Getty Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes celebrates after dunking the ball against the Charlotte Hornets.
Sacramento was one team that kept coming up in trade talks at the height of the Ben Simmons’ drama. It appeared to be more than just speculation, that is until the Kings made De’Aaron Fox untouchable.
Everyone knows what happened next: the Philadelphia 76ers eventually acquired James Harden and all was right with the world. Harden has opted out as the Sixers look to add more pieces around him and Joel Embiid to construct a championship contender. Trimming salary continues to be a central theme, with the rumor mill turning its attention to Tobias Harris who is owed $76.8 million over the next two years.
It’s an insane contract, one that the Sixers might want to move to free up cap space. Philadelphia would have to find a willing trade partner to take it and Sacramento has once again surfaced as a “possible landing spot.” The Action Network’s Matt Moore wrote: “Sacramento is a possible landing spot for Tobias Harris if the Sixers re-engage in trade talks for him.”
That’s it. That’s the whole report. Yet it’s hard to dismiss the validity of it because it makes so much sense. The Sixers could easily deal Harris to the Kings in exchange for two or three lesser contracts. Or one player and future draft picks.
From what I have heard in wake of the Harden news:
—The Sixers now expect to have the non-tax mid level, the bi-annual exception, and some wiggle room for sign and trades
—No strictly cap trades are expected to be made — Sixers will continue to hunt for players they like
Here is one possible deal that checked out on ESPN’s Trade Machine:
Harrison Barnes and Richaun Holmes for Tobias Harris would net #Sixers a decent backup 5, plus a wing with range. And adds $5.3 million.
But would be Philly be better? I’m not sure. Harris is a solid player who gets judged too much on an insane contract. #HereTheyCome
Throw Justin Holiday into the above deal and it gets really interesting. The Sixers could add Furkan Korkmaz as a pot sweetener and still free up nearly $4 million. Would Sacramento want to do that? Maybe.
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Harden Opts Out, Looking at ‘Mid-30s’ Salary
Harden’s decision to opt out of his player option for the 2022-23 season should give the Sixers the money they need to sign P.J. Tucker. That’s why he did it. The biggest question left to answer was how much of a pay cut did Harden take to give the Sixers financial flexibility?
.@WindhorstESPN reports on ESPN that James Harden will reduce his salary down to “the mid-30s.”
Well, the numbers aren’t official but ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported it’s somewhere around $35 million per year. That’s a pretty big jump down from the $47.4 million he could have earned by opting in.
Harden has taken a team-first approach as the Sixers pursue higher-priced free agents. The first target? P.J. Tucker. According to The Inquirer’s Keith Pompey, Tucker is poised to receive a three-year, $30 million deal.
Harden’s decision to opt out of his contract gives the Sixers around $104.4 million in salary tied up with 12 players. That will allow the team to give Tucker the $10.3 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
The Sixers will have the ability to add a player this summer via a sign-and-trade and by using their $4.1 million biannual exception.
The opt-out could go a long way in reshaping the Sixers’ bench, including that full mid-level exception, $4.1M bi-annual exception and sign-and-trades.
Tyrese Maxey Keeps Improving His Jumper
Meanwhile, Tyrese Maxey just keeps working on his three-point shot this summer. There seems to be a new video emerging every week showing the third-year guard draining jumpers and improving his footwork.
The latest comes courtesy of famed NBA trainer Chris Johnson. Maxey’s offseason mantra was NGE which stands for “not good enough.”
Shuffle up to drift shooting🔥🔥 @TyreseMaxey #jushoop
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Sixers Ready to ‘Re-Engage’ West Squad on Tobias Harris Trade?