Fun fact about the drunk Sixers car dealer fan--I know that he spent some time in the can over a decade ago for having multiple dui's. Hope he didn't drive home from the game.
Fun fact about the drunk Sixers car dealer fan--I know that he spent some time in the can over a decade ago for having multiple dui's. Hope he didn't drive home from the game.
Lol that checks out, can totally see that - I'm a big CBS Sunday Morning fan and nothing ruins the beginning of that show more than his faking it through his sponsorship at the beginning.
Fun fact about the drunk Sixers car dealer fan--I know that he spent some time in the can over a decade ago for having multiple dui's. Hope he didn't drive home from the game.
Lol that checks out, can totally see that - I'm a big CBS Sunday Morning fan and nothing ruins the beginning of that show more than his faking it through his sponsorship at the beginning.
He's always been a drunk. You just didn't know it!
My brother had to spend a few days in the clink back then and was in there with him. So, yeah, every time I see his dumb face on tv that's all I think about. Monday night made perfect sense.
Sixers better hope Harden was just banged up and not washed up. If he is washed up they are fucked.
what's the slogan for next season? trust the process decade #2?
can they just let him go or do they have to pay him?
If I had known then what I know now...
Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
VIC 07
EV LA1 08
Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
Columbus 10
EV LA 11
Vancouver 11
Missoula 12
Portland 13, Spokane 13
St. Paul 14, Denver 14
OK…..I just read the Harden scenarios. $47M at a minimum, huh? yuck.
If I had known then what I know now...
Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
VIC 07
EV LA1 08
Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
Columbus 10
EV LA 11
Vancouver 11
Missoula 12
Portland 13, Spokane 13
St. Paul 14, Denver 14
Not sure what the hell was wrong with Harden, only game he looked good in was game 5. Embiid spent more time on the floor than anything else I don't know what the hell happened with this team
8/28/98- Camden, NJ
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly. PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
Not sure what the hell was wrong with Harden, only game he looked good in was game 5. Embiid spent more time on the floor than anything else I don't know what the hell happened with this team
Can't give him the max. Gotta hope those rumors of him accepting less to clear a path for a sign and trade are true.
Sixers better hope Harden was just banged up and not washed up. If he is washed up they are fucked.
what's the slogan for next season? trust the process decade #2?
can they just let him go or do they have to pay him?
It's a player option at $47 million so it's up to Harden. Maybe the team could convince him to decline the option and negotiate a new deal but that's a longshot.
James Harden has been the focal point of the NBA’s biggest in-season trade each of the past two years. He and the Philadelphia 76ers now find themselves months away from a truly fascinating offseason; Harden has a lucrative player option, and Daryl Morey has the opportunity to retool the franchise around the pairing of Joel Embiid and Harden. This situation has some notable nuances that can be confusing, so this is a great time to put together a question-and-answer session addressing some of the key elements.
So, what is the deal with Harden’s player option?
It appears Harden neither picked up nor declined his $47.4 million player option for 2022-23 as a part of the trade-deadline megadeal, and that opens up flexibility for both sides. It also theoretically creates the chance he’ll opt out and leave, but that feels incredibly unlikely.
What is the most Harden can make, and how can that happen?
Typically, a player’s maximum salary on a new contract depends solely on his years of experience in the NBA and the salary cap amount for that season, with 25 percent, 30 percent and 35 percent of the cap serving as the three thresholds in the current collective bargaining agreement. At the $122 million cap projection for 2022-23, that would mean a $42.7 million starting salary for a player like Harden with 10 or more years of experience.
However, the CBA includes an exception to this framework for those at the very top of the salary scale; a player is allowed to get a 5 percent raise on his salary from the previous season, even if that puts him above the “normal” max line. Because Harden made $44.3 million in 2021-22, he is permitted to sign a new contract starting at $46.5 million, even though that is well over the 35 percent max. With the 76ers, that starting salary with 8 percent annual raises works out to a five-year, $269.9 million contract.
Now, you may be wondering, “Wait, that $46.5 million is less than Harden’s player option, right?” That is exactly the right thought. Though the CBA allows that special exception to the max for free agents coming off huge salaries, remember that Harden does not have to become a free agent this summer, and the per-season raise on his current contract is more than 5 percent. As such, the absolute most Harden could secure this offseason is via opting in and then extending off $47.4 million rather than $46.5 million. That leads to a maximum total contact value of $274.7 million over five seasons including the opt-in, about $5 million more than the other framework.
What if Harden is willing to take less than his absolute maximum? How would that work?
