James Harden tried to form a superteam with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant with the Brooklyn Nets. He practically forced a trade out of the Houston Rockets to join forces with them. But after roughly playing a year with the team, he realized he had made a mistake.
Following that realization, Harden once again demanded a trade and ended up getting traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. Since he was traded to the 76ers mid-season, he couldn’t really get settled within the franchise.
It was evident from his struggles throughout the playoffs when Joel Embiid was injured. The 76ers were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs at the hands of the Miami Heat.
Before the upcoming season, Harden opted out of his huge player option and decided to sign a new contract with the team. He took a pay cut of almost $15 million after signing a 2-year contract with the team.
In a previous interview, Harden explained in detail why he took such a massive pay cut and made a sacrifice. Obviously, he did it to help the team improve, and the Sixers did so by adding an excellent role player in PJ Tucker.
Anyway, after signing the new contract with the 76ers, Harden has now addressed the fans of the franchise for the first time via statement.
Via NBA:
This is where I want to be. This is where I want to win, and I think we have the pieces to accomplish that goal. From my first day with the 76ers organization, the team and the fans have helped me feel at home here in Philadelphia. I’m excited to build off of last season and I can’t wait to get out on the court with the guys and start this journey.
It’s good to see that Harden is happy with the Philadelphia 76ers. Next season, if he can be anywhere close to what he used to be during his time with the Houston Rockets, the 76ers will be one of the favorites to win the NBA Championship.
Additionally, the franchise will also hope that Joel Embiid takes better care of his health and partners up with Harden for as many regular season games as possible. This would allow the duo to gel together and take things to the next level come playoff time.
