Getty Paul Millsap was playing pickup basketball when he found out the Sixers had traded for him.
The confusing mystery over James Harden’s player option has finally been solved. No, the All-Star guard hasn’t “opted in” for the 2022-23 basketball season but it’s a “procedural situation with the paperwork.”
Harden brushed it off as nothing to worry about. He’ll opt-in on the $47.4 million over the summer as he plans to sign a four-year extension and help the Philadelphia 76ers win multiple championships. There was a snafu with the filing of his paperwork at the buzzer as The Athletic’s Shams Charania had previously reported.
“Still have the opportunity to do it,” Harden told reporters at his introductory press conference, then answered “yes” to the follow-up question about whether he was going to do it. Players and teams can adjust contracts at the start of free agency when the new league starts in early August.
I know the James Harden opt-in issue is getting to be overkill but there’s a reason: Jimmy Butler. #Sixers can’t lose another All-Star rental. #HereTheyCome
According to Harden, the timing of the trade created a whirlwind that caused him to miss the window. He’s making a whopping $44.3 million this season (via Spotrac) after signing a max contract with Houston in 2019.
“Everything happened so fast,” Harden said of the Sixers’ trade. “I just wanted to get here and take my time, and most importantly, focus on getting in here and winning a championship.”
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Doc Rivers Discusses NBA Buyout Market
The Sixers created a void at the center position by including Andre Drummond in the Harden deal. He had been a key cog off the bench with Joel Embiid logging monster minutes, and now that luxury is gone.
Second-year forward Paul Reed (6-foot-9) has been shouldering some of that load in Drummond’s absence, with rookie center Charles Bassey (6-foot-11) likely to get a bump in playing time. Head coach Doc Rivers also mentioned newcomer Paul Millsap (6-foot-7) would take on some of that role.
“Well, we’re looking, we like some of the guys we have,” Rivers said. “Paul [Millsap] is going to help with that, both Pauls, we have Paul Reed as well, we have Charles Bassey. The buyout market is out there as well and we’re looking.”
Paul Reed. 💀😂
Millsap was on the Sixers’ radar in the offseason, a fact confirmed by team president Daryl Morey on Tuesday. Philadelphia lobbied hard to get him thrown into the deal for Harden and everything worked out. Morey also revealed that he had been pushing hard for a three-team trade because he was never going to part ways with Tyrese Maxey or Matisse Thybulle.
“I felt like it should’ve been a three-team deal,” Morey said. “The fit was there for that, it would have been ideal for all three teams if originally it was structured that way.”
Millsap Learned About Trade in Atlanta
Millsap said he was playing a competitive pick-up game when he found out he had been traded. The 37-year-old forward and the Brooklyn Nets had been working on a mutual parting of ways since January.
“I was actually in Atlanta playing 5-on-5, in the middle of a competitive game,” Millsap said. “My brother looked over and said, ‘Hey, you’re going to Philly. I was like, ‘What?’ There was a game going on, I’m trying to win the game so when the game got over with that’s when it really hit me and got really excited about it.”
Paul Millsap had a funny line when he finally got asked a question: “Appreciate it, was getting a little weird up here.”
Millsap hasn’t appeared in a game since scoring eight points and grabbing 10 rebounds on January 13 versus Oklahoma City. The Nets took him out of their rotation in favor of younger forwards Kessler Edwards and Bruce Brown.