Harden agrees $95m deal with Sixers

PHILADELPHIA • National Basketball Association (NBA) star James Harden has agreed on a two-year, US$68.6 million (S$95.7 million) deal to remain with the Philadelphia 76ers, sources told the Philadelphia Inquirer on Wednesday.

The newspaper was just one of several American media outlets reporting the deal, which comes less than a month after the 2018 Most Valuable Player declined his US$47.4 million player option for the coming season so that the Sixers could bolster their roster.

Harden will reportedly make US$33 million in the 2022-23 season in the deal that also includes a US$35.6 million player option for the following campaign.

As the guard waited for his deal to emerge, the Sixers went on to sign forwards P.J. Tucker and Danuel House.

In February, Harden, a 10-time NBA All-Star, landed at Philadelphia from Brooklyn at the trade deadline last season in a blockbuster deal that sent Ben Simmons to the Nets.

He averaged 21 points, 10.5 assists and 7.1 rebounds in 21 regular-season games with Philadelphia.

After the Sixers fell to the Miami Heat in the second round of the play-offs, Harden insisted that he would do "whatever it takes to help this team".

An inquest was held into the team's continued failure to win an NBA championship since 1983 and it was agreed that Philadelphia lacked depth.

Harden then told Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey that he was prepared to take a pay cut to free up some cap space for the franchise to sign more players.

Aside from Tucker and House, they have already picked up guard De'Anthony Melton via a trade and Trevelin Queen, the 2021-22 G-League Most Valuable Player.

Harden told Yahoo Sports: "I had conversations with Daryl, and it was explained how we could get better and what the market value was for certain players.

"I told Daryl to improve the roster and sign who we needed to sign, and (thereafter) give me whatever is left over.

"This is how bad I want to win. I want to compete for a championship. That's all that matters to me at this stage.

"I'm willing to take less to put us in position to accomplish that."

On the team's acquisitions, the 32-year-old is hopeful that the Sixers now have a more rounded team to compete with others in the Eastern Conference.

"I think we have a much deeper team," Harden, who has yet to win the championship, said.

"That's something we wanted to address. If you look at our team now, we're positioned to go a lot further. I like how we stack up with the rest of the top teams.

"I'm in a good space physically and mentally right now, and I'm just looking forward to next season."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE