When the Philadelphia 76ers acquired James Harden from the Brooklyn Nets at the deadline, they had their eyes set on a championship. The idea is that he and Joel Embiid will team up and lead the team to what they hope will be a title run.
Harden opted out of his player option for the 2022-23 season in order to allow the Sixers the financial flexibility to go out and add pieces to this roster to put better pieces around the star duo. Now, it appears that the two sides have come to an agreement on a deal.
Per Shams Charania of The Athletic and The Stadium, Harden will take a $15 million pay cut and sign a 2-year extension to remain with the Sixers. The second year of the deal will have a player option. His relationships with Daryl Morey and former minority governor Michael Rubin helped facilitate this move.
Everyone around Harden has understood the focus on his workout regimen this offseason and a championship goal for 2022-23. His close relationships with those around the organization, including Michael Rubin and Daryl Morey, played a major role in trust between the two sides. https://t.co/q1eDY9xrDy
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 8, 2022
Harden averaged 21 points, 10.5 assists, and 7.1 rebounds in 21 games with the Sixers after the trade and he will look to move forward with Philadelphia in a full offseason and training camp. He has been working out hard with assistant coach Sam Cassell and he is now able to have a full workout summer after dealing with a hamstring injury the previous two seasons.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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