Windhorst: James Harden Looks Like He Lost a Step Ahead of 76ers Contract Talks

The Philadelphia 76ers have a major decision to make this offseason with James Harden eligible to sign a long-term contract extension. 

On The Hoop Collective Podcast (starts at 50:20 mark), ESPN's Brian Windhorst explained why he thinks the Sixers' decision could be complicated by the way Harden has looked since joining the team in February:

"If you can look at me with a fair mind and say that you've been impressed with James Harden so far, I don't know, man. And of course the playoffs are where the narratives are decided. The playoffs set the conversation. I am willing to say that it could very easily go the other way; he could be great. But, No. 1, I'm looking at him in these big games and watching him continue to struggle, and No. 2, I'm thinking about him sitting down at the table and asking for a $240 million contract this offseason, or whatever the number is going to be. And both of those make me scratch my head, man. I'm doing it right now. I know it's just a couple games, but Spears, it looks like he lost a step to me, man. It's not a guy I'd be really excited about giving $200 million to."

When the 76ers acquired Harden from the Brooklyn Nets, there was speculation he was going to opt in to the final year of his deal for $47.4 million in 2022-23. 

Harden didn't opt in at the time, but he told reporters the plan is to do so after this season:

Per Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com, Harden and the 76ers are "operating under the belief that this is a long-term partnership."

Neubeck also noted Harden's best long-term play would be to opt in and sign an extension at a later date when he could earn around $274 million through the 2026-27 season. 

Of course, this assumes that offer will still be on the table for Harden. The 10-time All-Star is playing well this season, but there are some things that suggest he could be on a downward trend from his absolute peak. 

Harden's 22.5 points per game is on pace to be his lowest scoring average since the 2011-12 season (16.8). His 41.4 field-goal percentage is his worst since he was a rookie in 2009-10, and he's shooting a career-worst 33.6 percent from three-point range. 

While Harden's scoring and efficiency numbers are down, he is averaging 10.1 assists and 7.9 rebounds per game. His three-point shooting has improved slightly since the trade to 34.8 percent with the Sixers (33.2 percent with Brooklyn). 

If the 76ers make a deep playoff run and Harden plays at a high level, nothing that happened during the regular season will matter. But there is potentially a lot of money at stake for the 32-year-old over the next few months. 

Philadelphia holds the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference standings with a 46-28 record.