Superstar James Harden wants to win the NBA title so bad that he is willing to leave money on the table to get it. Harden confirmed this in a chat with Yahoo Sports, saying that he’s waiting for the Philadelphia 76ers to improve its roster before signing a new deal and that he’ll take “whatever is left over.”
Harden explained that his sacrifice was a result of a conversation with 76ers president of basketball operation Daryl Morey.
” … it was explained how we could get better and what the market value was for certain players,” said Harden. “I told Daryl to improve the roster, sign who we needed to sign, and give me whatever is left over.”
Harden added that winning an NBA title is the only thing that matters to him at this stage of his career.
“This is how bad I want to win. I want to compete for a championship,” he shared.
James Harden arrived in Philly from the Brooklyn Nets in February in a trade that saw All-Star guard Ben Simmons head the other way. The 76ers had big expectations for 2021-22 from that point on, but things didn’t exactly work out the way the organization intended. Harden struggled to shake off his rust while superstar center Joel Embiid dealt with injuries, resulting in a second-round playoff exit.
Harden, who averaged 21.0 points in 21 games with the 76ers last season, is a free agent after declining the $47.3 million option. However, he isn’t taking part in the free agency process and is set on staying in Philadelphia in 2022-23 and beyond.
