James Harden ‘Undecided’ On $35.6 Million Player Option With Sixers

Former NBA MVP James Harden has not made a decision on whether he will pick up his $35.6 million player option with the Philadelphia 76ers for next season, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Harden can become an unrestricted free agent on June 30 if he declines his 2023-24 player option. The 10-time All-Star signed a two-year, $68.6 million contract with the Sixers last summer.

“I’m told James Harden and his representatives have not made a decision yet on that $35.6 million player option that he would have to exercise by Thursday afternoon,” Wojnarowski said. “It gives him about two days now to figure out whether it makes more sense to decline it and then go into free agency where they can negotiate a new deal with the Sixers, or look elsewhere, including the Houston Rockets.”

Harden averaged 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds and 10.7 assists in 2023-23 while shooting 44.1% from the floor, 38.5% from beyond the arc and 86.7% from the free-throw line. The future Hall of Famer led the NBA in assists per game for the second time in his career.

The Sixers lost to the Boston Celtics in the 2023 Eastern Conference Semifinals in seven games despite having a 3-2 lead in the series. Doc Rivers was fired as head coach and replaced by Nick Nurse, who won the 2019 championship with the Toronto Raptors over the Golden State Warriors.

Nurse and Harden met a few weeks ago in Houston. Most people around the league believe Harden will either stay with the Sixers or go back to the Houston Rockets once free agency starts.

One of the greatest players in NBA history, Harden has career averages of 24.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 7.0 assists with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Rockets, Brooklyn Nets and Sixers. He is still looking to win his first championship.