James Harden was eligible for a four-year, $210 million contract if he declined his $35.6 million player option for next season and became a free agent and he was expecting a contract in that range from the Philadelphia 76ers this summer, according to NBA insider Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.
Harden felt that Sixers president Daryl Morey was “ghosting” him before free agency started. Rather than wait for Morey and the Sixers to present whatever offer they had come up with once free agency opened on July 1, Harden decided to pick up his $35.6 million player option before the June 30 deadline and request a trade.
“Harden was eligible for a four-year, $210 million contract if he declined his $35.6 million player option and became a free agent,” Shelburne wrote. “And he was expecting a contract in that range, sources said, having taken less the previous summer and having left a $161 million extension on the table from Brooklyn in August 2021 and turned down a two-year, $100 million extension from the Rockets in February 2021.”
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: James Harden, Philadelphia 76ers Updates
Harden was fined $100,000 by the NBA for calling Morey “a liar” during his Adidas tour in China. The NBA launched an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Harden’s public admonishment of Morey. As part of the investigation, Harden told NBA investigators he called Morey “a liar” because he wasn’t traded “quickly” after opting into his player option for the 2023-24 season, according to NBA insider Shams Charania.
In 58 games for the Sixers last season, Harden averaged 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds and 10.7 assists while shooting 44.1% from the field, 38.5% from beyond the arc and 86.7% from the free-throw line. He led the NBA in assists per game for the second time in his career.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: James Harden, Philadelphia 76ers Updates
The Sixers agreed to search out a trade upon Harden’s request after the talented guard picked up his $35.6 million player option for next season in June. However, Philadelphia’s asking price for Harden was steep and no teams were willing or able to meet it.
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