Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers and forward Danuel House Jr. reportedly agreed to a contract at the start of Thursday's free-agency period.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the deal is for two years and $8.5 million, which uses the Sixers' biannual exception. The Sixers also inked P.J. Tucker to a three-year, $33 million contract with their mid-level exception.

The use of those exceptions hard-caps Philadelphia for the 2022-23 season, meaning the team cannot go above the luxury tax apron.

It's expected that James Harden will take a long-term deal below his max contract to allow the Sixers to sign Tucker and House while staying under the apron.

House played for the Houston Rockets, New York Knicks and Utah Jazz last season, finishing the year in Utah. He averaged 5.9 points and 2.4 rebounds on 40.4 percent shooting over his three stops.

The Sixers have increasingly become the Cheesesteak Rockets, with president of basketball operations Daryl Morey bringing more and more players over from his time in Houston. House, Tucker and James Harden were all part of the Rockets during Morey's tenure; De'Anthony Melton was originally drafted by Houston in 2018.

House and Tucker both bring a level of ruggedness on the defensive end on the perimeter, along with being solid spot-up shooters. Their relationship and comfort playing with Harden were also likely paramount to them being targeted by Morey, especially given the 2018 NBA MVP's struggles during the 2022 postseason.

The Philadelphia 76ers will continue to reshape their roster around Joel Embiid and James Harden, a process that could reportedly include trading Tobias Harris.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported Thursday on Get Up that Harris' name has popped up "a lot" in trade talks as the Sixers prepare to wield the financial flexibility expected from Harden's new contract after he declined his $47.4 million option for next season.

Harden agreed to take less on his next contract so the Sixers could "make legitimate upgrades for their roster for the upcoming season," per Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Harris, who's under contract with the 76ers through 2023-24 on a five-year, $180 million deal, is no stranger to trade rumors.

Last year, the 29-year-old forward discussed his advice to young players who are dealing with that type of speculation, saying, "You can't really control what's going on and what you hear."

"Nobody knows what can happen," Harris told reporters. "I know from experience that it is part of this game, and it's just part of the NBA. So, it's just one of those things."

The 2011 first-round pick may be set for another summer of uncertainty.

Despite playing for five different teams across 11 NBA seasons, the University of Tennessee product has remained productive. He's averaged 16.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 threes across 753 career regular-season appearances.

However, Harris is coming off a 2021-22 campaign in which he tied for 103rd in FiveThirtyEight's WAR metric.

Between that modest performance and his high salary, it's fair to wonder what level of interest Harris would garner on the trade market and whether the return would represent an upgrade for a team with championship expectations.

Perhaps the Sixers could hunt for a more defensive-minded wing to stabilize that end of the floor since Harden and Embiid will dominate the offensive touches, but Harris' two-way contributions also have value.

The front office faces a lot of pressure to make some notable changes this summer after the Sixers failed to live up to high expectations in recent years. The team has made the playoffs five straight seasons but hasn't advanced beyond the second round.

Harris is the 76ers' best trade chip from a production standpoint, but his contract could make it difficult to find a deal that improves the roster.

On Wednesday, star point guard James Harden declined his $47.4 million player option with the Philadelphia 76ers to give the team more financial flexibility, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

But what does it mean for both Harden, the 76ers and the NBA at large?

The Sixers Will Have Cap Flexibility to Improve the Roster

The Sixers were a scary team with their starters on the floor after Harden was acquired in a February trade with the Brooklyn Nets, but the team's depth was another story entirely. Improving in that area was a huge need, but it would have been a far more difficult endeavor had Harden exercised his option.

The team already pulled off a draft-day trade to land guard De'Anthony Melton, a player who will add athleticism and defense. The Sixers have also been linked to veteran forward P.J. Tucker, though before Harden's opt-out, it was unclear how the team would be able to manipulate the salary cap to offer him a competitive deal.

That's no longer a question. Harden's decision will give Philadelphia's front office much more financial wiggle room this offseason as it seeks to add much-needed depth.

Which Harden Will Return to Philly?

With Joel Embiid firmly in his prime after being the runner-up for MVP two seasons in a row, the Sixers' window to win a title is right now. The Harden trade was always in the service of taking advantage of that window.

But the Harden who arrived in Philadelphia wasn't the scoring machine he had been in the past, averaging 21.0 points during 21 regular-season games with the team and just 18.6 points per contest in the postseason. For Harden, those numbers weren't up to his previous standards.

He remained an elite playmaker, and it's clear that he doesn't want to be the one-man show he often had to be in Houston. But the Sixers need a more aggressive score than the one Harden was in his first stint with the Sixers to take some of the pressure off Embiid.

The pick-and-roll between those two players was fantastic, and another year of working together should only improve it. But much of the Sixers' title hopes will likely come down to Harden's ability to provide a consistent secondary threat on offense.

Harden Wants That Ring

Giving up a guaranteed $47 million payday is no small thing, even if a lucrative extension is clearly on the horizon. But that extension seems likely to leave money on the table as well to give the Sixers cap flexibility.

That's the sort of move you make if your goal is to win a title.

The 32-year-old has made around $268 million in his NBA career on salary earnings alone, per Spotrac. What he hasn't earned, however, is a title. This move will make that goal a little bit easier to achieve.

All-Star guard James Harden is reportedly expected to re-sign with the Philadelphia 76ers on a deal shorter and less lucrative than the max contract.

According to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, sources believe Harden will sign a two-year extension with the Sixers for less than the maximum after opting into the final year of his contract at a salary of over $47.3 million for next season.

While Harden stands to make a lot of money regardless, a max extension would pay him $270.1 million over five years.

The 32-year-old went to Philly last season as part of a blockbuster trade in which Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two first-round draft picks were shipped to the Brooklyn Nets.

Overall, the 10-time All-Star enjoyed another strong campaign, averaging 22.0 points, 10.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds per game in 65 contests split between the Nets and Sixers.

From a scoring perspective, Harden deferred to NBA MVP runner-up Joel Embiid and even rising guard Tyrese Maxey at times last season in Philly. That never would have been the case during his nine-year run with the Houston Rockets.

Harden averaged 29.6 points per game in 621 appearances for the Rockets, winning three scoring titles and the 2018 MVP award, but they were never able to break through with a trip to the NBA Finals.

His switch to more of a playmaker than a scorer hasn't gotten the Nets or 76ers deep in the playoffs either, but Harden is undoubtedly a more well-rounded player now than he was earlier in his career.

He also remains a clear favorite of Daryl Morey, who acquired Harden from the Oklahoma City Thunder when he was the Rockets general manager and brought Harden in again as Sixers president of basketball operations.

Morey has ignored the noise regarding Harden-led teams not having success in the playoffs, and if he does sign Harden to a new deal, he undoubtedly expects the guard to prove the doubters wrong.

Harden is reportedly already putting in work ahead of the 2022-23 season, as sources told Pompey that Harden has looked good in workouts in the Houston area.

Re-signing Harden would be a major commitment for the Sixers since it would essentially prevent them from making any other big moves outside of trades, as their salary-cap situation would only allow them to sign players to a contract exception or minimum salaries.

The Sixers have been unable to get past the second round of the playoffs during The Process, but a core of Embiid, Harden, Maxey, Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle and De'Anthony Melton looks great on paper and should make them one of the teams to beat in the Eastern Conference.

The Philadelphia 76ers and James Harden are reportedly working on a shorter-term max contract to keep him in the City of Brotherly Love.

Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer said the Sixers are looking at a three-year contract for Harden, assuming he becomes an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

Harden has a player option for the 2022-23 season and will make $47.4 million if he opts in. It's more likely that he opts out, becomes a free agent and signs a new deal that gives him long-term security.

The Sixers acquired Harden at the trade deadline from the Brooklyn Nets as part of a trade that also included Ben Simmons. It was the second straight season Harden forced his way out of a team, and for the second straight year things did not work out in the playoffs.

The 2018 MVP shot just 40.2 percent from the field during the regular season after coming over from Brooklyn and then struggled mightily in the playoffs, averaging 18.5 points per game–his lowest postseason average since he became a full-time starter after the 2011-12 season. Harden clearly seemed to struggle with his burst off the dribble, with bothersome hamstring injuries hampering him and taking away some of the explosion that made him a superstar.

The Sixers were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by the Miami Heat.

"Obviously, I am sure since we got him, everybody expected the Houston James Harden, but that's not who he is anymore," Joel Embiid told reporters. "He is more of a playmaker."

Disappointment in his scoring struggles aside, the Sixers need to re-sign Harden on a long-term deal to justify sending out Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two first-round picks in a trade. The team may wind up regretting the latter part of any new deal if Harden can't recapture his past form, but keeping him now is the best avenue to stay in title contention heading into next season.