James Harden will be a free agent this summer (if he declines his player option) and there have been rumblings that he may be willing to take less than the max to stay with the Sixers.
The Athletic’s Sam Amick is the latest reporter to share the sentiment, writing that the franchise believed this to be the case before they made the trade for Harden.
“When the Sixers got him, their intel was that he would potentially be willing to take less. And obviously, you know, nobody knows him better than Daryl (Morey),”
The former MVP would be eligible for a five-year, $270 million contract this summer, though if he’s willing to take less than the max, it’s possible that Philadelphia could add additional talent to the Joel Embiid–Tyrese Maxey-Harden core.
More NBA Rumors
- The Cavaliers could be looking for a new backcourt partner for Darius Garland and as Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report recently explained, Kemba Walker may be a feasible, low-risk option. The Knicks shut Walker down at the end of the 2021-22 campaign with the intention of finding the point guard a trade partner this summer. Swarts suggests sending Cedi Osman to New York in exchange for Walker, who has one more season left on his contract.
- Earlier in the week, we explored whether D’Angelo Russell makes sense as a trade target for the Cavaliers with the Wolves being open to moving the former No. 2 overall pick this summer. Sending Collin Sexton to Minnesota (via sign-and-trade) may be a feasible option if Cleveland is interested in pursuing a Russell-Garland backcourt.
- It doesn’t sound like the Lakers will be getting a serious shot at landing Raptors coach Nick Nurse. The former Coach of the Year award winner is expected to remain in Toronto while LeBron James & Co. continue their search for someone to lead the team.
- Could the Warriors trade for Rudy Gobert this offseason? ESPN’s Brian Windhorst believes that Golden State could look into Gobert’s situation in Utah with Andrew Wiggins possibly headed to the Jazz in a potential deal. Gobert reportedly wants to remain in Utah and the center has attempted to hush some of the rumors via Twitter. Still, the franchise is expected to make at least some roster moves this summer whether that includes Gobert or not remains to be seen.
- Are the Clippers the best fit for Ben Simmons if the Nets look to trade him this summer? We examined what a realistic trade sending the former No. 1 pick to Los Angeles would look like with Brooklyn receiving veteran depth, including Reggie Jackson, along with a future first-round pick.
