Two of the biggest names on the free agent market in the NBA's offseason are Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden and Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving — and according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, they're both making leverage plays to maximize their contracts in 2023.

“Both of them, at $48 to $50-something million, seem like very bad bets. But, there is a scarcity [of star talent] there,” Windhorst said on The Hoop Collective podcast this week. “I also think that both of them, Kyrie showing up to Laker games, James Harden being rumored to be attached to the Rockets, I still think/suspect all of that is one giant leverage play.

That, what James Harden really wants is to elicit the biggest offer out of the Sixers even if it isn’t a max [contract]. Whatever the number of money is, for as long as many years as he can get. And that this slow dance for months and these rumors are all sort of tied to that.”

It's an interesting take from Windhorst, as the James-Harden-back-to-the-Houston-Rockets rumors continue to swirl this offseason.

“And I think that Kyrie could be doing the same exact thing [with the Mavericks],” Windhorst continued. “Just doing all of this, and whatever he may do between now and free agency to try to get the juiciest offer he can from the team he’s on. Cause [the Sixers and Mavericks] face the most damage from losing those guys.”

The ESPN analyst later made it clear that his opinion is only speculation, but it does hold weight after he was the first reporter to hint at Harden's departure in Brooklyn, per SB Nation's Harrison Grimm. Windhorst has also been known to be objective when reporting on big-name NBA players.

While it's very obvious that both Philadelphia and Dallas would be much worse teams without James Harden and Kyrie Irving, respectively, it's only a matter of time before we know what the future holds for both superstars.