Windhorst: 76ers 'Not Desperate' for James Harden's Return on New Contract in NBA FA

The Philadelphia 76ers "are not desperate" when it comes to a reunion with James Harden, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst.

"While they absolutely want James Harden back, and I think there's a way they can play together and still be highly successful, the Sixers have other moves they can make," Windhorst said Wednesday on NBA Today (via RealGM). "If Harden walks, they have cap space. They have tradable contracts. They have things they can do. Harden is important but not the end all and be all for the 76ers."

That opinion arguably runs counter to the prevailing wisdom.

Philadelphia doesn't have a path to replacing Harden through free agency if he walks this summer. Spotrac estimates $8.2 million to be the most the team can generate in salary-cap space.

The situation is similar to when the Dallas Mavericks had a Jalen Brunson-sized hole in their backcourt after he signed with the New York Knicks last offseason.

The Sixers' trade chips are somewhat limited as well if they need to retool.

Tobias Harris is a negative asset thanks to the $39.3 million salary on his expiring contract. P.J. Tucker ($11 million) and De'Anthony Melton ($8 million) could be moved, but neither is going to yield a massive return.

Dealing Tyrese Maxey is the one move that could presumably net Philly a second star to pair alongside Joel Embiid, but it doesn't make a ton of sense to ship out a player who averaged 20.3 points and shot 43.4 percent from beyond the arc.

What Windhorst's report does convey is that Harden may not have as much leverage as he imagined when he left some money on the table and signed a two-year contract with a player option.

Michael Scotto reported on the HoopsHype Podcast "there are rumblings" the Houston Rockets don't want to give the 10-time All-Star a full max contract. Kelly Iko of The Athletic said the same thing on the podcast:

"Do I think the Rockets are willing to give him the max? No. They want to add at least three or four veterans, and you can't do that conceivably if you're giving Harden upwards of $45-50 million. If it comes to a deal in the range of $30-33 million, I can see that. Then, you still have enough to get another marquee guy or two."

Now, the Sixers are basically giving off the same impression.

Perhaps it's just posturing on the part of one or both teams, but Harden's subtle decline does make a max contract a risky proposition. Philadelphia and Houston seem to be well aware of that fact.