The $47 million dollar question of the offseason for James Harden was whether or not he would opt into his player option. Instead, he signed a two-year extension with the Philadelphia 76ers for about $15 million less in annual salary than what he would have made had he opted in.

In a recent sit-down with Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes, the Bearded One was vocal about his conversations with Sixers president Daryl Morey about the financial decision that surprised many.

Via Yahoo Sports:

“I had conversations with Daryl, and it was explained how we could get better and what the market value was for certain players. I told Daryl to improve the roster, sign who we needed to sign and give me whatever is left over,” Harden told Yahoo Sports. “This is how bad I want to win. I want to compete for a championship. That’s all that matters to me at this stage. I’m willing to take less to put us in position to accomplish that.”

James Harden has made well over nine figures throughout his career, but the one thing he doesn't have is a championship ring. While adding a cool 15 mil into his bank account would've been nice, adding to his Hall of Fame resume would likely be a much bigger gain for the Sixers star at this point in his career.

It also shows the trust he has in longtime partner Daryl Morey, who initially acquired Harden back with the Houston Rockets and built those contending teams from the ground up.