James Harden puts Philadelphia 76ers first in pursuit of winning a championship

James Harden is close to signing a two-year contract extension with the Philadelphia 76ers, worth $64 million, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. Haynes reported that Sixers president Daryl Morey is optimistic that a deal will be done soon.

After declining his player option worth $47 million, Harden will get a $15 million pay cut to help the franchise create significant cap flexility and bolster the roster.

Thanks to this pay cut, the Sixers added P.J. Tucker and Danuel House Jr., which wouldn't have been possible if Harden had signed a multi-year contract extension.

Philadelphia 76ers v Miami Heat - Game Five

Why is the new deal a win-win situation for James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers?

This is a win-win situation for James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers avoided committing long term with an aging player, which could hurt their future.

Harden will turn 33 in August, and his diminishing skill set won't be beneficial to the team long-term.

What Harden showed last season was that he could be effective as a floor general, but his lack of energy was obvious, especially when driving to the basket.

Because of that, the majority of his points came either from beyond the arc or the free-throw line. This became obvious in losing the Eastern Conference semifinals to the Miami Heat in six games.

Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden

While a hamstring injury that lingered for several months played its part, Harden never played at the MVP level he showed with the Houston Rockets.

Harden averaged 18.6 points, 10.5 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game in the postseason, yet Philadelphia lost in the conference semifinals again. It was their fourth semifinal exit in five seasons.

Under the new contract, it is clear that Harden is putting the Sixers first in pursuit of a championship.

With an upgraded roster, the Sixers will have much-needed depth, which they lacked last year. The team will also be able to pair Harden and Embiid and see how the superstar duo works together for a full season.

Harden has an entire offseason to work on his body, so the team will expect him to be in great shape by the start of training camp in September.

Harden also knows that winning the championship with the Sixers will put him in a position to negotiate a better deal next season.

With Year 2 being a player option, he could pick it up or opt out and negotiate a new deal as a champion this time.

For its part, Philadelphia could either bring Harden back for another season or just let him go and seek another superstar to pair with Embiid.

Overall, the new deal is a win-win situation for Harden and Philadelphia, and it looks like the Beard's best opportunity to fight for an NBA championship.

Joel Embiid, left, and James Harden