Following his disappointing performance in the decisive Game 6 of the Sixers’ playoff series against Miami, James Harden was asked if he’ll opt in to the final year of his contract, Derek Bodner of The Daily Six newsletter tweets.
“I’ll be here,” Harden said after Philadelphia’s 99-90 loss and elimination.
Harden, who has a $47.366MM option on the final year of his contract, indicated back in February that he plans to opt in. He could also decline the option and sign a new contract with the 76ers.
There has been plenty of speculation whether the Sixers would pursue extension talks with Harden after the blockbuster trade with the Nets. Harden’s lack of production in the postseason has put the Sixers in a difficult spot.
Harden, who would be in the final year of a four-year, $171MM contract if he picks up his option, suggested he’d be open to taking less than the max in an extension. Kyle Neubeck of The Philly Voice tweets.
“Whatever it takes to help this team continue to grow,” he said.
Harden resembled his old superstar self in Game 4 of the series, piling up 31 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. He had 22 points and 15 rebounds in the playoff clincher against Toronto.
Otherwise, he didn’t produce at the level Philadelphia hoped. Harden took only two shots in the second half and scored just 11 total points in 43 minutes on Thursday in the Sixers’ last game of the year.
Pretty sure the feeling isn’t mutual haha. You’re overrated AF and they took your #1 strategy away this season. Just hang it up dawg. you aint ever winning a chip
ESPN talked Harden 2017 game 6 vs Spurs second round
Harden stats
10 points
2-11
Lost 39 points to Spurs without Kawhi
This guy is an absolute bum. Been terrible in the postseason for the better part of a decade, only making 2 conference finals thanks to CP3. The ultimate fool’s gold.
Harden is comparable to Chris Paul contract
4-year $120 million
He tried to turn 1 of the greatest guards of all time into a glorified Patrick Beverley, standing in the corner watching Harden dribble, and blew his best chance, then made them give up assets to downgrade
Also dont forget the time Kevin McHale benched him multiple times, allowing that team to come back and beat the Clippers down 3-1 and losing by double digits in multiple games, and go to the WCF, and them.he got McHale fired for it…hilariously that also included Doc Rivers getting outcoached
Of course. One would be really stupid to turn down a $47 million player option. That would be about as bad as Phil Jackson’s GM decision making skills.
It’s not his fault people want to pay him. Don’t pay him. It’s easy. I can’t blame him, blame the owners and GM.
Jay Wright??
I’m sure the 76ers fans aren’t begging to Harden to stay
Disappointed but heat better team. Congrats
Very classy of you. Too bad we won’t see comments like this from the other Sixer fans who were talking all that garbage talk how they were going to pound the Heat.
Yo man, we’re supposed to be dangerously looming. Chill. Everyone hates on the Heat, not just them. Its Heat culture anyway.
Deeper team, not sure about better. But I guess they are until we prove otherwise.
PHI FO (vs their fans) would LOVE it if Harden opts in. It avoids the nightmare of having to decide whether to give him a long term contract (even at a discount to max, it would be hard for the team to sign onto that based on what they saw in the playoffs). Easy for fans to say just don’t sign it regardless, but it would mean trading BS (as well as Curry and a couple of 1st’s) for a few months of a fat Harden, after a few months of (reportedly) refusing to negotiate with other teams.
To think that Houston wanted Herro and Robinson and two additional pieces for Harden. Riley was not the sucker the Nets and Sixers were.
Robinson played 17 minutes in this series
And the Heat still won in 6… Better to have it and not need it than need it and have James Harden on your team.
Any GM worth his salt would only offer Harden and Kyrie 1 year deals going forward. There are a few other players I could add to this list. But these 2 headline it!
He’ll opt-in and the Sixers will have the off-season to figure out how to upgrade the roster. Danny Green if he’s injured bad, we’ll they’ll just cut him and won’t be able to use his 10M in salary matching.
I think the Nets pass on the draft pick this year so the Sixers probably can land a potential bench piece. Will be a long off-season.
He used to be my favorite player years ago but not anymore. Overrated bum. Never winning a ring.
Sun-devil Harden was a great watch, and he did not get worse. GM Morey agreed Im sure— he got him & built around him. Like Morey, Harden in his role innovated new ways to succeed— in games, while focussed on, with a lot of weight on his shoulders.
But nobody’s perfect, and the story lacks a championship. Too bad, shoulda had 2018.
