Superstar guard James Harden said that he is willing to take less money in order to help the 76ers win an NBA title. And he made good on his word on Wednesday by signing a two-year, $68.6 million deal.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Harden will earn $33 million this upcoming season and will then have a $35.6 million player option for 2023-24.
The new contract sees Harden leaving a big chunk of money on the table. He previously declined his $47.3 million option on his old deal to become a free agent. But instead of pursuing a lucrative contract in free agency or getting one from Philly, he decided to give the 76ers a rarely-seen discount.
“I told Daryl to improve the roster, sign who we needed to sign, and give me whatever is left over,” Harden said earlier this week when asked about his contract negotiations.
Harden’s move sends a strong signal that he’s interested in winning at this point in his career and is ready to put his money where his mouth is in order to do it. The 32-year-old player played 21 games in Philly after joining from the Brooklyn Nets ahead of the trade deadline and averaged 21.0 points, 7.1 points, and 10.5 rebounds per game.
The money Harden decided not to take was previously invested in free agent acquisitions P.J. Tucker and Danuel House Jr., with more additions expected to follow soon.
