Brian Windhorst Has A Belief On Where James Harden Will Sign

(Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)

The Philadelphia 76ers made the most of the chance to get rid of Ben Simmons and his terrible contract by trading him for James Harden.

Harden fit right away next to Joel Embiid, and they looked like a deadly duo in the pick-and-roll more often than not.

But his first full season with the team played out the same way the first time they made the playoffs together, with both of them vastly underperforming and Doc Rivers’ team crumbling under pressure.

That has led some people to wonder whether the Sixers should go the extra mile to keep Harden around for the long run, which seems to be the case.

“I think James Harden is going to remain a Sixer, but that doesn’t mean that there’s not some question marks surrounding how it’s going to play out.”

@WindhorstESPN pic.twitter.com/8PhuoGWfn9

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) June 27, 2023

According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, other suitors for Harden’s services are operating as if Harden will stay with the Sixers, and so is Daryl Morey.

Windhorst believes Harden will still decline his player option for next season to become a free agent, predicting he’ll sign another deal in Philadelphia anyway.

Nonetheless, Windhorst says that there are still some hurdles and questions about Harden’s new deal, as no one knows whether the Sixers will look to keep him for the next three or four years or if he’s going to be signed to another short-term contract.

Harden is coming off a solid campaign, leading the league in both assists per game and total assists.

But he’s not young or durable, and the Sixers need someone with a tougher character to lead them when it matters the most, so maybe doubling-down on him might not be the wisest bet right now.

The post Brian Windhorst Has A Belief On Where James Harden Will Sign appeared first on The Cold Wire.