James Harden has agreed to a new deal to stay at the Philadelphia 76ers that will see the 32-year-old take a $15 million pay cut for the upcoming 2022-23 season, according to multiple reports.
Harden moved to the Wells Fargo Center in February after a rather lackluster season and a half at the Brooklyn Nets and appears committed to the cause, so much so that he was willing to see a chunk of his contract used to help beef up the 76ers roster.
Changes set to take place at the Philadelphia 76ers may well lead to a rush in action at Pennsylvania online betting sites, and James Harden will hope it pushes his team further than their Conference Semi-Final finish last season, where they lost in six games to the Miami Heat.
Harden’s commitment to the Philadelphia cause was underlined with comments he made following their playoff loss when he stated;
“I’ll be here,”
“Whatever allows us to continue to grow and get better and do the things necessary to win and compete at a high level.”
Harden had met with Philadelphia’s president of basketball operations, Daryl Morey, and it was agreed that there was a lack of depth in the 76ers squad was a real issue, hence the willingness for the star player to alter his compensation accordingly;
“I had conversations with Daryl, and it was explained how we could get better and what the market value was for certain players. I told Daryl to improve the roster, sign who we needed to sign, and give me whatever is left over,” Harden commented.
“This is how bad I want to win. I want to compete for a championship. That’s all that matters to me at this stage. I’m willing to take less to put us in a position to accomplish that.”
The 76ers have subsequently brought in top additions in the form of P.J Tucker, Danuel House, and De’Anthony Melton, as well as G League MVP Trevelin Queen. These captures will certainly help Doc Rivers in 2022-23.
“I think we have a much deeper team,” Harden added.
“That’s something we wanted to address. If you look at our team now, we’re positioned to go a lot further. I like how we stack up with the rest of the top teams.”
Harden and Joel Embiid will still be the focus of the team in the coming season, and it’s clear that the former Nets man is very much determined to make a real impact in Philadelphia after his move from Brooklyn.
The 2022-23 season will be Harden’s 14th in the NBA, and despite all his personal accolades, he is still without a Championship ring, and he clearly feels that this failure can be rectified as a 76er.
Harden is a ten-time NBA All-Star and was the NBA MVP in 2018, and still has a lot to offer though he would no doubt freely admit he hasn’t been at his very best for a few seasons and will hope to hit the ground running when the new season tips off in mid-October.