James Harden Rumors: There's 'An Appetite for' 76ers PG to Get 4-Year, $200M Contract

James Harden's disappointing end to the 2022-23 season is apparently not going to hurt his bank account.

Brian Windhorst of ESPN said there is "an appetite" around the NBA for Harden landing a four-year contract worth more than $200 million. A non-Sixers team could pay Harden $201.7 million over four years.

The Sixers can only offer Harden $210.1 million over four years due to the NBA's rules governing contracts for players age 38 and older. In that sense, the CBA limits the Sixers' leverage and sets up Harden to more seriously consider outside suitors than he might otherwise.

A return to the Houston Rockets has been regularly mentioned. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Rockets intend to pursue a reunion, and it's a "very real possibility" Harden returns.

Harden has been seemingly out of sorts ever since he forced a trade to Brooklyn during the 2020-21 season. He became disenchanted within a year and pushed for another trade to the Philadelphia 76ers the following season, which has only resulted in more playoff disappointment.

The 2018 NBA MVP scored just 22 points on 7-of-27 shooting as the Sixers blew a 3-2 lead to the Boston Celtics in the 2023 Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Harden's continued wilting when the lights are brightest and his general decline as a player makes it a bit of a surprise teams would be willing to fork over $50 million annually. That said, the Sixers don't have much of a choice. They have no avenue to replace Harden if he walks, and the Rockets' interest is going to drive the price past the point of his actual market value.

What we're seeing here is a classic case of leverage.