The CBA is pretty flexible when it comes to players making less than their richest possible deal, so a sub-max Harden contract could take many different forms. The important thing to remember is the first season of a new contract is key for setting the parameters. Because the 76ers have Harden’s Bird rights, they can start him at any salary from his minimum to that $46.5 million maximum. From there, that contract can increase or decrease by as much as 8 percent of that first-year salary in every subsequent year of the contract.
Let’s say Harden and Morey agree to a $40 million salary for 2022-23 as a part of a new contract. Eight percent of that is $3.2 million, so each season after the first one, his salary could increase up to $3.2 million from the prior year, decrease up to $3.2 million or land anywhere in between.
The biggest limitation with this is the 8 percent cap on year-to-year shifts, because that means the contract can have some ebbs and flows but no truly huge swings. Those swings can be used to accomplish other goals, like temporarily ducking the luxury tax or more dramatically lowering Harden’s salary late in the contract when his level of play will likely be well below the current standard. That matters far more to the 76ers than Harden, especially because the way negotiations may go is that they might hammer out the pure financial terms (years, dollars, guarantees, etc.) but then let Morey structure the deal in the fashion that makes the most sense with his vision for the team’s books.
Is there any other way Harden’s next contract could work?
Yes, and it is my absolute favorite structure if Harden is willing to take less than his maximum.
Above, I talked about the idea that Harden and Morey will focus their negotiation on the key pieces: how much money over how long, options and whether or not the whole contract will be fully guaranteed. In a scenario where Harden is willing to take meaningfully less than his maximum, the CBA’s 8 percent limit on year-to-year increases may limit Morey’s choices more than he would prefer. However, a Harden opt-in opens up another ambitious possibility: a version of super-frontloading Harden’s next contract where that $47.4 million option stays on the Sixers’ books but then future seasons drop off significantly. As discussed above, the CBA gives significantly more latitude when it comes to players taking less, and that really comes into play on extensions.
Theoretically, Harden’s salary could drop to whatever negotiated amount they wanted for 2023-24, then the 8 percent year-to-year restrictions would come in on that first new salary.
Let’s say, theoretically, Harden was willing to take $35 million per season over five years rather than his full maximum. On a brand new contract starting in 2022-23, that could look like this:
However, using the player option, the two sides could structure the same overall money this way:
That second path is preferable for Harden because he’d get more money sooner (especially considering the time value of money). It could potentially be better for the 76ers, too, as they would likely pay the tax in 2022-23, then avoid it as early as 2023-24 and move well clear of it in 2024-25 when Tobias Harris’ contract comes off the books — right ahead of a significant contract for breakout star Tyrese Maxey. Now, this requires Harden being willing to accept that lowered overall payout, and that may not be in the cards. Still, it is a fascinating hypothetical that could really change things for the franchise down the line.
What about the extend-and-trade rules?
This CBA rule only comes into play if Harden opts in, because extend-and-trade restrictions do not affect free agents signing contracts less than six months after they were traded to their new team. However, if Harden opts in and the two sides build an extension off that, they can only temporarily add up to two new seasons and do up to 5 percent raises on that $47.4 player option. Again, the CBA is on board with a player making a lower salary but the limitation of two new seasons presumably makes any immediate extension untenable, though only for part of the offseason.
That said, because extend-and-trade restrictions last six months after the transaction, Harden and the 76ers cannot formally put pen to paper on a higher-end extension built off that opt-in until August 10, 2022. However, the two sides can absolutely come to an understanding of what that contract would look like, and, in fact, they would have to do so because Harden’s player option decision comes before the league year turns over in July. Still, that is a temporary inconvenience rather than a limitation.
What about the Over-38 rule?
Harden can thank former teammate Chris Paul, as the previous CBA limited contracts for players as they approached their age-36 season, but the players pushed that back to 38. Since Harden is 32 now and does not turn 33 until August, the over-38 rule would not affect him.
What about if Harden leaves this summer? What flexibility do the 76ers have then?
If Harden opts out and signs elsewhere as a free agent, the 76ers take his money off their books but the significant obligations to Embiid and Tobias Harris mean they only create a modest amount of cap space: $15-25 million depending on Danny Green’s $10 million non-guaranteed contract, unless they clear additional space by trading players with guaranteed salaries. That is enough to add someone who will help, especially if Morey can clear some more space, though this is an extremely weak free-agent class. Instead, the more likely time to make a non-Harden splash would be 2023, when Harris has an expiring contract and Maxey has not begun his next deal.
There is also a possibility that Harden leaves via sign-and-trade, which creates a massive trade exception and/or sends players to Philadelphia. In that scenario, Morey presumably stays over the cap either with those new players or by wielding the trade exception, but the problem there is that you still have to find and acquire a new player with the exception, likely using assets to entice that trade partner into shipping out someone.
