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James Harden signed a two-year, $68.6 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers and reportedly took a $15 million pay-cut. This allowed the team to onboard some essential role players. Many have heaped high praise on the former MVP for displaying a team-first mentality.
However, NBA writer Brian Windhorst believes that James Harden has an underlying plan as part of this deal. It is well documented that the ten-time All-Star has not been at his best in the past two seasons. Windhorst stated that Harden's decision to take a pay cut was an investment by him to sign a bigger deal next season.
Giving an explanation for the same, he said on NBA Today:
"The Sixers and Harden have brokered something here, and that is he's gonna help the Sixers rebuild the depth that they lost in trading for him.
"They absolutely added three really quality players to help them out because of his decision to come down here, specifically PJ Tucker. But also De'Anthony Melton and Danuel House, who should help them at both ends of the floor, that definitely happened.""
One of the biggest recruitments made by the Philadelphia 76ers was that of PJ Tucker. Bringing in the veteran will definitely strengthen their defense.
However, the team had struggles finding space in salary cap, as they had some massive contracts. One of them was James Harden's, but "The Beard" took a voluntary pay cut, which helped the 76ers easily onboard Tucker.
The 32-year-old has been putting up work in the offseason to get back in shape for the 2022-23 campaign. Undoubtedly, the ten-time All-Star is one of the most prolific scorers in the league. It would benefit the team and would also bring him some leverage while negotiating a max contract.
"He's also left himself open here with only a one year deal. The belief I think that he is putting faith in is that he is going to come back healthier and he is going to show the world that he is a max player.
"Again, next summer take right back and the opt-out and the pay reduction is an investment to get that longer max deal. As drawn up, that's a beautiful plan." said Windhorst while speaking about Harden taking a pay cut.
How valuable is James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers?
James Harden has a very diverse offensive armory. The 32-year-old had a stellar start to his career in Philadelphia, where he helped the team win five games in a row. However, as games went by, his form started dipping.
His performances in the playoffs were below-par and that further brought a lot of criticism to Harden. But going into next season, the beard is looking as locked in as ever. An indication of that was his decision to opt out of his player option and take a lesser pay to help the team sign new players.
Along with his scoring, James Harden is also an elite playmaker. His ability to attract attention from defenders allows a lot of chances for his teammates.
Another big reason for the 76ers to be happy is Harden's partnership with Joel Embiid. The duo could wreck havoc across the league.
Their pick-and-roll play is lethal and not many defenses in the league would be able to stop that. Putting it all together, there are a lot of reasons for fans to be excited about Harden next season. He would certainly be looking to put up big numbers and shut down critics who have been slandering him.
