James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers were able to come to an agreement on a new contract deal that will see him in Philadelphia for the next two seasons. Harden signed a $68.6M deal, including a player option.
The 76ers didn’t find the type of success that they were looking for a season ago, failing to make it out of the second round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs. This has been a theme for Philadelphia throughout the past few years and something that they’re hoping they can get over sometime soon.
James Harden 76ers New Contract
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN broke the news,
“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.”
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
A season ago was interesting for Philadelphia. They decided to trade Ben Simmons to Brooklyn for James Harden and although that was probably the right decision for them, it didn’t end in the way that they were hoping for. A major reason for that was because Joel Embiid missed multiple games during the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Miami Heat. If Embiid had played in those games, there’s a good chance that Philadelphia would have advanced to at least the Eastern Conference Finals.
James Harden didn’t enjoy himself too much in Philadelphia a season ago in terms of on-the-court play. He averaged 21.1 points per game and shot 40% from the field. His assist numbers were impressive as he finished with 10.5 assists per game, but Philadelphia is hoping that he can be in a more aggressive role this season and do what he’s known for doing, which is scoring the basketball at an elite level. If they can ever get the James Harden that played in Houston, Philadelphia should like their chances of making it out of the Eastern Conference.
With James Harden taking a pay cut, the 76ers were able to acquire PJ Tucker. Tucker played a vital role in the Milwaukee Bucks winning an NBA title two seasons ago. Philadelphia is hoping that he can bring that same type of energy to the City of Brotherly Love.
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