So how do we rate the "Process" overall? Let's call it the 5 drafts between 2014-208.:
2014: Embiid 3rd overall. Major hit. Best player in that draft bar none. (Though getting Jokic in the 2nd round was the steal of the draft) 2015: Jahlil Okafor 3rd overall. Total bust, though he did net Trevor Booker (who?) in trade. 2016: Ben Simmons #1 overall. Started out looking great, but now looks like a bust, especially if the trade for Harden netted a guy who isn't much better than Curry Lite who was included in the deal yet he makes north of $40Mil. 2017: Markelle Fultz #1 overall, but also at cost of a future first rounder to move from 3 to 1. Passed on Jayson Tatum to take Fultz. Massive bust, no other way to put it. 2018: Landry Shamet #26. Decent secondary role player included in the Harris trade.
So just getting Embiid makes the thing probably a net positive. But following that up by blowing the #3 overall pick and then the following two #1 overall picks means the whole thing fell way short of its potential. Unless Harden regains his form of 4-5 years ago, Embiid may never see a conference finals let alone a title. Morey has his work cut out for him. No way I'd want to give big money to the version of Harden we just saw.
^ That's a tough way of looking at it only because the architect left before the Simmons draft. I've always said it was worth it because it got you THAT guy...one of the top 3, maybe, players on the planet. You can win championships with that guy.
It's the stuff that happened after the NBA forced Hinkie out that has bogged them down a bit. Still has been the most successful run we've had in decades...and that tells you how bad things were pre Hinkie.
^ That's a tough way of looking at it only because the architect left before the Simmons draft. I've always said it was worth it because it got you THAT guy...one of the top 3, maybe, players on the planet. You can win championships with that guy.
It's the stuff that happened after the NBA forced Hinkie out that has bogged them down a bit. Still has been the most successful run we've had in decades...and that tells you how bad things were pre Hinkie.
And I did say that just landing Embiid makes it a net positive. But when you look at the potential with the position they held in the 3 subsequent drafts, definitely major unfulfilled potential.
Hinkie definitely did his job and things went to shit after his departure.
And now you have to start wondering if you've already squandered Embiid's best years. Big guys like him often break down a lot younger than other players. (Obviously there are exceptions like Kareem). It's possible Embiid's window is only a few more years.
Process was an overall success with the greatest competitive advantage in sports being super weak (ownership). Fingers crossed that Daryl builds more and doesn't leave us in any further shambles.
^ That's a tough way of looking at it only because the architect left before the Simmons draft. I've always said it was worth it because it got you THAT guy...one of the top 3, maybe, players on the planet. You can win championships with that guy.
It's the stuff that happened after the NBA forced Hinkie out that has bogged them down a bit. Still has been the most successful run we've had in decades...and that tells you how bad things were pre Hinkie.
And I did say that just landing Embiid makes it a net positive. But when you look at the potential with the position they held in the 3 subsequent drafts, definitely major unfulfilled potential.
Hinkie definitely did his job and things went to shit after his departure.
And now you have to start wondering if you've already squandered Embiid's best years. Big guys like him often break down a lot younger than other players. (Obviously there are exceptions like Kareem). It's possible Embiid's window is only a few more years.
I guess I take umbrage with lumping moves the Colangelo's and Brand made and calling that part of "the process." People do that all the time and it's a lazy argument. Not saying you're doing that, though.
Yeah, that window isn't going to stay open forever. But Embiid's never been an above the rim kind of guy (rarely, if ever, dunks lobs sent his way for example) so I could see his game translating better than some envision as he ages---barring, obviously, a major injury occurring.
The frustrating thing is the roster changing so much on a yearly basis. Embiid hasn't had the kind of continuity other stars have had in their primes.
^ That's a tough way of looking at it only because the architect left before the Simmons draft. I've always said it was worth it because it got you THAT guy...one of the top 3, maybe, players on the planet. You can win championships with that guy.
It's the stuff that happened after the NBA forced Hinkie out that has bogged them down a bit. Still has been the most successful run we've had in decades...and that tells you how bad things were pre Hinkie.
And I did say that just landing Embiid makes it a net positive. But when you look at the potential with the position they held in the 3 subsequent drafts, definitely major unfulfilled potential.
Hinkie definitely did his job and things went to shit after his departure.
And now you have to start wondering if you've already squandered Embiid's best years. Big guys like him often break down a lot younger than other players. (Obviously there are exceptions like Kareem). It's possible Embiid's window is only a few more years.
