James Harden was viewed as an offensive force during his time with the Houston Rockets. His ability as a scorer as well as his elite playmaking skill made him a top-tier shooting guard.
However, in recent memory, James Harden has played a lot worse. He looks like a shell of himself as a scorer, even though his playmaking ability is still evident. During the playoffs, James Harden has only averaged 18.8 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 9.4 APG, on 40.2/34.8/88.9 splits.
There’s no doubt that those are not the performances that we have grown accustomed to from James Harden. There has been some debate about whether the Philadelphia 76ers should give him another max contract.
It is possible that the Philadephia 76ers won’t have to make that decision this upcoming free agency. Brian Windhorst revealed that it is “extraordinarily likely” that James Harden will opt into his $47.4 million player option, and push the negotiations to 2023 free agency.
It is extraordinarily likely that Harden’s picking up that option, and negotiating with the Sixers on what sort of deal that’s going to be.
There is no doubt that this could potentially be a great decision from James Harden. If he is able to have a bounce-back year next season on a player option, then there is a higher chance of him getting a max contract. Many have said that James Harden is “done” so perhaps he can prove the haters wrong next season.
Of course, things could change between now and free agency for James Harden and there is a chance that he could leave in free agency to better pastures. But the Philadelphia 76ers are definitely a solid option for him if he wants to try and win a championship: Tyrese Maxey looks like a rising star, while Joel Embiid is an MVP candidate. Hopefully, we see him return this offseason and help Joel Embiid fight for another championship.
