Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden opted out of his player option this week. Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden will reportedly take massive pay cut

Originally posted on Sportsnaut | By Jason Burgos | Last updated 6/30/22

If new rumors are to be believed, James Harden is going to re-sign with the Philadelphia 76ers for a big-time bargain rate compared to what he could have made next season if he had opted into the final year of his contract.

On Wednesday, the 10-time All-Star made the team-friendly decision to opt out of the final year of the contract he signed with the Houston Rockets in 2019, with plans to sign a new deal with the team once NBA free agency begins on Thursday.

It was a bold move considering the fact that Harden was set to be one of the highest-paid players in the NBA by making $47.4 million in 2022-2023. However, if there was any doubt that the 32-year-old truly was dedicated to winning a championship in Philly, this put those concerns to rest.

Now, a new report claims to have an exact money amount on the multi-year deal Harden is expected to put pen to paper on with the 76ers and it is a number much lower than he was going to make before opting out of his current contract.

James Harden is giving Philadelphia 76ers over $10 million annual discounts in new deal

On Thursday morning, veteran NBA insider Marc Stein broke the news that James Harden will take a massive pay cut annually to continue his run for a title in Philadelphia.

“Three years in the mid-$30 MMs and crossing the $100 MM threshold is the more precise estimate but INDEED a huge help to the Sixers’ roster-building plans.”
Marc Stein on james harden’s next contract

To take $10 million less per season is a serious cut in salary for a professional athlete to take when they are still competing in their prime years. However, after 13 seasons in the league, Harden clearly wants to achieve the one goal that has eluded him thus far: To win his first NBA championship.

Alongside perennial MVP candidate Joel Embiid, and with coach Doc Rivers leading the charge, he has as good a chance as ever to do so.

Harden’s pay cut is expected to help the team get under the non-tax player threshold and allow them to sign coveted free agent PJ Tucker using one of their mid-level exceptions.

This article first appeared on Sportsnaut and was syndicated with permission.

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