I guess I take umbrage with lumping moves the Colangelo's and Brand made and calling that part of "the process." People do that all the time and it's a lazy argument. Not saying you're doing that, though.
Yeah those moves aren't the process in and of itself, but they are moves made with picks collected during the process, so they kind of go hand in hand when evaluating the entirety of the era.
Was hoping for a good old fashioned Celts/Sixers ECF, but looks like we may both be SOL this year.
^ That's a tough way of looking at it only because the architect left before the Simmons draft. I've always said it was worth it because it got you THAT guy...one of the top 3, maybe, players on the planet. You can win championships with that guy.
It's the stuff that happened after the NBA forced Hinkie out that has bogged them down a bit. Still has been the most successful run we've had in decades...and that tells you how bad things were pre Hinkie.
And I did say that just landing Embiid makes it a net positive. But when you look at the potential with the position they held in the 3 subsequent drafts, definitely major unfulfilled potential.
Hinkie definitely did his job and things went to shit after his departure.
And now you have to start wondering if you've already squandered Embiid's best years. Big guys like him often break down a lot younger than other players. (Obviously there are exceptions like Kareem). It's possible Embiid's window is only a few more years.
I guess I take umbrage with lumping moves the Colangelo's and Brand made and calling that part of "the process." People do that all the time and it's a lazy argument. Not saying you're doing that, though.
Yeah those moves aren't the process in and of itself, but they are moves made with picks collected during the process, so they kind of go hand in hand when evaluating the entirety of the era.
Was hoping for a good old fashioned Celts/Sixers ECF, but looks like we may both be SOL this year.
On the surface, yeah...but after realizing they were made by the people handpicked by the NBA to replace Hinkie and it's not so black and white.
That ECF would've been fun. I would've preferred the Bucks but, yeah, maybe next year.
You process guys are nauseating. Now it doesn’t count because Hinkie quit. Yes he quit. You must forget the manifesto. Fact is even with a guy who should have been MVP this year they still haven’t gone any further than they did when Iguodola was their best player. The so called process has produced one high quality player in a decade. And he can’t stay on he court. Maybe decade number 2 of the process will be better:
At least now Embiid can produce funny tweets and tik tok videos you guys love so much
I normally don't put much stock into any non baseball points Murphy makes but this is a surprisingly reasonable one. Harden has to realize he's a different player than he was a couple years ago. Morey should be able to put together a formidable roster with the new version, assuming he's willing to take less to win a championship and cares about his legacy. We shall see...
A max contract is a non-starter for the Sixers and James Harden, but so is parting ways
The Sixers would be foolish to give Harden anything close to the max-level deal he can command. Still, they need him in order to contend.
s guard James HardenYONG KIM / Staff Photographer
by David Murphy | ColumnistUpdated 2 hours ago
The biggest question facing the Sixers this summer is how difficult James Harden is going to make it on them. Everything else is going to be some derivative of three obvious truths.
1) The old version of Harden might have been worth $270 million over five years.
2) The elder version most definitely is not.
3) The Sixers need to keep Harden in the fold if they want to contend for a championship next year.
Those realities are not as contradictory as they seem. There is plenty of potential for conflict, yes. But Daryl Morey and his moneymen have little choice but to navigate it. That is what happens when you make a trade like the one the Sixers swung in mid-February. The Sixers have neither the time, the money, nor the assets to orchestrate yet another structural reboot. They have one option: build a contender with what they have.
Granted, one of the hardest parts of roster-building is distinguishing a sunk cost from a committed pot. But anybody who puts Harden in the first category probably isn’t being honest with themselves. Is Harden the player he was when the Sixers made their first run at him two years ago? No, obviously not. Is he the player they thought they were getting when they acquired him for Ben Simmons, two first-round picks, and two important depth pieces? No, probably not. Is he a player whom the Sixers can pair with Joel Embiid and build a roster around? Yes. Yes he is.
Sixers center Joel Embiid with guard James Harden and guard Tyrese Maxey against the Miami Heat during game six of the second-round Eastern Conference playoffs on Thursday, May 12, 2022 in Philadelphia.Read moreYONG KIM / Staff Photographer
In a weird way, Harden’s 33 games with the Sixers went about as well as they could have gone given the circumstances. Scoff all you want about the fact that he only attempted 11 shots in the Sixers’ Game 6 loss to the Heat. The Harden you saw out there was not a player who should have been taking more than 11 shots. He was not a player you should have wanted to be taking more than 11 shots. In only taking 11 shots, Harden actually displayed a level of self-awareness that many would have thought impossible back when he was averaging 20.4 attempts per game in Houston. When the Sixers acquired him, the biggest question was whether he would be able to co-exist in an offense that included another ball-dominant player like Embiid. He answered that question. He can.
You don’t have to be a Harden apologist to acknowledge the potential we saw. In 10 games this postseason, the Sixers’ starting five outscored opponents by an average of 12.1 points per 100 possessions. In seven of those games, Embiid was playing with a torn thumb ligament. In four of them, he was playing with a torn thumb ligament and a fractured orbital socket. Yet the Sixers went 2-2 against the Heat in the games that Embiid played. And they did so despite a bench composed almost entirely of players who would not have been in the rotation had they been on the other team.
I get it. That’s a doozy of an alternate history. But it’s composed entirely of facts. Matisse Thybulle, Shake Milton, and Furkan Korkmaz combined to play 230 of the Sixers’ 1,440 minutes against the Heat. A championship team can’t afford to have any one of those guys on the court for a single meaningful minute. The Sixers had them out there for 230! And we haven’t even mentioned Georges Niang, who shot 4-for-25 from three-point range in his 94 minutes.
This isn’t an argument that Harden was a victim of circumstance. He was not the player the Sixers needed him to be. But that does not mean the Sixers cannot build a viable roster around the player who he is. The biggest thing we learned about Harden this spring is that he is not a player who, in his current form, can be a primary scorer on a championship team. That’s notable, and it’s why the Sixers would be foolish to re-sign Harden to anything approaching a max-level deal. But he showed enough as a pure point guard to make you think that the Sixers at least have the potential to surround him and Embiid with the necessary complementary pieces.
Sixers center Joel Embiid questions an offensive foul call on him in the second quarter during game five of the first-round Eastern Conference playoffs on Monday, April 25, 2022 in Philadelphia.YONG KIM / Staff Photographer
The Sixers don’t have a ton of flexibility to add those pieces, but they have some. Milton, Korkmaz, Thybulle, and Niang are on the books for a combined total of about $15 million in salary. In an ideal world, you’d be able to roll them into a trade that nets a wing or two who brings a better combination of defense and shooting. Trade Tobias Harris to a team with cap room, and the Sixers could have $12 to $15 million to spend in free agency. That would also leave them with an additional $5 million to spend using the Mid-Level Exception. All of this assumes Harden returns on his $47.3 million option. If the Sixers sign him to an extension at less that that number annually, they’d have even more flexibility to spend.
There is plenty of cause for hope to go with all of the obvious concerns. At 33, Harden might be a player in decline. But he also might be one who got the wake-up call he needed. Either way, the Sixers’ best path forward is clearly to build a more sensible team around Harden, Embiid, and soon-to-be third-year dynamo Tyrese Maxey. For the first time in a long time, the Sixers have a chance to navigate an offseason with their major pieces in place. Harden says he is committed to being here. Both sides need to make it happen.
Comments
Fun fact about the drunk Sixers car dealer fan--I know that he spent some time in the can over a decade ago for having multiple dui's. Hope he didn't drive home from the game.
My brother had to spend a few days in the clink back then and was in there with him. So, yeah, every time I see his dumb face on tv that's all I think about. Monday night made perfect sense.
2010: Newark 5/18 MSG 5/20-21 2011: PJ20 9/3-4 2012: Made In America 9/2
2013: Brooklyn 10/18-19 Philly 10/21-22 Hartford 10/25 2014: ACL10/12
2015: NYC 9/23 2016: Tampa 4/11 Philly 4/28-29 MSG 5/1-2 Fenway 8/5+8/7
2017: RRHoF 4/7 2018: Fenway 9/2+9/4 2021: Sea Hear Now 9/18
2022: MSG 9/11 2024: MSG 9/3-4 Philly 9/7+9/9 Fenway 9/15+9/17
what's the slogan for next season? trust the process decade #2?
Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
VIC 07
EV LA1 08
Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
Columbus 10
EV LA 11
Vancouver 11
Missoula 12
Portland 13, Spokane 13
St. Paul 14, Denver 14
Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
VIC 07
EV LA1 08
Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
Columbus 10
EV LA 11
Vancouver 11
Missoula 12
Portland 13, Spokane 13
St. Paul 14, Denver 14
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
Glen needs to go.
It's a player option at $47 million so it's up to Harden. Maybe the team could convince him to decline the option and negotiate a new deal but that's a longshot.
