James Harden Makes Final Decision on Player Option With 76ers

Will James Harden accept his player option for the 2023-2024 season?

Taking his decision down to the wire, Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden has decided to pick up his player option for the 2023-2024 season, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. 

Harden’s ultimate decision comes as a shocking one. Initially, the expectation was that Harden would decline the option and become a free agent. Now, Wojnarowski reports that Harden will make $35 million on the option for next season, and the Sixers will work with him on a trade out of Philadelphia.

Just last year, Harden was in a similar position with the Sixers as he had a player option looming. While he was expected to return to Philadelphia, he didn’t do so by accepting the option. Instead, Harden became a free agent and negotiated a two-year deal.

Harden planned to take a pay cut last season so he could free up space for the Sixers to sign key players such as PJ Tucker, Danuel House Jr., and Montrezl Harrell. Harden hoped the additional cap space would help the Sixers’ front office put together a championship-ready roster.

Unfortunately, the Sixers once again came up short in the second round of the playoffs. Following the series loss against the Boston Celtics, Harden wouldn’t say whether or not he was going to return to Philadelphia, but he made it clear he wanted to compete for a championship.

Throughout the offseason, Harden has been mostly linked to the Sixers and the Houston Rockets. On paper, the Sixers have the better roster for Harden’s timeline. But returning home to a revamped Rockets team seemed to intrigue Harden.

By declining his player option, Harden could've entertained offers from the Rockets and other organizations that have an interest. It turns out, the Sixers will have to look for deals on the trade market as Harden reportedly wants a fresh start.