And the hearts of the Sixers fans sink upon hearing that news…
Where’s that one dude who was giddy with the BEARD? Quiet as a mouse now. HA! I love it.
I’m glad he will be here. Now Morey just needs to rebuild the wing and the bench. I am already for next season right now
Harden is a total legend of the game, dude couldn’t have been any better than he was, but that’s it, he was great, he isn’t anymore!
Sadly he can pick up the option to stay, but after that PHI needs to either trade him for peanuts on the buck or letting him go for nothing, too bad that they gave away a star not even in his prime like Ben for him, that will go down as one of the worst ever trades in the league for PHI, I already said that in February, BRK robbed them blind… & now everyone & their grandma can see that… oh, well!
This dude is finally being exposed for everything I’ve said over however many years. Good for him on the money though. He was definitely thinking about it as he was walking around the last few minutes of the game, unless he was thinking more about what strip club he was going to tonight. Dude disappeared the way he has several times before, with his 2 shot attempts in the 2nd half. He is no Manu Ginobli. Dont even pretend to put him in the same paragraph as Dwyane Wade. Definitely super talented; not suggesting he isnt. He is a glorified Lou Williams
It’s not all Hardens fault though. Doc Rivers was given a chance by Spo for multiple games, and still couldn’t figure out who should be playing in this matchup. As a Heat fan, in my opinion, Doc Rivers won this series for the Heat, the same way he did for Atlanta and Denver the last 2 years
Agreed. But he will scapegoat Harden, which is part of the problem, but it is Doc who got out coached again
Exactly. I was actually going to add that. Took Doc Rivers almost 2 years to sort of learn something about Paul Reed, and he still doesnt know who Isaiah Joe is after 2 full seasons. This dude literally has admitted multiple times to not knowing players on his own team can do certain things they’ve always been able to do. Hilariously, Spo gave him a chance in this series for multiple games, and he still couldn’t take advantage by finally figuring out who should be playing b/c he has no idea how to construct a modern NBA rotation, even when given stacked, versatile rosters…then he puts the blame on his players or anything else besides himself
I remember when everyone $#@+ all over him when he was first in Boston, but when he got KG, Ray Allen, and Rajon Rondo, among others, with Pierce, all of the sudden he was considered some godlike coaching figure, and has retained that standing since, despite a multitude of evidence that he doesnt even know who plays on his team, and has been outcoached several times to send his team home. Last year, he got shown up even more when Ty Lue did the exact thing I had said Rivers previously didn’t, and it helped them advance.
I still dont understand how Philly hired him to begin with. He and Brett Brown both got fired for failing to correctly use their rotation, and then he gets hired by Philly after he got fired for the same thing they just fired the previous coach for. Then they choose him over the guy they threw 5 seasons to get, who presents matchup problems all over the floor, defends every position, and makes his teammates better b/c Rivers couldn’t understand how to use him, or his team properly
I can only say what I’ve said for a few years now, and that’s I feel sorry for Joel Embiid. They did this to themselves though
I’m not even mad Harden. Its that fool Tobias! He literally is out their jogging. Honestly its time for Tobias, Doc, Elton Brand, Niang, DeAndre Jordaon and Thybulle to go. Thybulle is good defensively but he’s completely inept on offense and in 3yrs his shot has not gotten better.
is it just me or does Hardens poor conditioning seem to catch up with him towards the end of a long season? just seems like the guy isn’t in the best physical shape and he runs outta gas at the end. guys who tie dedication and commitment to incredible talent seem to be able to repeat playoff successes while guys who coast on talent fall short at the end. does Harden lack the dedication and commitment? and if so….why can’t GMs, coaches and ownership figured that out?
Good post it was obvious he was not in shape all year. Just look at his second half stats
Harden better get in the Gym. He is lazy he still should be 90 percent at 32. He has 47 million reasons to opt in. He is not dedicated IMO. Thank God it is Philly’s problem now. The Process is must start over.
“Whatever it takes to help this team continue to grow,”
Umm, that would actually consist of you getting out of town dude.
Harden likes Vegas… Too much not to perform at all…
He looked out of shape at the beginning of the year and looked out of shape at the end of the year. He didn’t care that much.
The Process has failed. This has always been an overrated team.
Heat were the better team. Jimmy Butler is a leader, something this 76ers has always lacked.
Time to shave the beard