NBA Rumors- Sixers not excited about offering James Harden a max contract

Philadelphia 76ers star guard James Harden is looking to receive a long-term max contract in free agency this summer. Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes reported earlier this month that Harden will decline his $35.6 million player option for next season. However, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Sixers don’t have any interest in signing Harden to a max deal.

On “Pardon the Interruption,” Windhorst spoke about the Sixers’ mindset entering free agency.

“The 76ers have not shown an appetite to pay Harden the max. That's why they asked him to take a pay cut last year,” Windhorst said. “The Sixers are not really motivated to pay him that max salary if they don't think anybody else is going to do it.”

Harden averaged 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 10.7 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.8 3-pointers per game on 44.1% shooting in 58 regular-season games. Meanwhile, the Sixers finished with the NBA's third-best record (54-28).

Harden then averaged 20.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 8.3 apg, 1.8 spg and 2.8 3pg on 39.3% shooting in 11 playoff games. The Sixers were eliminated in seven games by the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Where will James Harden go if he leaves the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency?

Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden

If Harden ultimately leaves the Philadelphia 76ers, his former team, the Houston Rockets, are seen as the most likely destination for the 33-year-old star guard.

According to The Athletic's Kelly Iko, Harden is the "top target for Houston in free agency, representing the veteran leadership and elite point guard needed to establish structure and offensive cohesion."

However, on his podcast, “The Hoop Collective,” Brian Windhorst said that he suspects the Harden to Houston rumors are just a leverage play:

“The two big names out on the (free-agent) market this year are James Harden and Kyrie Irving," Windhorst said. "Both of them, at $48 to $50-something million, seem like very bad bets. But there is a scarcity (of star talent) there.

“I also think that both of them – Kyrie showing up to Laker games, James Harden being rumored to be attached to the Rockets – I still suspect that all of that is one giant leverage play, that what Harden really wants is to elicit the biggest offer out of the Sixers, even if it isn't a max.

“Whatever the number of money is, for as long as many years as he can get, and that this slow dance for months, and these rumors are all sort of tied to that.”