Philadelphia 76ers

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Patrick Beverley believes that the Philadelphia 76ers should sign James Harden, who has a 2022-23 player option, to a long-term extension.

He made his remarks on NBA Today on Friday.

Harden, a 10-time All-Star and three-time scoring champion who was traded from the Brooklyn Nets to Philadelphia on Feb. 10, averaged 22.0 points and 10.3 assists per game this season.

"As far as moneywise, you give the boy whatever he's asking for," Beverley said. "Unfortunately, it might sound kind of crazy but there's no one in the league that can kind of do what he can do, still at this time right now."

The Harden trade did not lead to instant success this season. Harden struggled down the stretch with his shot and was hit or miss in the playoffs, notably scoring just 25 total points in his final two games. The 76ers offense also notably struggled while NBA MVP runner-up Joel Embiid was out or playing hurt.

It was a disappointing ending for the 76ers, who lost to the Miami Heat 4-2 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

The question now is whether the 76ers give him a long-term extension that could be worth as much as $274.7 million over five years, per Danny Leroux of The Athletic. Harden would be 37 years old at the end of the deal.

That might be a tough investment to make given how Harden played and how this season ended.

For now, it appears he is intent on sticking around: ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported earlier in May that the guard was intending to pick up his 2022-23 option. Windhorst also reported that "nobody in the NBA" sees Philadelphia offering Harden a long-term extension this offseason.

The task at hand is building around Harden and Embiid in 2022-23 as the 76ers look to run it back for at least one more year with a potentially murky future ahead.

The Philadelphia 76ers reportedly have no plans to replace Doc Rivers as their head coach, per Chris B. Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

"The Philadelphia 76ers do not plan to meet with Doc Rivers to discuss his future and maintains the franchise is committed to the head coach and will work with him to improve the roster," Haynes reported Saturday.

Rivers has led the 76ers for two seasons, amassing a 100-54 regular-season record along the way. Philadelphia has fallen in the Eastern Conference semifinals in each of Rivers' two campaigns, including a 4-2 series loss to the Miami Heat this year.

The 2020-21 76ers looked like strong championship contenders after finishing first in the Eastern Conference standings, but the Atlanta Hawks upset them in the second round.

That would be the last time that three-time All-Star Ben Simmons played in Philadelphia, and he was eventually traded to the Brooklyn Nets in a blockbuster deal that brought back James Harden on Feb. 10, 2021.

That move did not pan out this year. Harden struggled for much of his 76ers stint, shooting just 36.3 percent in his final 17 regular-season games.

The 76ers now have a decision to make on Harden, who has a 2022-23 player option and can become a free agent in 2023, about whether they should extend him long-term.

That seems to be the biggest question facing the 76ers if Rivers isn't going anywhere. Ultimately, the roster questions around Embiid need to be answered. The 76ers didn't have the offensive firepower to hang with the Heat, especially when Embiid was out injured.

That has to be addressed this offseason, and it appears Rivers will be on board alongside general manager Daryl Morey to figure out solutions and hopefully get past the conference-semifinals roadblock that has been in Philadelphia's way since 2001.

There is reportedly some doubt regarding the future of Doc Rivers as head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers.

Appearing Friday on NBA Today, ESPN NBA insider Ramona Shelburne said, "Everyone around the league that I've talked to said let's keep an eye on this one," regarding Rivers' status in Philly.

Shelburne's report came on the heels of Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey giving Rivers a vote of confidence Friday.

During a season-ending press conference, Morey was asked if he could assure fans and media members that Rivers would be back as head coach next season, and he responded, "Yes."

Morey also called Rivers a "great coach" and noted that he has loved working with him.

The 76ers' 2021-22 season came to an end Thursday when they fell to the Miami Heat 99-90 in Game 6 of their second-round playoff series, marking the fifth consecutive season that the Sixers were knocked out of the playoffs in the second round or earlier.

