The Philadelphia 76ers' window to win a championship with Joel Embiid is rapidly shrinking. Another valuable year of his prime was wasted in the disappointing second-round exit to the Miami Heat. There are many questions to answer about the future of the Sixers following the postseason failure. However, the most pressing issue is what to do with James Harden.
It seemed as if the Sixers had got their missing piece when they sent a trade package centered around Ben Simmons to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for James Harden. With neither team able to advance past the conference semifinals, there is an argument that it was a failure for both sides.
Harden and the Sixers now have big decisions to make. The Beard has a $47.4 million player option decision for next season. There is the possibility of exercising that option and then signing a four-year extension, or opting out and re-signing on a five-year deal The max amount of money in these scenarios is around $270 million and would pay him over $60 million for his age-37 season.
Simply put, the Sixers must not the max contract route, though they could still negotiate a smaller extension or simply let him play on the option if he so chooses.
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Why Sixers would be idiotic to give James Harden a max extension
Maximizing Embiid's window
Every decision the Sixers make should be built around Joel Embiid. The MVP runner-up is a generational superstar who can lead a team to success with the proper pieces around him. While Harden makes sense from an on-court perspective, there is more to consider in the situation.
As great as Embiid is, he is not without his flaws. The 28-year-old has a lengthy injury history, and his window to win will not be open too much longer. James Harden is 32 years old and looks to have more wear and tear on his body than his age would indicate. He is clearly on the decline of his career, making it unclear what level he will be at a few years from now. Pairing Embiid with a guy who may have an even smaller window to win would be a disastrous decision.
Postseason struggles
James Harden has a lengthy resume in the NBA with plenty of accomplishments on it. However, it is worth noting how his accolades and strong play have occurred in the regular season. The former MVP is 78-71 in his playoff career and has not made it past the conference finals since his early days with the OKC Thunder. He promptly bombed in the 2012 NBA Finals.
Throughout his career in the playoffs, he has averaged 22.9 points, 6.2 assists, and 5.5 rebounds. He has shot 33.5% on 3-point attempts and also turns the ball over 3.5 times per game in these matchups. He has registered a negative plus/minus in 12 of the 19 elimination games he has played in. During playoff elimination games, Harden has shot just 41.2% from the field, 29.2% on 3-point attempts, and turned the ball over 4.5 times per game.
His struggles were put on full display as Harden scored 0 points on 0-2 shooting in the second half of the Sixers' Game 6 loss to Miami. After months of frustration with Ben Simmons' lack of offensive assertiveness in the playoffs, the Sixers saw a similarly disinterested effort from his replacement. There are certain players whose style is more effective in the regular season, and James Harden, unfortunately, fits in this category.
Harden simply isn't a max guy anymore
Many guys are able to coast into the later years of their career on reputation, but teams must be able to identify when play is truly declining. Refusing to offer a max contract to James Harden this offseason is in no way an indictment of his previous accomplishments but simply recognizing he is not the same player he once was.
There are adjustments Harden can continue to make to effectively extend his career. He has grown as a passer in a massive way throughout his career. His scoring ability is almost entirely reliant on 3-point production and attacking the rim to draw fouls. If he is able to add a mid-range game and become more comfortable in catch-and-shoot situations, he could become a more effective complementary piece.
Even if he is able to make these adjustments, it seems unlikely there is too much left in the tank for Harden in terms of being a legit superstar. It is possible he is able to let his body fully recover this offseason and find a new burst, but not a sure thing. Harden has talked about how the lingering hamstring issues have affected him throughout the past two seasons. However, it is tough to account for the hamstring recovery to improve his declining 3-point shot or ball-handling ability.
While a prime James Harden would likely be an ideal pairing with Joel Embiid, this is not the option that is on the table. Giving a guy a $270 million deal for what he once was rather than evaluating him on what he currently is would be a massive organizational mistake. The veteran is still a very useful player but is not the top-tier player he once was. The Sixers should avoid offering James Harden a max contract and explore other scenarios if they hope to find a way to reach their championship aspirations.
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