Philadelphia 76ers: James Harden’s new contract can affect his legacy

Philadelphia 76ers, James Harden (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Philadelphia 76ers, James Harden (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
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James Harden, Joel Embiid, Sixers (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

Harden’s new Philadelphia 76ers contract can affect his legacy: Option one

Option one is the $47.3 million dollar extension. The scenario where Harden is banking on this being his last big payday or his last shot to prove that he can be a hybrid of Houston Harden and point guard Harden. That guy could very well be worth that amount of money in the 2022-23 season and a super-max contract in the coming years after.

“This option does not follow suit with Harden’s declaration of wanting to win an NBA title at all costs.”

This scenario kind of confirms that Harden is about his individual accolades over the team due to the unfortunate losses he’s endured in his past. He cares about adding some more dough to the generational wealth that he’s amassed already, and that he believes he’s still in the conversation of best 12-15 best players in the game i.e. the super-max guys.

This option does not follow suit with Harden’s declaration of wanting to win an NBA title at all costs. It takes away money to fill in the Philadelphia 76ers’ holes that have been exploited time and time again in the postseason with Joel Embiid as the team’s best player.