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After choosing to decline his player option for this upcoming season, Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden is currently an unrestricted free agent. Following Daryl Morey’s first flurry of signings, the team flew out to the Hamptons to begin orchestrating a new deal for the All-Star point guard.
Ironically enough, former owner of the Sixers Michael Rubin was also in the Hamptons hosting a big party. Some of the attendees included Harden, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, P.J. Tucker, and Philly-based rapper Meek Mill.
The Sixers stars were not the only notable names gathered at Rubin’s party. Pictures surfaced of Embid and Maxey with Utah Jazz All-Star Donovan Mitchell. Fans quickly took to Twitter to speculate on what this might mean.
It’s worth noting that not long ago, Mitchell was uncertain about his future with the Jazz following their premature exit from the postseason. The former lottery pick was also courtside in Philadelphia when the Sixers took on the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Last season for the Jazz, Mitchell posted averages of 25.9 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 5.3 APG. The 25-year-old is also under contract for the next four years. Many have been fixated on Kevin Durant, but the Jazz guard seems to be back in fans’ sights as a possible star trade.
Sixers Living it up in The Hamptons
The Sixers might be in the Hamptons on business, but that has not stopped them from having a good time. Videos recently surfaced of Embiid, Harden, and Tucker on stage with Meek Mill while he performs at Rubin’s party.
It appears the Sixers stars at taking some much-needed time off from their offseason training to enjoy themselves. Despite just signing with the team at the start of free agency, Tucker seems to be fitting right in with his new teammates.
James Harden Could Take Massive Pay Cut For Sixers
Parties aside, the big talk around the Sixers through the start of free agency is what is going to happen with Harden. After declining his player option, it also came out that James Harden intends on signing a team-friendly deal to help Daryl Morey improve the roster around him and Joel Embiid. The former MVP is fully-focused on winning and wants to chase the championship ring that’s eluded him throughout his career.
There hasn’t been much talk on what Harden’s next contract might look like, but one insider gave some insight on the subject. During a recent appearance on ESPN, Brian Windhorst mentioned Harden might be taking far less than most are expecting.
“What he’s going to sign for is going to be 100 million dollars less than that 250, it might be 150 million dollars less than the 250 he thought he was going to get,” said Windhorst.
Harden had the opportunity the negotiate a five-year supermax contract with the Sixers, but instead, both sides are working on a more short-term deal. When Morey acquired the star guard at the trade deadline last year, the vision was pairing him alongside Joel Embiid for his prime and contending for the foreseeable future. With a cheaper contract, the Sixers have the needed cap space to bolster the supporting cast and up the team’s chances of fulfilling their championship aspirations.
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