Philadelphia hired Rivers prior to the 2020-21 season as the replacement for Brett Brown, who was fired after a first-round playoff exit. That move was made shortly before the Sixers hired Morey on the heels of a long run in the Houston Rockets' front office.

The 60-year-old Rivers is among the most accomplished head coaches in NBA history, posting a career regular-season record of 1,043-735 in 23 seasons, which equates to a .587 winning percentage.

Rivers has spent time as head coach of the Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers and Sixers, and during that time he has made 18 playoff appearances with two trips to the NBA Finals and one championship.

With Rivers at the helm, the Celtics won the NBA title in 2008 and then went back to the Finals two years later. His teams have made just one conference finals appearance since then, however.

The switch from Brown to Rivers was made with an eye toward making a deep playoff run, but that hasn't happened yet.

Rivers did lead the Sixers to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference last season with a 49-23 record, but they fell to the Atlanta Hawks in the second round.

This season, Philadelphia went 51-31 and secured the No. 4 seed before falling to the top-seeded Heat in the second round.

Unless James Harden declines his player option and tests free agency, the Sixers are set to return largely the same core next season with Harden, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris leading the way.

It could prove difficult to make any major changes to the roster, meaning a coaching change would perhaps be the easiest way to shake things up.

However, if that doesn't happen, the pressure will be on for Rivers to make a deeper run next season.

The Philadelphia 76ers were eliminated from the 2022 NBA playoffs with a 99-90 loss to the Miami Heat in Game 6 of their second-round series on Thursday at Wells Fargo Center, and president of basketball operations Daryl Morey reiterated Friday that he still has high hopes for this team in the near future.

"We're sick we're here," Morey told reporters. "We have big aspirations for the team, I know the fans do, too. ... That's why we're here. That's why we do this. It's tough to be here right now."

Sixers head coach Doc Rivers also told reporters that the team's goals "haven't changed at all." And it appears James Harden will be a part of the team's formula moving forward.

Harden's lackluster postseason performance, in which he averaged just 18.6 points, has fans questioning his future in Philadelphia. However, Morey told reporters Friday that "the plan" is to have him return for the 2022-23 campaign. 

In addition to Harden, Morey also confirmed that Rivers would return as head coach for the 2022-23 campaign, adding that he believes the 60-year-old is a "great coach": 

“He's an incredibly talented player just like Joel [Embiid], just like Tobias [Harris], and I’m excited for Doc [Rivers] and his staff to have a whole offseason, work with the players, and come up with the best plan for the roster we'll have which we don’t know exactly as we just mentioned the bench and how that's going to look. Which players on the roster we're going to feel like the core going forward and which ones are the ones where maybe we can get an acquisition that might help.

That said, considering the current group of Harden, Embiid, Harris, Tyrese Maxey and Danny Green failed to get past the second round, it's reasonable to believe the Sixers will explore their options this summer and see which free agents might be a solid addition for their championship aspirations. 

However, the 76ers won't have much space to make a splash in free agency. The franchise will have a little more than $118.6 million committed to three players if Harden picks up his player option for the 2022-23 season, per Spotrac, so any additions will likely be depth players. 

Philadelphia could use some depth behind Maxey at point guard given the fact that Shake Milton could be a free agent if the team declines his club option. Dennis Schroder and Isaiah Thomas could be potential options. 

The Sixers could also use another big man behind Embiid. JaVale McGee might be a solid target there. 

Another option for Morey to build a championship contender would be to trade Harris and his $37.6 million salary this offseason. Moving him would allow the team to potentially add another star alongside Embiid and Harden. 

Some in the NBA reportedly believe that the Philadelphia 76ers and guard James Harden could try to come to terms on a contract similar to the one Chris Paul signed with the Phoenix Suns last year.

According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst on Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective (16:49 mark) on Friday, the idea of Harden declining his player option for next season and signing a new deal has been "floated" by some in the league.

Paul had a $44.2 million player option for this season, but he declined it and instead signed a four-year, $120 million contract with the Suns. That gave him less on a per-year basis, but gave him security for multiple years.

Per Spotrac, Harden has a $47.4 million player option for next season, but if he declines it and signs a more team-friendly deal, it could allow the Sixers to pursue another star to play alongside him and Joel Embiid.

Windhorst suggested that the 76ers would "love to entertain" a deal similar to Paul's with Harden since they could still give him a contract worth over $100 million while also creating some space for other additions.

It was also noted by Windhorst, though, that it is unclear if Harden would be open to the idea of taking less per season.

As a 10-time All-Star, three-time scoring champion and one-time NBA MVP who should still have some good years left at 32 years of age, Harden may want to sign a max extension.

Harden may also be able to get more than a Paul-type deal in free agency, so even if he does decline his player option, that may be more attractive to him than taking a discount of sorts.

In 21 regular-season games after the 76ers acquired Harden from Brooklyn, he took a backseat to Embiid from a scoring perspective, averaging 21.0 points per game.

He was an elite playmaker, however, with 10.5 assists per game, and also added 7.1 rebounds, 2.2 three-pointers made and 1.2 steals per contest.

Philly had hoped Harden would be the player needed to get over the hump and contend for a championship, which is why president of basketball operations Daryl Morey parted with Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and draft picks for him at the trade deadline.

The Sixers' playoff issues continued, however, as they were eliminated by the Miami Heat in the second round, marking the fifth straight season they were knocked out in the second round or earlier.

Most of the 76ers' key players are set to return next season with Embiid, Tobias Harris, Tyrese Maxey and Matisse Thybulle all under contract.

Harden returning would keep the entire core intact, but it could also make it difficult to make any other tweaks to the roster if he isn't willing to take less.

Paul taking less helped the Suns immensely, as they won 64 regular-season games and are one win away from the Western Conference Finals this season.

If Harden isn't willing to go in that direction, the Sixers are in line to largely have the same roster next season as they did this season, and that may not be enough to go the distance.

Ben Simmons has been fairly quiet about his departure from the Philadelphia 76ers, but the three-time All-Star is letting his social media do some of his talking. 

Following the Sixers' season-ending playoff loss to the Miami Heat on Thursday, Simmons liked a tweet from FS1's Skip Bayless that praised the Brooklyn Nets guard and was critical of the performance of James Harden, who the Sixers acquired in exchange for Simmons:

👀 pic.twitter.com/xasyt5DAzj

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 13, 2022

Simmons and Harden were two of the most-discussed NBA players this season. They became linked for weeks in trade rumors between the 76ers and Nets before the two teams struck a deal on Feb. 10. 

Following the trade, Simmons told reporters his decision to request a trade from Philadelphia was just a "personal thing for me" and not "about the fans or coaches or comments made by anybody" in the wake of the team's playoff loss to the Atlanta Hawks last season. 

"That was earlier than that [playoff] series, or even that season that I was dealing with, and that organization knew that," he said. "So it's something that I continue to deal with, and I'm getting there and getting to the right place to get back on the floor."

Simmons didn't play for the Nets after the trade due to ongoing back problems. Head coach Steve Nash told reporters in March the 25-year-old had an epidural to help alleviate pain in his back.

There was some hope Simmons would be able to play in Brooklyn's playoff series against the Boston Celtics, but he wound up having microdiscectomy surgery to address pain caused by a herniated disc, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. 

Harden, who has a $47.4 million player option for next season, appeared in 33 games for the 76ers between the regular season and playoffs. The 10-time All-Star was inconsistent as a scorer for the Sixers, averaging 21.0 points per game during the regular season, but he contributed 10.5 assists and 7.1 rebounds per contest. 

Philadelphia's loss to the Heat on Thursday night was not a memorable one for Harden. He only attempted two shots and didn't score in the second half of the game. The 32-year-old scored fewer than 20 points four times in six games against Miami.     

Miami Heat superstar Jimmy Butler had a question after his team eliminated the Philadelphia 76ers from the 2022 NBA playoffs on Thursday night: "Tobias Harris over me?"

In July 2019, the Sixers sent Butler to Miami as part of a sign-and-trade deal while signing Harris to a five-year, $180 million contract extension.

Clearly, the six-time All-Star didn't forget Philly's decision after Game 6:

“Tobias Harris over me?” 🗣

Jimmy sending a message to his former team

(via @Local10Sports)https://t.co/o63mdgzb2y

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 13, 2022

While the choice was often painted as Butler or Harris, behind the scenes it was apparently a different story.

ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported Wednesday that Ben Simmons became "disenfranchised by Butler's playing and leadership style," which led the front office to believe it had to choose at the time between a 22-year-old point guard who was seemingly on the ascent and a 29-year-old forward perhaps already at his peak.

The Sixers chose Simmons, now 25, who was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in February after sitting out the entire season because of a back injury and focusing on his mental health.

So Butler, 32, could have just as easily said, "Ben Simmons over me?" and the message would have been the same, but he opted to focus on Harris.

Here's a look at how the two players performed in the series:

• Butler: 27.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 5.5 APG, 1.7 SPG, 51.5 FG%
• Harris: 16.0 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.5 SPG, 47.8 FG%

And most importantly, Butler's Heat are moving on to the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Sixers made a lot of decisions over the past few years that centered around the idea of keeping Simmons and Joel Embiid as their core. While Embiid blossomed into an MVP candidate, the team's relationship with Simmons faltered after last year's playoff exit.

They were able to salvage the situation to an extent by getting James Harden from the Nets, but his playoff struggles (18.6 PPG on 40.5 percent shooting) raise a new set of questions heading into the offseason.

It may lead the Philadelphia front office to ask another question while watching Butler play in the next round of the postseason: "What if?"

The Philadelphia 76ers were eliminated from the 2022 NBA playoffs with a 99-90 loss to the Miami Heat in Game 6 of their second-round series on Thursday at Wells Fargo Center, and James Harden is taking the brunt of the criticism. 

Harden finished Game 6 with just 11 points, four rebounds and nine assists in what was one of his worst postseason performances of recent memory. That said, Joel Embiid mentioned after the game that the three-time scoring champion isn't the same scoring-dominant player he was while he was with the Houston Rockets. 

"Obviously, I'm sure since we got him, everybody expected the Houston James Harden, but that's not who he is anymore," Embiid told reporters. "He's more of a playmaker. I thought, at times, as with all of us, could've been more aggressive."

In 21 regular-season games with the 76ers, Harden averaged 21 points, 7.1 rebounds and 10.5 assists. Entering Thursday's Game 6, he was averaging 19.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 8.5 assists in this year's playoffs. 

The Sixers acquired Harden from the Brooklyn Nets at the trade deadline. To Embiid's credit, the 32-year-old wasn't nearly as dominant in the scoring department during his tenure in Brooklyn either. 

In parts of two seasons with the Nets, Harden averaged 23.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 10.5 assists per game. 

All of these numbers are far from what he averaged in Houston from 2012-20. In 621 career games with the Rockets, he averaged 29.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game.

That said, he was tasked with being the team's main scorer for nearly his entire career in Houston. That wasn't the case in Brooklyn, where he was paired with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, and hasn't been the case in Philadelphia, where he has played with Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. 

Regardless, his lack of production has resulted in questions about his future in Philadelphia. The 10-time All-Star is eligible to sign a five-year, $270 million max deal with the 76ers this summer, but some don't believe he deserves that kind of money. 

Even if he doesn't work out an extension, Harden can opt-in to his $47.4 million player option for the 2022-23 season to remain in Philadelphia. When asked if he would opt-in, he told reporters, "I'll be here."

