Unconfirmed reports indicate that James Harden will take a significant pay reduction in order to help the Philadelphia 76ers free up more salary cap room for the next 2022–23 NBA season. They have utilized that room to bring in Trevelin Queen, P.J. Tucker, and Danuel House, all of whom were Harden’s teammates in Houston.
Harden’s sacrifice of household income made these deals feasible. In addition, other changes may still be in the works.
. Moreover, the team was able to keep Harden while avoiding a lengthy commitment to an elderly star. Now the shooting guard discussed with Yahoo Sports his decision to sign a contract that benefits the team.
What James Harden said about decision to take pay cut
“I had conversations with [Sixers president of basketball operations] Daryl [Morey], and it was explained how we could get better and what the market value was for certain players. I told Daryl to improve the roster, sign who we needed to sign and give me whatever is left over. This is how bad I want to win. I want to compete for a championship. That’s all that matters to me at this stage. I’m willing to take less to put us in position to accomplish that.”
“I don’t really listen to what people are saying. I wasn’t right last season and I still almost averaged a triple-double. If anybody else had those numbers, we’d be talking about them getting the max. People were used to seeing me averaging 40, 30 points, and so they viewed it as a down year. I was in Philadelphia for a couple of months and I had to learn on the fly. That’s just what it was. I’m in a good space physically and mentally right now, and I’m just looking forward to next season.”
James Harden told Yahoo Sports
