For three weeks, James Harden has technically been a free agent, but despite the star being untethered to a team officially, there were almost no teams outside of Philadelphia that bothered pursuing him, as his return to the Sixers was a mere formality.
The question was exactly how much Harden would return to Philly for (and for how long), and we finally got the official word — after numerous reports of what he would be getting — on Wednesday night. Harden will return to Philly on a two-year, $68.6 million deal that includes a player option next year, per Adrian Wojnarowski and Chris Haynes.
Free agent James Harden has agreed on a two-year, $68.6M deal, including a player option, to return to the 76ers, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 20, 2022
Free agent star James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers have reached an agreement on a two-year, $68 million deal with a player option, league sources tell @YahooSports.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 20, 2022
The player option will be worth $35.6 million after he makes $33 million this year, per Woj, ensuring at least some guarantee for Harden in case injuries continue to bother him, but also allowing him to hit the market should he bounce back and return to All-Star form next season. Harden’s return to the Sixers completes an active offseason that saw them add PJ Tucker, Danuel House, and Trevelin Queen in free agency and trade for De’Anthony Melton, as they looked to bolster their roster with toughness and depth. Harden, for his part, made clear that he wanted the Sixers to upgrade the roster and would make that financially feasible by declining his $47 million player option, telling Daryl Morey to give him “whatever is left over” after making other moves.
What was left over for this year is officially $33 million, and now all eyes are on how Philly’s beefed up roster performs in a strong Eastern Conference.