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James Harden took a pay cut to stay in Philadelphia and may have signed one of the best-value contracts in the league. Harden is a former league MVP and multiple-time All-Star who could have easily commanded a max contract. He instead opted to sign for a discounted rate to allow the team more salary cap flexibility.
Harden signed a two-year deal worth $68 million. He could have signed a deal worth a lot more than that. His play hasn’t diminished since he signed a deal for less than what he could have gotten. This season, he is averaging 21.4 points per game, 10.9 assists per game and 6.6 rebounds per game.
The 76ers are currently 19-12 this season and have won seven straight games. With James Harden and Joel Embiid providing a potent one-two punch. Over the seven-game win streak, Harden is averaging 20.5 ppg and 12.7 apg. The team is currently in fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings.
As good as the team is playing right now, they can get even better when guard Tyrese Maxey comes back from injury. The team is now being successful now without all its best players. Harden has shown an ability to get other players involved and with Joel Embiid averaging 33.0 ppg, the team will be hard to stop.
Now with this new roster and having two top stars, it's time to see if the Sixers can get past the conference semi-finals and make a push for the NBA title.
Who Did the Sixers Bring In
With the 76ers having salary cap flexibility due to James Harden not taking a max contract, the team was able to add some depth to their roster.
Notably, the team signed veteran forward PJ Tucker in the offseason, who won a championship with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021 and was a big part of the Miami Heat team that made it to game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Sixers also signed former NBA Sixth Man of the Year, Montrezl Harrell, and brought in Danuel House for some more depth. The team now has a roster of specialists on defense to help them make a deep playoff run. The team has also proved it can sustain through injuries to key players.
James Harden did something that's rare with NBA players by putting winning first over his own financial gain. Now it remains to be seen if the Sixers will reap the benefits.
