Brian Windhorst: I don’t think just because James Harden opts out of his player option, which I would expect him to do, it means that he’s leaving. He took a significant pay cut last year to help the Sixers build up that roster and they did, they signed P.J. Tucker, they traded for Melton. And so Harden, frankly, is in a little bit of debt based on his production. So I expect the Sixers’ offer to be considerably higher on whatever number of years it is. The indications are that Harden is going to remain in Philadelphia. I would not say for sure it is a done deal but those are the indications. It really will come down to what sort of contract they negotiate. They can get up to four years. I’m sure Philadelphia, with a 33-year-old, would like it shorter. And those are the negotiations they have been working on in recent weeks. -via Twitter @GetUpESPN / June 28, 2023