James Harden has been the focal point of the NBA’s biggest in-season trade each of the past two years. He and the Philadelphia 76ers now find themselves months away from a truly fascinating offseason; Harden has a lucrative player option, and Daryl Morey has the opportunity to retool the franchise around the pairing of Joel Embiid and Harden. This situation has some notable nuances that can be confusing, so this is a great time to put together a question-and-answer session addressing some of the key elements.
So, what is the deal with Harden’s player option?
It appears Harden neither picked up nor declined his $47.4 million player option for 2022-23 as a part of the trade-deadline megadeal, and that opens up flexibility for both sides. It also theoretically creates the chance he’ll opt out and leave, but that feels incredibly unlikely.
What is the most Harden can make, and how can that happen?
Typically, a player’s maximum salary on a new contract depends solely on his years of experience in the NBA and the salary cap amount for that season, with 25 percent, 30 percent and 35 percent of the cap serving as the three thresholds in the current collective bargaining agreement. At the $122 million cap projection for 2022-23, that would mean a $42.7 million starting salary for a player like Harden with 10 or more years of experience.
However, the CBA includes an exception to this framework for those at the very top of the salary scale; a player is allowed to get a 5 percent raise on his salary from the previous season, even if that puts him above the “normal” max line. Because Harden made $44.3 million in 2021-22, he is permitted to sign a new contract starting at $46.5 million, even though that is well over the 35 percent max. With the 76ers, that starting salary with 8 percent annual raises works out to a five-year, $269.9 million contract.
Now, you may be wondering, “Wait, that $46.5 million is less than Harden’s player option, right?” That is exactly the right thought. Though the CBA allows that special exception to the max for free agents coming off huge salaries, remember that Harden does not have to become a free agent this summer, and the per-season raise on his current contract is more than 5 percent. As such, the absolute most Harden could secure this offseason is via opting in and then extending off $47.4 million rather than $46.5 million. That leads to a maximum total contact value of $274.7 million over five seasons including the opt-in, about $5 million more than the other framework.
What if Harden is willing to take less than his absolute maximum? How would that work?
The CBA is pretty flexible when it comes to players making less than their richest possible deal, so a sub-max Harden contract could take many different forms. The important thing to remember is the first season of a new contract is key for setting the parameters. Because the 76ers have Harden’s Bird rights, they can start him at any salary from his minimum to that $46.5 million maximum. From there, that contract can increase or decrease by as much as 8 percent of that first-year salary in every subsequent year of the contract.
Let’s say Harden and Morey agree to a $40 million salary for 2022-23 as a part of a new contract. Eight percent of that is $3.2 million, so each season after the first one, his salary could increase up to $3.2 million from the prior year, decrease up to $3.2 million or land anywhere in between.
The biggest limitation with this is the 8 percent cap on year-to-year shifts, because that means the contract can have some ebbs and flows but no truly huge swings. Those swings can be used to accomplish other goals, like temporarily ducking the luxury tax or more dramatically lowering Harden’s salary late in the contract when his level of play will likely be well below the current standard. That matters far more to the 76ers than Harden, especially because the way negotiations may go is that they might hammer out the pure financial terms (years, dollars, guarantees, etc.) but then let Morey structure the deal in the fashion that makes the most sense with his vision for the team’s books.
Is there any other way Harden’s next contract could work?
Yes, and it is my absolute favorite structure if Harden is willing to take less than his maximum.
Above, I talked about the idea that Harden and Morey will focus their negotiation on the key pieces: how much money over how long, options and whether or not the whole contract will be fully guaranteed. In a scenario where Harden is willing to take meaningfully less than his maximum, the CBA’s 8 percent limit on year-to-year increases may limit Morey’s choices more than he would prefer. However, a Harden opt-in opens up another ambitious possibility: a version of super-frontloading Harden’s next contract where that $47.4 million option stays on the Sixers’ books but then future seasons drop off significantly. As discussed above, the CBA gives significantly more latitude when it comes to players taking less, and that really comes into play on extensions.
Theoretically, Harden’s salary could drop to whatever negotiated amount they wanted for 2023-24, then the 8 percent year-to-year restrictions would come in on that first new salary.
Let’s say, theoretically, Harden was willing to take $35 million per season over five years rather than his full maximum. On a brand new contract starting in 2022-23, that could look like this:
However, using the player option, the two sides could structure the same overall money this way:
That second path is preferable for Harden because he’d get more money sooner (especially considering the time value of money). It could potentially be better for the 76ers, too, as they would likely pay the tax in 2022-23, then avoid it as early as 2023-24 and move well clear of it in 2024-25 when Tobias Harris’ contract comes off the books — right ahead of a significant contract for breakout star Tyrese Maxey. Now, this requires Harden being willing to accept that lowered overall payout, and that may not be in the cards. Still, it is a fascinating hypothetical that could really change things for the franchise down the line.
What about the extend-and-trade rules?
This CBA rule only comes into play if Harden opts in, because extend-and-trade restrictions do not affect free agents signing contracts less than six months after they were traded to their new team. However, if Harden opts in and the two sides build an extension off that, they can only temporarily add up to two new seasons and do up to 5 percent raises on that $47.4 player option. Again, the CBA is on board with a player making a lower salary but the limitation of two new seasons presumably makes any immediate extension untenable, though only for part of the offseason.
That said, because extend-and-trade restrictions last six months after the transaction, Harden and the 76ers cannot formally put pen to paper on a higher-end extension built off that opt-in until August 10, 2022. However, the two sides can absolutely come to an understanding of what that contract would look like, and, in fact, they would have to do so because Harden’s player option decision comes before the league year turns over in July. Still, that is a temporary inconvenience rather than a limitation.
What about the Over-38 rule?
Harden can thank former teammate Chris Paul, as the previous CBA limited contracts for players as they approached their age-36 season, but the players pushed that back to 38. Since Harden is 32 now and does not turn 33 until August, the over-38 rule would not affect him.
What about if Harden leaves this summer? What flexibility do the 76ers have then?
If Harden opts out and signs elsewhere as a free agent, the 76ers take his money off their books but the significant obligations to Embiid and Tobias Harris mean they only create a modest amount of cap space: $15-25 million depending on Danny Green’s $10 million non-guaranteed contract, unless they clear additional space by trading players with guaranteed salaries. That is enough to add someone who will help, especially if Morey can clear some more space, though this is an extremely weak free-agent class. Instead, the more likely time to make a non-Harden splash would be 2023, when Harris has an expiring contract and Maxey has not begun his next deal.
There is also a possibility that Harden leaves via sign-and-trade, which creates a massive trade exception and/or sends players to Philadelphia. In that scenario, Morey presumably stays over the cap either with those new players or by wielding the trade exception, but the problem there is that you still have to find and acquire a new player with the exception, likely using assets to entice that trade partner into shipping out someone.
Let's call it the 5 drafts between 2014-208.:
2014: Embiid 3rd overall. Major hit. Best player in that draft bar none. (Though getting Jokic in the 2nd round was the steal of the draft)
2015: Jahlil Okafor 3rd overall. Total bust, though he did net Trevor Booker (who?) in trade.
2016: Ben Simmons #1 overall. Started out looking great, but now looks like a bust, especially if the trade for Harden netted a guy who isn't much better than Curry Lite who was included in the deal yet he makes north of $40Mil.
2017: Markelle Fultz #1 overall, but also at cost of a future first rounder to move from 3 to 1. Passed on Jayson Tatum to take Fultz. Massive bust, no other way to put it.
2018: Landry Shamet #26. Decent secondary role player included in the Harris trade.
So just getting Embiid makes the thing probably a net positive. But following that up by blowing the #3 overall pick and then the following two #1 overall picks means the whole thing fell way short of its potential. Unless Harden regains his form of 4-5 years ago, Embiid may never see a conference finals let alone a title.
Morey has his work cut out for him. No way I'd want to give big money to the version of Harden we just saw.
That's a tough way of looking at it only because the architect left before the Simmons draft. I've always said it was worth it because it got you THAT guy...one of the top 3, maybe, players on the planet. You can win championships with that guy.
It's the stuff that happened after the NBA forced Hinkie out that has bogged them down a bit. Still has been the most successful run we've had in decades...and that tells you how bad things were pre Hinkie.
Hinkie definitely did his job and things went to shit after his departure.
And now you have to start wondering if you've already squandered Embiid's best years. Big guys like him often break down a lot younger than other players. (Obviously there are exceptions like Kareem). It's possible Embiid's window is only a few more years.
Yeah, that window isn't going to stay open forever. But Embiid's never been an above the rim kind of guy (rarely, if ever, dunks lobs sent his way for example) so I could see his game translating better than some envision as he ages---barring, obviously, a major injury occurring.
The frustrating thing is the roster changing so much on a yearly basis. Embiid hasn't had the kind of continuity other stars have had in their primes.
Was hoping for a good old fashioned Celts/Sixers ECF, but looks like we may both be SOL this year.
That ECF would've been fun. I would've preferred the Bucks but, yeah, maybe next year.
