agent and can sign with any team.
Harden will very likely pick that option up, as it allows him to make the most amount of money. He could exercise it and then extend his contract with the Sixers for four additional years at the max to get to that five-year, $275 million offer.
He could also extend for any other number that he and the Sixers agree to below the max.
"Probably next year, he'll be close to worth $47 million. The year after he'll be overpaid. The year after he'll be overpaid by more, and then Year 4 will be a disaster."
He's not a top-five player, but he is still firmly in the top 20 and did show excellent chemistry with Joel Embiid in pick-and-rolls. He isn't going to find a better team to play on, and the Sixers don't have any good avenues of adding a player better than him if he walks. This is the deal with the (Sun) Devil that president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has made.
That dream scenario of bringing Harden back at a non-max salary does have some legs to stand on. Sam Amick of The Athletic indicated on "
The Athletic NBA Show" that Harden might be amenable to the idea.
"When the Sixers got him, their intel was that he would potentially be willing to take less. And obviously, you know, nobody knows him better than Daryl," Amick said.
Ultimately, I would try to bring Harden back at a more reasonable number than his max. Chris Paul might prove instructive in this scenario. He re-signed with the Suns last summer for four years and $120 million. Paul was three years older than Harden will be when he signed that deal, so Harden's number should be a little higher than the $30 million annual value that Paul got. Something like $200 million over five years would be much more palatable than the $275 million max.
What options are available to the Sixers and James Harden in his upcoming contract negotiations?
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