Getty James Harden #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers.
It’s possible one of the Philadelphia 76ers‘ best off-season moves could also get them in a load of trouble during the regular season.
It has nothing to do with x’s and o’s or on-the-court fit. It has nothing to do with how much a player is making next season (sort of). But James Harden’s contract situation continues to be a sore spot for the Sixers.
But wait? Harden took a pay cut this summer to help the team build out the rest of the roster? How is that bad?
Because the league is investigating the Harden contract for potential tampering. And going off of precedent, the Sixers could be forced to cough up draft picks if found to have violated the league’s anti-tampering policy. In other words, the Harden deal was an excellent one for the Sixers’ wallet, but a potentially damaging one pending investigation.
But according to Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes, the Sixers still nailed the summer, even if one of their biggest moves could cost them.
“Harden opted out of his $47.3 million salary for 2022-23 and signed a two-year extension with a player option for 2024-25 worth a total of $68.6 million. The former MVP’s willingness to reduce his salary triggered a league investigation into whether Harden and the Sixers had a handshake deal in place for a much larger payout once Harden (presumably) declines his player option and hits free agency again in 2024.
“It’s a cynical take, but if the league is investigating a team for a deal that seems too good to be true, it’s a pretty strong sign that said team made out pretty well.”
The Sixers still await the official result of the league’s investigation. Recently, Adam Silver opened up about where things stand from the league’s perspective.
Adam Silver Opens Up on Sixers Tampering Investigation
One month ago, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver opened up about the status of the league’s investigation into the Sixers. Silver offered nothing concrete in terms of a timeline, explaining that the situation was simply “ongoing.”
Of note, though, is that the league’s investigation wasn’t caused by another team’s complaint. Instead, Silver noted the “tick-tock chronology around sort of when signings are permissible and the announcements of those signings and the information that came out about it,” at a press conference after the NBA’s Board of Governors meeting on September 14.
Adam Silver said the investigation into the 76ers’ timing of their signing of P.J. Tucker is ongoing and was not opened because of a complaint from a team.
In the past, tampering investigations have been launched over rival teams complaining of potential tampering, like with the Milwaukee Bucks a year ago.
Sixers head coach Doc Rivers, for his part, silenced any speculation that the team tampered in bringing back the former MVP Harden.
Rivers Guarantees The 76ers Didn’t Tamper
Appearing on an episode of Vince Carter’s VC Show with Vince Carter podcast in August, Rivers was candid about how Harden’s contract negotiation went down.
“I guarantee you [Sixers president of basketball operations] Daryl Morey had no idea what James was going to do,” Rivers said on August 2. “I remember talking to him on the eve of when James could opt in or out, and he was like, ‘We’ve got five hours left.’ I mean, that was Daryl Morey, so that tells you he had no idea… I really believed that James was not going to opt in, that he was going to try to do a longer-term deal. But I didn’t know, I can tell you that. That’s for sure.”
Unfortunately for the Sixers, Rivers isn’t the ultimate arbitrator in the league’s investigation.