James Harden Returning To 76ers—And Taking A Big Pay Cut (Willingly)

Topline

Former NBA most valuable player James Harden has agreed to a two-year deal to return to the Philadelphia 76ers, according to multiple reports, with the star guard–who is one of the world’s highest-paid athletes–willingly taking a pay cut to stay in Philadelphia.

Key Facts

Harden will be paid $33 million for the 2022-23 season, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, and he has a player option to return the following season for $35.6 million, though he could choose to opt out of the deal and become a free agent next offseason.

Harden was a free agent after turning down an option to play with the 76ers on a $47.4 million salary for 2022-23, which allowed the team enough financial flexibility to add role players like P.J. Tucker and Danuel House to the roster, according to Wojnarowski.

Harden played last season on a salary of more than $44 million, and made around $30 million in off-the-court earnings, making him the 12th highest-paid athlete in the world, according to Forbes’ estimates.

Key Background

Harden, with his trademark beard and left-handed jumpshot, is one of the most recognizable players in the NBA. He burst onto the scene during his time with the Oklahoma City Thunder from 2009 to 2012, teaming up with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook to lead the small-market franchise to its only NBA Finals appearance in 2012. But Harden’s career really took off after he was traded to the Houston Rockets prior to the 2012-13 season. Harden led the team to eight straight playoff appearances and was selected to the NBA All-Star Game in each of his seasons in Houston, being named league MVP in 2018. The team never made it to the Finals, though, and Harden was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in January 2021 after his relationship with Rockets management deteriorated. Harden’s time in Brooklyn would only last a year, amid reports of tensions between him and team leadership, while the Nets posted an unremarkable second-round finish in the 2020-21 playoffs, despite a star-laden roster that included Harden, Durant and Kyrie Irving. Harden was traded to Philadelphia in February, with the team advancing to the second round of the playoffs this year.

Further Reading

Harden To Philly, Simmons To Brooklyn In Blockbuster Trade (Forbes)