Harden was traded to Philadelphia and restarted another life. At the age of 32, with more than 3,000+ points in the playoffs, Harden is the only superstar in history who has not won a championship.
In this situation, the significance of the championship for Harden is of course beyond doubt. But taking a step back, even if we join forces with Embiid, how many more chances can Harden win the championship? Putting aside the temptation of the championship, Philadelphia has other wonderful things for Harden.
Philadelphia feared Harden would leave after only half a season, so it asked Harden to execute the $47.3 million player option for next season as part of the deal, according to reports from Shams, the day of the deal. But Philadelphia reporters have since reported that Harden did not execute the player option because he and the team are confident in a long-term partnership in the future.
Salary expert Bobby Marks interpreted and analyzed the current salary situation of Harden. It turned out that Harden retained the Bird clause in the deal, and he could refuse to execute the player option this summer, signing Philadelphia with a 5-year, $269 million super-cap.
In fact, when playing for the Nets, management once proposed an early extension option for Harden. The contract standard at the time was that Harden executed the $47.3 million player option next season, with a three-year, $161 million extension. As a result, Harden will get a $208 million contract over the next four years.
However, if he were to refuse to execute the player option now, Harden could get a five-year, $269 million contract. Although the length of the contract is a year apart, don't forget that in the last year of the contract, Harden is 38 years old, and he can still earn $61.7 million, which is a huge temptation. With Durant and Irving, perhaps Harden will have to face the pressure of public opinion to cut wages. So Harden chose to leave, Irving is the reason, the championship is the reason, and the money is the reason.
Still, Bobby Marks doesn't seem to be optimistic about Harden's long-term status. He said bluntly on the show that if Philadelphia signed Harden to a five-year, $269 million super salary this summer, it would be very bad. "In 3 years, from the perspective of the contract, we will discuss Harden like we discussEdbrook and Wall. That contract will be the worst in history. ”
Can Harden complete a contract extension with Philadelphia? Can his status continue to the age of 38? The future is always full of uncertainty. But the basis of everything may depend on whether his performance after joining forces with Embiid this season can meet expectations.