In that case, he'd have some time to build up his stock before potentially signing a max deal as a free agent. However, The Athletic's Sam Amick reported earlier this month that the Sixers were under the impression Harden would be willing to take a pay cut to remain with the team.

So, at this point, there's really no telling what the Harden saga will bring moving forward. As members of the Sixers organization continue to speak with the media in the days following the team's playoff elimination, we could learn more about his future in Philly. 

In February, the Philadelphia 76ers traded Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two first-round picks for James Harden.

For the second time in 13 months, Harden was moved to a big-market team that was supposed to be a contender following his addition. For the second season in a row, his recently assembled contender has been eliminated in the second round.

In 2021, there wasn't much Harden could do to prevent that. A hamstring injury limited him to four appearances in a seven-game series against the Milwaukee Bucks. And this season, according to Harden, still presented challenges on the health front. But that won't be enough to stop the metaphorical slings and arrows that are surely on the way.

The East's top-seeded Miami Heat cruised to a 99-90 victory on Thursday that didn't feel close throughout the second half. In an elimination game on his home floor, Harden did nothing to change that feeling.

Almost literally, nothing.

Harden went 4-of-9 from the field in the game, but he attempted just two shots after halftime (and missed them both). It was hard not to think of the All-Star the Sixers moved for him.

The Sixers moved heaven and earth to acquire James Harden because Ben Simmons wouldn’t shoot the ball with the season on the line, only for Harden not to shoot the ball with the season on the line…cold world, man

— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) May 13, 2022

Simmons took three fourth-quarter shots in the entirety of Philadelphia's playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks last year. On Thursday, Harden took one. For the series, he was 6-of-19 in the fourth.

"We ran our offense, and the ball didn't get back to me," Harden told reporters of his lack of late-game attempts. But that explanation doesn't pass muster.

The opportunities were there. For whatever reason, he shrunk from them.

In ESPN's postgame coverage, Stephen A. Smith said, "That performance by James Harden requires an investigation." Given his history, it's fair to assume an investigation wouldn't turn up anything nefarious.

This isn't the first time Harden has floated in and out (mostly out) of a crucial playoff game.

For his career, Harden is now averaging 23.4 points, 5.9 assists and 4.5 turnovers while shooting 42.6 percent from the field and 32.9 percent from three in elimination contests. Those numbers don't sound terrible, but each is worse than his regular-season marks, and the percentages dip even further (to 40.0 and 25.3) when you just look at the last nine elimination games.

And some of his single-outing stinkers in that sample are hard to forget.

In a Game 5 loss to the Golden State Warriors in 2015, he went 2-of-11 and had 12 turnovers. That same shooting line happened two years later against the San Antonio Spurs. In an elimination game his team actually won in 2020, he went 4-of-15 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

"I did the deep dive," ESPN's Zach Lowe said on The Lowe Post shortly after this season's Harden trade. "Harden's fourth-quarter numbers, in big games, in elimination games, in 2-2 series games, are bad. His crunch-time numbers are bad."

Now, we can add another disastrous performance to his resume, and this one wasn't exclusive to the offensive end.

In the final analysis of Harden’s anemic elimination-game offense, let’s not forget his defense was worse.

— Henry Abbott (@TrueHoop) May 13, 2022

Harden did little to deter Miami's guards and wings from getting the shots they wanted in the half-court. And on more than one occasion, he barely moved to get back in transition. One-game samples aren't great for numbers like this, but Philadelphia gave up 32.3 more points per 100 possessions when he was on the floor Thursday.

This doesn't feel like a sudden aberration, either. Beyond the history of playoff struggles, Harden hasn't played like a max player for a while. Over his last 17 games of the regular season, Harden shot 36.3 percent from the field and 29.1 percent from three. And in the playoffs, he averaged 18.6 points and shot 40.5 percent from the field.

