The Philadelphia 76ers had a very good free agency, re-signing star James Harden and adding key veterans such as P. J. Tucker to their squad. If they make a few more moves, they could be contenders for the NBA title next season.
James Harden notably took a pay cut on his contract this year, allowing the Philadelphia 76ers to sign free agents. The deal drew suspicion among NBA circles, as Harden taking less money could have meant that he “secured a wink-wink guarantee” about a new deal in the future.
“There is a suspicion in some corners of the league that Harden had to have consented to this arrangement because he also secured a wink-wink guarantee about the future — meaning a promise from Morey that would allow Harden to recoup what he left on the table this offseason by declining the player option for next season in his new Sixers deal and then signing a whopper of a five-year deal in the summer of 2023 at almost 34,” writes Stein.
Adrian Wojnarowski has recently revealed that the NBA has started an investigation into the Philadelphia 76ers regarding James Harden’s pay cut and the subsequent acquisitions of P. J. Tucker and Danuel House.
NBA's expected to pursue circumstances surrounding Harden declining $47M option to sign a 1+1 deal that cut salary to $33M and gave team more flexibility to sign Tucker and House. Some have wondered if another deal was already in place for future — which is against CBA rules.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 29, 2022
ESPN Sources: The NBA has opened an investigation into the Philadelphia 76ers for possible tampering and early contact centered on franchise’s summer free agency class of James Harden, P.J. Tucker and Danuel House. Sixers have begun cooperating with league on probe. Story soon.
NBA’s expected to pursue circumstances surrounding Harden declining $47M option to sign a 1+1 deal that cut salary to $33M and gave team more flexibility to sign Tucker and House. Some have wondered if another deal was already in place for future — which is against CBA rules.
There is no doubt that this situation could end up having some unwanted consequences for the Philadelphia 76ers. The Milwaukee Bucks notably lost a second-round pick in 2020 for tampering with Bogdan Bogdanovic, and we’ll see if the Philadelphia 76ers also end up losing draft compensation.
As of now, though, the Philadelphia 76ers are likely focused on next season. They have one of the best teams they’ve had during the Joel Embiid era, and we’ll see if that’s enough to win a championship.
