The Sixers have a very tough decision to make. Resign James Harden, and get stuck with him for 4 years at max money when he is already 33. Or they can let him walk, and be left with no 2nd star, no starting PG, and no cap space to find another one. James Harden opting out of his contract really put them in an impossible position.
None of this may have mattered if he played even okay in game 6 or game 7. But instead, he was a disaster. Just like he was a disaster in games 2 and 3. As great as he was in games 1 and 4, and he is the main reason they won those two games, he is just as responsible for the Sixers 4 losses. That is not to say Joel Embiid is off the hook. Embiid was terrible too, especially in game 7. but he is still under contract, and still young enough to say he can correct his playoff issues. But James Harden is 33. And as the saying goes, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
Is this really the guy the Sixers want to tie their future to? If they sign him to a 4-year deal, it would mean he is Embiid’s running mate for the rest of his prime.
Yes not signing him is not a great option either. But that doesn’t mean re-signing him is a good one. James Harden has proven time and time again that he will not step up when it matters most. Is that going to change when he turns 34 in August? Or when he is 37 at the end of this deal? Will he all of a sudden not lose his legs in the playoffs like he did the past two seasons?
Before the Sixers rush into resigning James Harden, lets first look at Harden’s long history of coming up short when the games matter most: