James Edward Harden Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association. He is one of the NBA’s most prolific scorers and has been called the best shooting guard in the NBA, as well as one of the top overall players in the league.
James Harden: Opt out| Opt in| To Lakers trade| contract extension
Opt out:
The opt-out could go a long way in reshaping the Sixers’ bench, including that full midlevel exception, the $4.1 million biennial exception and sign-and-trade deals.
Teams may begin negotiating deals with free agents starting at 6 p.m. ET Thursday. However, those players cannot officially sign until 12:01 p.m. ET on July 6.
Opt In:
Harden, 32, averaged 22.0 points and 10.3 assists across 65 games with the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia this past season, after being sent from Brooklyn to Philadelphia as part of the blockbuster trade that sent Ben Simmons in the other direction.
His arrival, however, didn’t change things for Philadelphia in the playoffs, as the 76ers lost in the second round for the fourth time in five years.
To Lakers Trade:
One player the 76ers have been repeatedly linked to is veteran forward P.J. Tucker.
The 37-year-old reportedly verbally agreed to a three-year, $30 million contract with Philadelphia earlier this week, turning down opportunities to play with the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey. With Harden’s opt-out, the 76ers are one step closer to bringing in the coveted free agent.
Despite declining his player option, it remains likely that Harden will play in Philadelphia for several years to come.
Contract Extension:
76ers President Daryl Morey has often expressed his infatuation towards the star sho oting guard and is currently working with Harden on a new short-term max contract lasting three years, according to The Ringer.
Harden spent only a year in Brooklyn, after his wildly successful eight-year run in Houston ended right at the start of the 2020-21 campaign, when he was sent to the Nets for a haul of future draft assets to pair with both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
