James Harden could re-sign with Sixers for less than the max?

On a recent episode of The Athletic NBA Show, Sam Amick shared some intel on James Harden’s contract situation with the Philadelphia 76ers. Amick says Philadelphia may know Harden won’t demand a max deal in free agency. “When the Sixers got him, their intel was that he would potentially be willing to take less. And obviously, you know, nobody knows him better than Daryl (Morey),” said Amick.
Source: RealGM

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Rich Hoffman @rich_hofmann
Feel like the Sixers are playing pretty well. Taking care of the ball, rebounding well, Harden has played a good game.
Just really hard to win when the shooters are tossing up bricks and Miami is hitting its 3s. – 9:11 PM Nate Duncan @NateDuncanNBA
Harden has had some very encouraging finishes at the rim tonight. – 9:08 PM Wes Goldberg @wcgoldberg
Two straight PnRs btwn Jimmy and Bam with Tucker in the short corner. On the first, Tucker’s defender cheats in and Jimmy finds Tucker for the 3. Second one, Harden plays up on Tucker and Jimmy scores on the drive. – 8:59 PM Nate Duncan @NateDuncanNBA
Butler has gotten roasted in this 3rd. Two Harris blowbys, and Harden got a great look on him in an iso as well. – 8:56 PM Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
Ben Simmons joined James Harden and Joe Harris as players to suffer injury setbacks ramping up on Brooklyn’s recent watch.
The latest on Simmons, who is now scheduled to get a microdiscectomy tomorrow. More info on the procedure for @NYDNSports
nydailynews.com/sports/basketb… – 8:49 PM Rich Hoffman @rich_hofmann
Decent James Harden half (16 points, 5 assists), all things considered. Got by some defenders when Miami single covered, needs shooters to convert a bit more when they double.
Sixers got back into single digits with small-ball. Can’t do it the whole half, but gotta lean into it. – 8:41 PM Tim Bontemps @TimBontemps
Three things needed to happen for Philly to win this game today:
76ers had to take care of the ball – 3 first half turnovers
James Harden had to play better – he has 16/3/5 on 5-for-10 shooting
76ers had to hit 3s – they are … 4-for-14 from 3
Miami leads 60-52 at halftime. – 8:38 PM Austin Krell @NBAKrell
Putrid first quarter, much better 2nd quarter from Harden. Miami throwing 2 or 3 guys at him on every touch. – 8:38 PM Ky Carlin @Ky_Carlin
What a dumb foul by the Heat there. Just leave him alone and let him take a bad shot. Big call for Philly. James Harden hits all 3 free throws and they’ll trail the Heat 60-52 going into halftime. #Sixers – 8:35 PM Ira Winderman @IraHeatBeat
Heat go up 14 in second, take 60-52 lead into half. Herro with 16 points. Butler with seven assists. James Harden dribbling a lot (and has 16 points). – 8:35 PM John Schuhmann @johnschuhmann
Some purposeful movement from the Sixers here, but great defense from the Heat & both Thybulle & Harden a little hesitant to shoot c&s 3s. pic.twitter.com/UoCUJGH3Pn – 8:32 PM Brian Mahoney @briancmahoney
76ers now 3 for 11 on 3s. Doesn’t really matter how Harden plays if they can’t knock down a few of those. – 8:24 PM Haralabos Voulgaris @haralabob
I think Miami picking up Harden fullcourt after a FT make is a mistake – too easy to get Maxey out and attacking in the open court. – 8:16 PM Kyle Neubeck @KyleNeubeck
If they’re going to triple team Harden and the open guy is just going to miss threes, there are few paths to victory here – 8:07 PM Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
Grant Hill on James Harden: “Obviously, Father Time is undefeated” – 8:07 PM Tim Bontemps @TimBontemps
After 1: Heat 31, 76ers 24.
After going 9-for-36 from 3 in Game 1, Miami is already 4-for-9 tonight. Heat closed the first quarter on an 11-4 run to take the lead.
Philly is taking care of the ball, but is just 1-for-5 on 3s, and Harden is 1-for-4 to begin the game. – 8:02 PM Noah Levick @NoahLevick
Heat ended the first on a 9-2 run after Korkmaz for Harden substitution.
Sixers 1 for 5 from three in the first, meaning they’re 7 for 39 this series. – 8:02 PM John Schuhmann @johnschuhmann
Not the first time Harden has ignored a wide-open Thybulle in the strong-side corner. (Not saying he’s wrong for doing so.) pic.twitter.com/8o1PjtQCKj – 7:55 PM Michael Gallagher @MikeSGallagher
James Harden’s FG% on drives in the last 6 regular seasons:
2016:17: 50.8%
2017-18: 52.8%
2018-19: 52.8%
2019-20: 55.7%
2020-21: 52.3%
2021-22: 46.9%
Last three postseasons (smaller samples here, obviously):
2020: 64.0% (12 games)
2021: 62.5% (9 games)
2022: 44.7% (7 games) – 7:53 PM Ky Carlin @Ky_Carlin
James Harden had a very lengthy conversation with the official heading into that timeout #Sixers – 7:53 PM Keith Pompey @PompeyOnSixers
#Sixers are shooting 6-9 and lead 15-13. Jordan and Maxey both have four points. Green 3. Harris and Harden have 2. – 7:45 PM Brady Hawk @BradyHawk305
James Harden is hunting the switches against Max Strus
But he can’t get by Max Strus – 7:41 PM Anthony Chiang @Anthony_Chiang
76ers again working to get Max Strus to switch onto James Harden. Early in this series, Strus has held up fine. – 7:40 PM Tim Reynolds @ByTimReynolds
James Harden’s first 3 … wide left. – 7:40 PM Keith Pompey @PompeyOnSixers
#Sixers will start Green, Harris, Jordan, Maxey and Harden. – 7:06 PM Ira Winderman @IraHeatBeat
Yes, the 76ers staying with DeAndre Jordan as their starting center. Also starting: Tobias Harris, Danny Green, Tyrese Maxey, James Harden. – 7:01 PM Tom Moore @TomMoorePhilly
ICYMI: #NBA column: The #Sixers must take better care of the ball, keep the #Heat off of offensive boards and have James Harden take more than 4 2nd-half shots to avoid falling behind 2-0 vs the #Heat: https://t.co/7BEtMsHkLJ #76ers pic.twitter.com/GcoCnouxS2 – 7:00 PM Noah Levick @NoahLevick
Game 2 on deck for James Harden and the Sixers: pic.twitter.com/ZZaDSFhzGb – 6:37 PM Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
New @FrontOfficeShow is up! @Trevor_Lane and I catch up on the playoffs, talk Zion’s extension possibilities, Harden not getting the max, Hawks retooling and more. Plus, the show goes off the rails when we get silly. Why? You’ll have to watch to find out!
youtu.be/E4lVEvuhGfI – 6:31 PM Ky Carlin @Ky_Carlin
James Harden working with Sam Cassell #Sixers pic.twitter.com/i1TbIhNysX – 6:27 PM Ky Carlin @Ky_Carlin
James Harden preparing for work #Sixers pic.twitter.com/CuD6WCUVM8 – 6:22 PM Keith Pompey @PompeyOnSixers
Give Em To Me! I want your Game 2 predictions for the #Sixers vs. #miamiheat #NBAPlayoffs Eastern Conference second-rounder. I want the winner, final score and points for Tyrese Maxey, James Harden, Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro #PhilaUnite     #HEATCulture – 5:09 PM Tommy Beer @TommyBeer
Over the last ten playoff games he’s appeared in (dating back to Game 5 of last year’s series vs. Milwaukee),
James Harden is averaging:
17.3 points on 38% shooting – 1:48 PM Tom Moore @TomMoorePhilly
#NBA column: Can James Harden and his teammates pick up the offensive slack tonight in Game 2 the way Tobias Harris in Monday’s loss to the #Heat without Joel Embiid? https://t.co/7BEtMsHkLJ pic.twitter.com/XDYwxY9bpE – 1:05 PM Marc J. Spears @MarcJSpears
P.J. Tucker explains ‘Heat Culture,’ feeling good at 36, Pat Riley, leaving the Bucks, guarding James Harden, why he’s the NBA’s wine king and much more in @andscape. #nba #heat #NBAPlayoffs bit.ly/3vRxp6p – 12:02 PM Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Would James Harden take less than max to stay with 76ers? nba.nbcsports.com/2022/05/04/wou… – 11:07 AM Barry Jackson @flasportsbuzz
From PM: On James Harden, who is dominating the conversation on national talk shows but isn’t dominating the Heat. And smallball and a bunch of Heat things, including an unusual admission from Doc Rivers, as Herro and Strus are targeted: miamiherald.com/sports/spt-col… – 9:26 AM Barry Jackson @flasportsbuzz
On the decline of James Harden and what the Heat is doing about it; 76ers both trash talk and praise Heat; lineup decision; and candid stuff from Doc Rivers, including something few coaches ever admit: miamiherald.com/sports/spt-col… – 9:23 PM Sirius XM NBA @SiriusXMNBA
“ has played almost 39,000 minutes…it will catch up to you.”
With Joel Embiid out, @adaniels33 has concerns that James Harden can carry the load for the 76ers against Miami #PhilaUnite pic.twitter.com/Gw0hgAER6i – 5:51 PM Barry Jackson @flasportsbuzz
NEW: Tons of stuff from Sixers’ posh Brickell hotel today, and more Game 1 fallout: What Heat is doing to Harden & what 76ers are saying about it; 76ers serve up both trash talk & praise for Heat; interesting admission from Rivers; Embiid update; more: miamiherald.com/sports/spt-col… – 5:30 PM Tom Moore @TomMoorePhilly
#NBA column: The #Sixers must take better care of the ball, keep the #Heat off of offensive glass and have James Harden take more than 4 2nd-half shots if they hope to avoid falling behind 2-0 vs #Heat: https://t.co/7BEtMsHkLJ #76ers pic.twitter.com/9K2cYfQXpp – 3:45 PM

