It’s long been a foregone conclusion that James Harden would re-sign with the Philadelphia 76ers. The question has always been when.
Well, we are at that point. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that Harden has re-signed with Philadelphia on a below-market two-year, $68.6 million contract.
It was previously noted that Harden would take roughly a $15 million pay cut to re-sign with Philadelphia after the former NBA MVP opted out of his $47 million salary for the 2022-23 season. That’s now come to fruition.
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Why did James Harden take less than market value?
It’s rather simple. Harden wanted to do everything possible to help Philadelphia add the assets to create a championship contender.
The 76ers did just that by adding the likes of De’Anthony Melton, P.J. Tucker and Danuel House to the mix.
Harden will now return for his first full season with Philadelphia after being acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Brooklyn Nets back in February.
The hope is that Harden can return to form after putting up his worst statistical performance since he was a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder back in 2011-12. If so, this contract will prove to be a bargain.