Why hasn’t Harden received more credit for taking a Sixers friendly deal?
The NBA off-season buzz has worn off significantly. Understandably so, we are in late July about to be in August, a.k.a. the dog days of baseball. No NBA news should come up beside a possible blockbuster trade. All teams are finished up with their roster construction. The Philadelphia 76ers were basically done with their plan hours after free agency opened.
The only clock ticking was when James Harden was going to re-sign with the team. Signing Harden’s former teammates, Michael Rubin’s party in the Hamptons, and a couple of interviews later James Harden is officially a Sixer again. At least for one season, as you may know.
Sixers’ Harden not getting enough credit for taking a pay cut.
Harden is currently on a two-year deal worth $68.6 million dollars. The first year is the only guaranteed year with a salary of $32.9 million, much lower than his $47.4 million option that was declined. Harden has a player option worth $35.6 million dollar for the second year. So the first year’s terms of the contract beg the question, why hasn’t James Harden received more credit for taking a team-friendly deal? Especially when the credit is deserved, I firmly believe that.
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There are a few reasons that came to mind when thinking about this subject. Harden’s ability to quit on a team in an instant, playing for less this year to make it back on his next deal, and the tampering speculation with Harden’s connections to Daryl Morey and Michael Rubin are the main ones. I will also point out why Harden does deserve said credit.