At least now Embiid can produce funny tweets and tik tok videos you guys love so much
https://www.inquirer.com/sports/james-harden-contract-sixers-offseason-20220516.html
A max contract is a non-starter for the Sixers and James Harden, but so is parting ways
The Sixers would be foolish to give Harden anything close to the max-level deal he can command. Still, they need him in order to contend.
by David Murphy | ColumnistUpdated 2 hours ago
The biggest question facing the Sixers this summer is how difficult James Harden is going to make it on them. Everything else is going to be some derivative of three obvious truths.
1) The old version of Harden might have been worth $270 million over five years.
2) The elder version most definitely is not.
3) The Sixers need to keep Harden in the fold if they want to contend for a championship next year.
Those realities are not as contradictory as they seem. There is plenty of potential for conflict, yes. But Daryl Morey and his moneymen have little choice but to navigate it. That is what happens when you make a trade like the one the Sixers swung in mid-February. The Sixers have neither the time, the money, nor the assets to orchestrate yet another structural reboot. They have one option: build a contender with what they have.
Granted, one of the hardest parts of roster-building is distinguishing a sunk cost from a committed pot. But anybody who puts Harden in the first category probably isn’t being honest with themselves. Is Harden the player he was when the Sixers made their first run at him two years ago? No, obviously not. Is he the player they thought they were getting when they acquired him for Ben Simmons, two first-round picks, and two important depth pieces? No, probably not. Is he a player whom the Sixers can pair with Joel Embiid and build a roster around? Yes. Yes he is.
In a weird way, Harden’s 33 games with the Sixers went about as well as they could have gone given the circumstances. Scoff all you want about the fact that he only attempted 11 shots in the Sixers’ Game 6 loss to the Heat. The Harden you saw out there was not a player who should have been taking more than 11 shots. He was not a player you should have wanted to be taking more than 11 shots. In only taking 11 shots, Harden actually displayed a level of self-awareness that many would have thought impossible back when he was averaging 20.4 attempts per game in Houston. When the Sixers acquired him, the biggest question was whether he would be able to co-exist in an offense that included another ball-dominant player like Embiid. He answered that question. He can.
You don’t have to be a Harden apologist to acknowledge the potential we saw. In 10 games this postseason, the Sixers’ starting five outscored opponents by an average of 12.1 points per 100 possessions. In seven of those games, Embiid was playing with a torn thumb ligament. In four of them, he was playing with a torn thumb ligament and a fractured orbital socket. Yet the Sixers went 2-2 against the Heat in the games that Embiid played. And they did so despite a bench composed almost entirely of players who would not have been in the rotation had they been on the other team.
I get it. That’s a doozy of an alternate history. But it’s composed entirely of facts. Matisse Thybulle, Shake Milton, and Furkan Korkmaz combined to play 230 of the Sixers’ 1,440 minutes against the Heat. A championship team can’t afford to have any one of those guys on the court for a single meaningful minute. The Sixers had them out there for 230! And we haven’t even mentioned Georges Niang, who shot 4-for-25 from three-point range in his 94 minutes.
This isn’t an argument that Harden was a victim of circumstance. He was not the player the Sixers needed him to be. But that does not mean the Sixers cannot build a viable roster around the player who he is. The biggest thing we learned about Harden this spring is that he is not a player who, in his current form, can be a primary scorer on a championship team. That’s notable, and it’s why the Sixers would be foolish to re-sign Harden to anything approaching a max-level deal. But he showed enough as a pure point guard to make you think that the Sixers at least have the potential to surround him and Embiid with the necessary complementary pieces.
The Sixers don’t have a ton of flexibility to add those pieces, but they have some. Milton, Korkmaz, Thybulle, and Niang are on the books for a combined total of about $15 million in salary. In an ideal world, you’d be able to roll them into a trade that nets a wing or two who brings a better combination of defense and shooting. Trade Tobias Harris to a team with cap room, and the Sixers could have $12 to $15 million to spend in free agency. That would also leave them with an additional $5 million to spend using the Mid-Level Exception. All of this assumes Harden returns on his $47.3 million option. If the Sixers sign him to an extension at less that that number annually, they’d have even more flexibility to spend.
There is plenty of cause for hope to go with all of the obvious concerns. At 33, Harden might be a player in decline. But he also might be one who got the wake-up call he needed. Either way, the Sixers’ best path forward is clearly to build a more sensible team around Harden, Embiid, and soon-to-be third-year dynamo Tyrese Maxey. For the first time in a long time, the Sixers have a chance to navigate an offseason with their major pieces in place. Harden says he is committed to being here. Both sides need to make it happen.
If he gets himself in better shape the Sixers should do well w him in his new role w Embiid.
Murphy is right and Harden doesn't need a max contract. he hasn't proved that he is worthy of it.