Philadelphia 76ers, James Harden Agree To New Two-Year Deal

The Philadelphia 76ers and former league MVP James Harden have agreed on a new two-year, $68.6 million deal in NBA free agency.

Fans of the Philadelphia 76ers no longer have anything to worry about this offseason, as the team has come to an agreement with ten-time All-Star and the 2017-18 NBA MVP James Harden on a new contract.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Harden and the Sixers have agreed on a two-year, $68.6 million deal that will contain a player option for the 2023-24 season, allowing Harden to become a free agent again following the 2022-23 season.

Free agent James Harden has agreed on a two-year, $68.6M deal, including a player option, to return to the 76ers, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 20, 2022

Harden, 32, will now make roughly $33 million during the 2022-23 season, taking about a $14.4 million paycut to allow the 76ers to make other moves in free agency.

Notably, the team signed veteran forward P.J. Tucker and sharpshooter Danuel House Jr. out on the wing for added depth because of Harden’s willingness to put the team ahead of his own personal financial goals.

After James Harden opted out of his contract for this upcoming year, the general sense around the league was that he would eventually re-sign with the 76ers.

As reported at the end of June, getting a new deal done with the Sixers was a priority for Harden, but he wanted to make sure that the team had the cap room they needed to bring in other key free agents. Building a championship contender in Philadelphia is important to Harden and he proved this by taking the paycut he did, allowing the Sixers to sign others before coming to an agreement on a final number with him.

The Philadelphia 76ers are coming off a season in which they went 51-31, earning the 4-seed in the Eastern Conference and losing in the Eastern Conference Semifinals to the Miami Heat in six games.

Having a full offseason to work out with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and other members of the team, James Harden will be looking to prove that he can still play at an MVP level and that he is the missing piece in the 76ers’ championship puzzle.