The Philadelphia 76ers and point guard James Harden reached a new salary agreement, which ensures the presence of the 32-year-old player for the next two NBA seasons. The commitment comprises $68.6 million, a figure lower than the veteran was expected to demand.
It should be noted that for the 2022-2023 season Harden had the possibility of receiving a salary of $47.4 million, but decided to reject this option and become a free agent to negotiate with the Sixers. Now his salary will be in the order of $33 million, that is, a 30% decrease in his earnings for the new campaign.
James Harden takes sizable pay cut with two-year, $68.6 million 76ers contract https://t.co/OLAlu8pvTa pic.twitter.com/eOI2N4amxH
— New York Post (@nypost) July 21, 2022
Although it is atypical, the decision of the “Beard” would be in accordance with the plans of the 76ers to be left with some salary space to reinforce the squad, this with the aim of having a much more complete payroll and fighting as contenders in the Conference. from the east. It is also possible that due to his irregular performance, the offers on the market have not been as good as Harden expected.
Not a minor detail of his new agreement is that he has a player option for the second year, so he could give up the remaining $35 million and become a free agent in 2023-2024, which is seen as insurance for both parties in case things go wrong.
