76ers face James Harden contract problem after another playoff failure
Early in the fourth quarter of Game 6 between the Sixers and Heat, a tired Doc Rivers gave up trying to plan his team back into it and directly asked for their competition. “fight for this, ”Rivers asked. “Come on guys, fight for it. ” They don’t. Miami’s lead rose to 19, then to 20 before Philadelphia closed the waste time gap, ending the game — and during it — with a 99-90 loss.
So far, Rivers has spoken to everyone in that Sixers set. His message, however, was probably really aimed at James Harden. In the biggest game of the Philadelphia season, Harden played like he didn’t want to be there. He tried nine shots, fewer than anyone in the Sixers starting lineup but Danny Green — who left the game after three minutes with a knee injury. In the third quarter Harden had more turnovers (two) than shots. He even tried one in the fourth quarter. He did not attempt a free throw. His last line: 43 minutes, 11 points, nine assists, four turnovers.
Photo by AP / Marta Lavandier
“We never got any hurtful rhythm tonight,” Rivers said. “I don’t like how we play… I think there are many of us.”
And Harden?
“’Listen,’” Rivers said. “I don’t want to make this referendum on James.”
good. But how Philadelphia’s deal with Harden this summer will define the future of the franchise. The Sixers held off the future to get Harden. They traded Ben Simmons, their most attractive trade chip. They include Seth Curry, 31 -year -old sharp shooting guard Joel Embiid real love to play. They threw two first round picks. Team president Daryl Morey believed Harden was the missing piece, and he rode the Philadelphia wagon to him.
And now the 76ers ’front office has a decision to make on what to pay him.
When Philadelphia traded Harden in February the Sixers were expected to lock Harden to a five-year contract worth north of $ 250 million. Morey’s love for Harden is so well known. He got Harden out of Oklahoma City in 2012, gave him power and watched him blossom into an MVP. Morey has always pointed to Harden as the greatest isolation player in NBA history and believes the chance to play with dominant scoring is as big as Embiid — the type of player Morey and Harden mentioned but never brought to Houston. —Inspire him.
It doesn’t. Harden averaged 21 points per game during the regular season. His field goal percentage (40.2%) and three-point percentage (32.6%) are career lows. Compare his numbers in the playoffs. In every great game Harden played (a 22-point, 15-assist effort in Game 6 against Toronto, a 31-point outburst in Game 4 against Miami) there were double the number of clunkers. In Philly’s last two games, Harden has attempted 22 throws, scored 25 points and has nearly as many turnovers (eight) than assists (13). As ex-Sixer Jimmy Butler leads his team— “I still don’t know why we let him go,” says another salty Embiid — Harden is just a bystander of his own.
When asked to explain his lack of aggression in Game 6, Harden said, “When we offended, the ball never came back to me.”
It’s not that simple. Embiid knew this. “Everyone was expecting Houston James Harden,” Embiid said. “That’s not him anymore. He is more of a playmaker. ” Harden knew this. The rest of the NBA knows this. “The decline is obvious,” a rival team executive said and. “You can see it in his ability to make space, to make shots that he usually creates. He doesn’t have the blast. People aren’t afraid of him driving and scoring. They challenge the retreat more often. He’s just not the same player. ”
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Not him, but Harden, who will turn 33 this summer, will enter the offseason with leverage. He has until June 29 to choose the final year of his contract, a decision that would guarantee him $ 47.4 million next season. He can bet on himself, that a healthy summer and a full training camp with Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Matisse Thybulle will lead to a more productive time. It’s a risk — Harden’s hamstring issues have become chronic, and he could get hurt or keep coming back — but it’s a stick he can use in negotiations.
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Because what to do in Philadelphia? Allowing Harden to opt in and play on his contract makes business sense. But Harden effectively quit both teams when he didn’t like what was happening. Philadelphia, desperate to maximize Embiid’s MVP-level seasons, doesn’t want to be third.
And what if Harden finds a better deal? He has six weeks to survey the scene — save me the hassle of screaming, unless you’re one of those who thinks deals agreed in a minute into free will can be negotiated. at 60 seconds after it opens — and see what’s available. The market will not be strong. But what if Houston, the home of Harden’s most successful seasons, was looking for a reunion? What if Portland, desperate to add more star power with Damian Lillard, opens the vault?
Will Philadelphia risk losing Harden without pay?
For his part, Harden said he wants to be with the Sixers next season. Directly asked if he would choose the final year of his contract, Harden said, “I’ll be here. Anything that allows this team to grow and become better and do the things necessary to win and compete at the highest level. When asked if he would take less than the maximum to make it, Harden said, “Whatever it takes to help this team grow and put us out there with the best of them.”
Morey bet big on Harden. Now he needs to know how it will work with him. There is a clear contractual middle ground. For example, Chris Paul’s deal last summer. Paul signed a new four-year, $ 120 million deal, while giving Phoenix financial ease. The Sixers would no doubt like to make a similar deal with Harden. The question is whether Harden will agree to this.
“This is what defines Daryl,” the executive said. “The business didn’t work out the way he expected. If he messed it up and James left, where would they be? If he overpaid him, how did they make him a winner? He knew James better than anyone. He knew She knows her lifestyle, she knows where her body is. She has to have some level of knowledge about where it is going. She loves the man. She is loyal to the man. I understand that. But she has to you to separate from that in making these decisions. ”
An important offseason is coming. Embiid — struggling through a torn ligament in his elbow, a broken bone in his face and a concussion in this series — needs at least one operation. See two. Rivers can be replaced. Tobias Harris can be purchased. “[The front office] do what it takes to win a championship, ”Embiid said. “If it means doing business with people, signing new people, or doing business with me, that’s what they do.”
No decision, however, is bigger than Harden’s future. The right result could push the Sixers into the title picture. Mistakes can ruin them.
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