With the 76ers losing to the Celtics in their best-of-seven games, James Harden's whereabouts have become the focus of the 76ers and even the league this offseason.
Last offseason, Harden turned down a $47.4 million player option and subsequently renewed his contract with the 76ers on a two-year, $68.6 million contract, with his salary at $33 million this season.
After Harden rejected the player option, the 76ers' salaries were lowered below the hard salary cap, allowing them to use the $10.3 million full-mid-range exception and the $4.1 million biennial exception.
Harden's $14.4 million salary cut helped the 76ers successfully snatch PJ Tucker from the Heat, and Harden called House and Harrell to shoot to supplement the 76ers' rotation.
It's supposed to be a detail worth writing about, a positive example of a star giving up his own interests for the team, but with the 76ers eliminated in the semifinals, Harden's sacrifice didn't seem worth it.
This offseason, Harden has a $35.64 million player option, and there is little suspense that he will jump out of this player option and chase the last big contract of his career.
In August, Harden will turn 34, his physical and athletic form has dropped significantly from his peak, and he is no longer the person he once was.
However, Harden is only not as good as his prime self, and he is one of the best backcourt commanders compared to other players in the league.
In the regular season this season, Harden averaged 21 points, 6.1 rebounds, 10.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game, making him the assist king this season and one of only three players in the league who averaged at least 20 points + 10 assists per game.
Harden officially transitioned to a point guard this season, averaging only 62nd shots per game, less than Poole.
He averaged 14.5 shots per game this season, a new low since leaving the Thunder in 2012, shooting 44.1% from the field and 38.5% from three-point range, the second highest of his career, and averaging 6.2 free throws per game, also a new low since leaving the Thunder.
It's not that he can't score, and against the Celtics' series, Harden cut 40+ twice in his first four games. He shot 17-of-30 and 16-of-23 in those two games, hitting 13 three-pointers in both games and scoring a total of 87 points on eight free throws in both games.
Harden used his personal ability to force the Celtics to change their defensive strategy and start to wrap themselves, and in the battle of Tianwang Mountain, Harden only shot 8 times, cut 17 points, 8 rebounds and 10 assists, and used passes to help the 76ers take a 3-2 lead.
Unfortunately, in the next two games, the Celtics continued to wrap Harden, while using Lowe to break Harden's blocking connection with Embiid, and the 76ers fell into Embiid's inefficient singles mode and were overturned by opponents.
After the Big Seven game, Harden said in an interview that he was very, very, very disappointed, very upset and frustrated.
After disappointment, the real question arises: go or stay?
There's no doubt that Harden will definitely jump out of the player option and now struggle with whether to stay with the 76ers or go to another team.
Theoretically, the 76ers have the best conditions to keep Harden, they can send Harden a five-year, $272 million super maximum salary contract, while other teams can only offer Harden a four-year, $201 million contract at most.
The 76ers can give this super top salary, starting at $46.9 million, increasing year by year, and will reach $61.9 million in the 27-28 season.
Of course, it's an almost impossible contract for the 76ers, and the 38-year-old Harden has $61.9 million, which is hard to imagine.
Therefore, from a realistic point of view, the contract will most likely not influence Harden's retention, and last year's salary cut also shows that he is not valued at this stage of money.
The only thing the 76ers will ever keep him is Embiid.
The 29-year-old Embiid just won his first regular-season MVP, becoming the NBA scoring champion for two consecutive years, and can be said to be at the peak.
Harden and Embiid undoubtedly have a high minimum and ceiling, and while the final two games of the series against the Celtics are a bit hot, this is only the first season in which the two have fully worked together, and there is still a lot of room for improvement.
It is reported that if Harden chooses to leave the 76ers, it must be related to Rivers. Lao Li has greatly weakened Harden's position on the offensive end this season, ranking Harden's offensive pick behind Maxi and even Harris, but it turns out that Harden still has the league's top scoring ability.
Harden doesn't want to play for Rivers anymore, and if the 76ers fire Rivers and hire a coach who can better play Embiid Harden's dual-core abilities, Harden is likely to stay with Embiid to fight for the championship again.
And if Harden leaves the 76ers, the most likely next home is undoubtedly the Rockets.
The Rockets are one of the few teams to give Harden a big contract, with more than $60 million in salary space this offseason.
Harden spent the most important nine seasons of his career in the offtown, where his family, friends and business were based.
The Rockets have decided to chase Harden this summer, and with Harden's presence, they can quickly complete the rebuild and return to the playoffs.
For Harden, returning to the Rockets is a tempting option, but once he goes back, it will also mean that he will not win a championship in the next few years, and the young Rockets are still far from a championship.
Another team that appears in Harden's family rumors is the Suns.
Harden left the Nets with some distance from Durant, but everyone knows that he was not the Nets who left because of Durant.
If he wants to hit the championship, the Suns are undoubtedly an ideal next home. Harden can join the Suns by signing and trading first, and the Suns can send Paul to the 76ers to complete the deal.
If Harden chooses to join, the 76ers are likely to accept a Paul who does not have a high amount of protection to partner Embiid to remain competitive than to let Harden go for nothing.
Harden with Booker and Durant, this outside firepower is even more terrifying than the Nets Big Three, Harden's organization and three-point injury at key moments and the 38-year-old Paul is undoubtedly much more reliable.
If the Suns trade Ayton for some more suitable role players, they will become the hottest contenders for next season's championship.
The 76ers, Rockets, Suns or any other team, as the biggest free agent of this offseason, Harden's choice will have a significant impact on the league landscape no matter what.