When news broke that James Harden was opting out of his $47 million player's option, it drew largely positive reactions from fans of the Sixers and of the NBA in general. Suddenly afforded an opportunity to use the full mid-level exception and the bi-annual exception too if he so sees fits, Daryl Morey has a whole new collection of players he can pursue in free agency, all because Harden opted to (presumably) take a haircut now in favor of a more expansive, and ultimately more expensive long-term contract for the next few years.

And no one is more excited about Harden's decision to forgo an eight-figure payday to help in the pursuit of a player like P.J. Tucker than Maxx Crosby, the Pro Bowl defensive end from the Las Vegas Raiders who has long been a fan of the former Houston legend.

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Hey, I guess game respects game.

Responding to the Shams Charania report that Harden's reason for accepting a lower payday for the 2022-23 season was to focus on winning a title with as much talent around him as possible, Crosby gave credit to his favorite player for keeping his eye on the ultimate prize, even if it means accepting a little less money in the short-term in the pursuit of greatness.

Will Harden's decision work? Will the addition of P.J. Tucker on the MLE and a player like Delon Wright on the Bi-annual exception make the Sixers good enough to finally make it out of the East, or will the team once again hit their glass ceiling? Either way, Crosby will be watching on.