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James Harden continues to bide his time regarding his potential contract extension with the Brooklyn Nets. Given the Kyrie Irving saga and the reported withdrawal of a contract extension by the Nets, securing the Beard's stay will be more important than ever.
Although Harden has not signed the contract extension, he is already giving strong hints that he wants to continue playing with the Brooklyn Nets for the foreseeable future.
James Harden attended a postgame interview after the Brooklyn Nets were beaten by defending champions the Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
With the 32-year old being such a huge factor for the Nets team, he was obviously asked about the status of the talks regarding his contract extension:
Here's what James Harden told reporters:
“The contract, the money is going to be there. I don’t plan on leaving his organization and the situation we have. My focus is on the season and winning a championship. The contract and all that stuff will play itself out as it should.”
For the Brooklyn Nets, the date of the signing is irrelevant this season. It doesn't really matter if he signed the contract before the season started or right when the 2021-22 campaign would end. James Harden would be eligible to get a $161.1 million extension that will secure his stay with the franchise for another three years.
The All-Star guard has never been involved in free agency before and could test the market this time around. His contract allows him to decline the 2022-23 season and become an unrestricted free agent. If that is the case, the Nets better hope Harden signs a new contract or the potential of this team will be put to waste.
When will James Harden possibly sign his contract extension with the Brooklyn Nets?
It will really be up to James Harden. However, based on what he can get out of a contract extension and signing a totally new contract, he may never sign the extension.
If the Beard chooses to wait for the 2022 offseason to sign with the Brooklyn Nets, he could sign for another four years in a deal that will be worth $227 million. In that case, he will become the first player in the history of the league to get a mind-boggling $60 million a season.
James Harden knows that the waiting game is the winning game for him. Potentially losing Kyrie Irving next season could force the Brooklyn Nets to bite the bullet and sign the former MVP to that huge contract.
Guess the Lakers players!
