James Harden stunned the NBA on Thursday when he picked up his option with the Philadelphia 76ers for next season, and the decision may have a lot to do with the lack of interest teams have shown in the former MVP.
Harden has picked up his $35.6 million player option and asked the Sixers to trade him. Since he obviously wants out of Philly, some are wondering why Harden chose not to enter free agency. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on “Get Up” Friday morning that Harden “was afraid of going out into the market.”
.@WindhorstESPN has the details of James Harden exercising his $35.6M player option:
"There isn't a strong market for James Harden right now. The Sixers were positioning themselves to try to force him into a disadvantageous position, and so he elected to opt into his contract." pic.twitter.com/FoG2327GTW
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) June 30, 2023
“Because he didn’t have a good feel for what the Sixers were going to offer him, more like a year ago when they were in long-term talks, he was afraid of going out into the market. There isn’t a strong market for James Harden right now,” Windhorst said. “The Sixers were positioning themselves to try to force him into a disadvantageous position, so he elected to opt into his contract. When you’re opted in, then you can be traded everywhere. When you’re a free agent, you’re limited in how and where you can go.”
It sounds like the 76ers were open to Harden returning, but at a discounted price. They likely believed Harden would not receive max offers if he hit free agency, and the 33-year-old must have agreed.
Only teams with sufficient salary cap space would be able to add Harden if he became a free agent. He could potentially have more suitors now that a trade is in play. Though, Harden’s next team will either have to sign him to an extension or risk losing him in free agency a year from now.
Harden is reportedly eyeing at least two Western Conference teams. There has also been talk of a surprise contender entering the mix for him.
