NBA free agency: James Harden takes $15 million pay cut to stay with the Philadelphia 76ers

James Harden will be staying with the Philadelphia 76ers for the 2022-23 NBA season, but he may be making much less money to be able to do so.

James Harden’s salary slash

Harden and the Sixers have agreed to a new contract that will result in a $15 million pay cut for the 32-year-old and will help improve the team’s roster, “with sole focus on a championship run in 2023,” according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

“Harden opted out of his $47M player option and now plans to sign a new two-year deal with a player option in Year 2,” per Charania. This would appear to mean that the shooting guard will be taking home some $32 million in the coming season.

Philadelphia and Harden’s disappointing season

The Sixers acquired the 2018 NBA MVP last season in a trade that sent Ben Simmons to the Brooklyn Nets, but Harden’s numbers with Philadelphia were not up to par with his career averages.

In the regular season, he had a 40.2% field-goal rate and shot 32.6% from the three-point area, markedly lower than his 44.2% and 36.1% rates, respectively. This performance caused Sixers big man Joel Embiid to comment that Harden was not the player he used to be.

Last season ended on a disappointing note for Philadelphia, with Embiid suffering from injuries and eventually losing in the second round of the playoffs to top seed Miami Heat.

With Harden undergoing a serious conditioning regimen in the offseason and agreeing to a lower salary that could result in the team firming up its roster, it seems he is committed to helping the 76ers achieve a deep run into the playoffs in the coming season.