As Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer first reported on June 16, Philadelphia’s James Harden is expected to exercise his $47.4 million player option for next season by Wednesday’s deadline and then sign a two-year extension with the Sixers rather than the maximum four-year extension he would be eligible to append to the option. Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey only amplified the belief that Harden’s return is all but assured during a news conference with local reporters after last Thursday’s draft when he said: “As you guys have heard, it’s a mutual lovefest, so we feel like we’ll work it out.”