James Harden playing with "no pressure" this playoffs:

— Lowest PPG since he was in OKC
— Lowest FGM since he was in OKC
— Lowest FTA since he was in OKC
— Lowest FG% since 2014 pic.twitter.com/sduURshBuj

— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 13, 2022

Assuming Harden is looking for a max deal on his next contract (he'll be a free agent if he declines his $46.9 player option for 2022-23), Philadelphia might be looking the NBA's most vivid example of the sunk cost fallacy square in the face.

Yes, the Sixers gave up a boatload to get Harden. Given the tension after last year's playoffs, the fit with Simmons may have been done for good, but he's a 25-year-old three-time All-Star. Curry is one of the best floor-spacers in the league. Drummond was one of the game's better backup 5s. And first-round picks always hold some value. That's all gone, but cratering flexibility for the next few years certainly isn't going to bring it back.

Harden turns 33 in August. The last couple of months suggest a decline is either on the way or already started. How can Philadelphia, even if it is over the cap with or without him, justify committing $50 million-plus per year for the next few seasons?

The end of this run was bad. Compounding it with that kind of burden could be disastrous.

The decision doesn't necessarily have to be made this summer, though. After this collapse and its coverage in the media, how confident can Harden be in declining that option?

One more year with he and Joel Embiid, following a full offseason and training camp, could work for both sides. Philadelphia can have one more short-term shot at a good playoff seed and kick the can down the road on the more difficult Harden decision. Harden gets a year to hopefully rehab his individual value in advance of one more big contract (and maybe contract-year Harden is more motivated than usual).

That route isn't free of trepidation, either. How can the Sixers have any confidence in 2023 postseason Harden? If he has another playoff flop, Embiid is a year older with nothing to show for it. He just turned 28 in March, and his health history suggests the title window could shut in the next three or four years.

And he's talking like he knows his time is precious.

"Obviously, I'm sure since we got him, everybody expected the Houston James Harden, but that's not who he is anymore," Embiid said after Thursday's loss. "He's more of a playmaker."

That doesn't mean this partnership can't work, but The Process can't afford many more postseason no-shows.

James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers were eliminated from the 2022 NBA playoffs with a 99-90 loss to the Miami Heat in Game 6 of their second-round series Thursday night at Wells Fargo Center. 

Harden had his worst performance of the postseason in Game 6, having attempted just two shots through the entire second half and finishing with 11 points, four rebounds and nine assists. 

After the loss, Harden was asked about his lack of attempts in the second half and why he wasn't more aggressive. His response probably won't be received well by Sixers fans. 

"We run our offense," Harden told reporters. "The ball just didn’t get back to me."

The 76ers acquired Harden from the Brooklyn Nets at the trade deadline in hopes he would help lead the team past the second round for the first time since 2001. However, he didn't play particularly well throughout the postseason.

Entering Thursday's game, Harden was averaging 19.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 8.5 assists through 11 playoff games. 

For comparison, the three-time scoring champion averaged 23.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists through his playoff career before joining the Sixers. 

Harden's rocky 2022 postseason performance has raised questions about the 76ers signing him to a long-term deal. The 32-year-old has a $47.4 million player option for the 2022-23 season and is eligible to sign a five-year, $270 million max deal with the franchise this summer. 

That said, The Athletic's Sam Amick reported earlier this month that the Sixers believed Harden would be open to taking less money to remain in Philadelphia. He was asked if that was the case after Thursday's loss. 

"Whatever it takes to help this team continue to grow," Harden told reporters. He was also asked if he would opt-in and responded, "I'll be here."

The Sixers are going to need a much better effort out of Harden next season, especially with Joel Embiid playing at an MVP level and Tyrese Maxey emerging as one of the franchise's key young pieces. 

If Harden opts-in and doesn't play better next year, it's hard to imagine the Sixers will sign him to a max extension. That said, those discussions will likely begin now and continue into next year.