More on this storyline

Sam Amick: When the Sixers got (James Harden), their intel was that he would potentially be willing to take less. And obviously, you know, nobody knows him better than Daryl (Morey). -via Spotify / May 4, 2022 “So here’s my second conspiracy theory,” said Zach Lowe on his podcast. “This one, James Harden himself just debunked, if you care about what is said at press conferences. So James Harden, it was reported I think by The Athletic, that James Harden opted in as part of his trade to Philadelphia. Then it was reported hours later that he in fact had not opted in. Then it was reported days later that the reason he had not opted in was that he just missed the deadline to file the paperwork with the NBA league office. The fax got stuck in the machine. Or the signature couldn’t be found or something. “Here’s the conspiracy. This is the one going around the league that James Harden, to be clear, just debunked. He’s going to decline his option, re-sign for less money, so that Philadelphia can dump Tobias Harris into somebody’s cap space and open up if they dump some other people an almost, almost, almost max slot for a third star. That’s the one that’s going around the league. And people who say that are like, ‘If that happens, some eyebrows at the league office might be raised.’ -via RealGM / February 16, 2022 Rich Hoffman: James Harden said that he plans to opt in to the final year of his contract but has not done so yet: “Everything happened so fast.” -via Twitter @rich_hofmann / February 15, 2022