Report: James Harden Hasn’t Opted in to $47.3M Contract Option with 76ers After Trade

AP Photo/Eric Gay

James Harden hasn’t yet triggered his $47.4 million player option for next season following his trade to the Philadelphia 76ers, according to Kyle Neubeck of the Philly Voice.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Harden was planning to opt in with Philly for 2022-23 as part of his trade from the Brooklyn Nets. Neubeck noted the nine-time All-Star will now have to wait until the season concludes before he makes a decision about his option.

The fact Harden is eligible for free agency was likely a big factor behind his trade from the Nets. Before a deal was made, The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported the Sixers believed he wouldn’t re-sign with the Nets and that they could use that as leverage in negotiations with Brooklyn.

Now that the 32-year-old has gotten his wish, one presumes he won’t merely be a half-season rental for Philadelphia. The fact that he could still turn down his player option could be important for the Sixers nonetheless.

Harden remains a dynamic presence. In 44 games with the Nets this season, he averaged 22.5 points and 10.2 assists.

However, his true shooting percentage (57.6) is on pace to be the second-lowest of his career, per Basketball Reference. His drop this season could foreshadow a slow but steady decline for a player who is on the wrong side of the aging curve.

Paying Harden the full amount he can earn on a long-term extension isn’t without a level of risk. Russell Westbrook is the prime example of how rewarding an aging star with a supermax deal can backfire in a big way.

It’s entirely possible that Harden would only opt in on the condition the Sixers meet his demands on a new contract. Chris Paul opted into the final year of his deal when the Los Angeles Clippers traded him to the Houston Rockets in 2017, and he signed for the full max with the Rockets one year later.

At least theoretically, Harden’s player option could serve as bit of a contingency for the Sixers. They’d have a year-and-a-half to see whether the partnership of him and Joel Embiid could work before they’d have to make a decision that will have far-reaching consequences.

Instead, the front office might face a situation in which it basically has to go all-in on Harden as the second star next to Embiid on the basis of 28 regular season games—at most—plus whatever Philly does in the playoffs.