Despite the fact that he declined his player option for the 2022-23 campaign to hit unrestricted free agency, all signs pointed to James Harden working out a deal to return to the Philadelphia 76ers. Much was made of Harden potentially leaving a significant chunk of change on the table so the team could have more flexibility in the free agent market, and on Friday afternoon, we got a sense of just how much Harden is going to give back.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Harden will take a paycut of about $15 million on his contract next year. Because Harden could have made $47 million if he picked up his player option, this would mean Harden’s deal will pay him about $32 million and feature a player option for 2023-24.
Sources: James Harden is taking a $15 million paycut for next season that allowed Philadelphia to elevate roster — with sole focus on a championship run in 2023. Harden opted out of his $47M player option and now plans to sign a new two-year deal with a player option in Year 2.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 8, 2022
Everyone around Harden has understood the focus on his workout regimen this offseason and a championship goal for 2022-23. His close relationships with those around the organization, including Michael Rubin and Daryl Morey, played a major role in trust between the two sides. https://t.co/q1eDY9xrDy
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 8, 2022
The specifics of the deal — namely whether or not Harden will see his salary increase beyond next year — have yet to be reported. Still, Philadelphia has been quite active this offseason, pulling off a trade during the NBA Draft that landed them De’Anthony Melton from the Memphis Grizzlies for their first-round pick and signing a pair of Harden’s former teammates with the Houston Rockets, P.J. Tucker and Danuel House, to deals. Harden is the final piece of the puzzle, but it appears he’ll have his future all sorted out sooner rather than later.