The off-field scrimmage between James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers is anything but straightforward. The NBA superstar and the franchise have found themselves at odds for an extended period of time, and the situation appears to be escalating with each passing day.
The Philadelphia 76ers’ prolific shooting guard has reportedly filed an official request for a trade, but there has been no response as of yet. The Los Angeles Clippers are rumored to have shown interest in getting Harden, but the negotiations seem to have stalled. Now the 76ers are planning to apply a strategy that could cost Harden $389,082 per game he misses.
James Harden to get $389,082 docked off per missed game
The Philadelphia 76ers’ new strategy could potentially result in James Harden losing a significant amount of money if he doesn’t fulfill his contractual responsibilities. The team is introducing fines for ‘failure to render services’ as part of this strategy.
Under this new change, if James Harden misses a preseason or regular season game without the team’s consent, he could face a fine of $389,082 for each game missed. James Harden’s current contract with the 76ers is a 2-year deal worth $68.6 million. As one year has already elapsed since the contract was signed, Harden is expected to earn approximately $35.6 million in the 2023-24 NBA season.
The fine that the 76ers are planning to impose may seem insignificant when compared to the substantial salary figures of Harden, but it could become a significant issue for him if he becomes careless and accumulates fines by missing matches. Additionally, this could further damage his already diminished reputation. Many fans and analysts now view Harden as a mere shadow of his former self.
Harden’s appearance vs Hawks in question
James Harden has not appeared in any of the pre-season games played by the Philadelphia 76ers. Although he requested a trade he was seen practicing hard with the team in the training camp and in some of the preseason games. He was putting in good effort and the 76ers star Joel Embiid also applauded his efforts.
However, he hasn’t played in any of the matches and has not been with the team since Sunday. James Harden is away from the 76ers due to ‘personal matters,’ as reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania. It is very unlikely that he will show up for the pre-season game between the 76ers and the Hawks. This unprofessional behavior by Harden very clearly highlights the need to impose a fine for missing games.
What do you think of the strategy the 76ers are pursuing? How do you perceive James Harden’s behavior? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
