The Philadelphia 76ers have no obvious means to replace Harden if he walks, so they might feel compelled to give him what he wants. "He can get numbers he can help a team," an NBA executive told 's Steve Bulpett.
While he's never been the most reliable defender and is finding it increasingly difficult to stay on the court (less than 60 appearances two of the past three seasons), his offensive gifts alone are no longer enough to command top dollar. Harden still makes an impact with his shooting and table-setting, but that only goes so far.
#Sixers score play by play free
This season, he was down to 7.4 points and 2.7 free throws on 13.5 drives.
#Sixers score play by play full
Go back to 2019-20, his final full season with the Houston Rockets, and he turned 17.6 drives per night into 12.4 points and 4.2 free-throw attempts per game.
#Sixers score play by play zip
The 33-year-old just doesn't have the same zip off the dribble anymore, so he can't get all the way to the cup or the foul line. His 6.2 free-throw attempts were also his fewest in this time span, and the percentage of his shots taken within three feet of the basket was the smallest of his career ( 16.5, had never dipped below 23 before). His scoring output has declined each of the past three seasons, landing at 21 per night this season-the lowest it's been since 2011-12. His salary should reflect his current form, and while he's still good, greatness might be forever behind him. His Hall of Fame spot has long been secured.īut his next contract-which could span four years and cost north of $200 million if he gets the max-isn't paying for that. He's a 10-time All-Star, a seven-time All-NBA honoree (six times on the first team), a three-time scoring champ, a two-time assists leader and a former MVP. Those are fine players to have in the supporting cast, but not ones you want to pay the kind of coin he seems destined to collect. Hachimura looks like a helpful, change-of-pace reserve whose impact often hinges on his mid-range touch. He's also basically broke even in terms of assists (career 1.3 per game) and turnovers (1.0). He can have moments on defense-he limited two-time MVP Nikola Jokić to 31 points on 25 shots this postseason-but he can get sleepy off the ball and has trouble at the point of attack on pick-and-rolls.
His three-point shooting obviously perked up in the playoffs, but even then he only had 19 treys in 16 games. Maybe that's not a shocking amount in the NBA economy, but the evidence suggesting he's a $15-million-plus-per-year kind of player is either limited or nonexistent.įunctionally, he's a scoring specialist who typically operates inside the arc. Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer relayed in May that Hachimura initially sought an extension from Washington near "a four-year, $60 million structure," but that value now "seems like the floor" for his next deal. If executives put a ton of stock into his postseason performance-when he averaged 12.2 points on 55.7/48.7/88.2 shooting-that'll be great news for his bank account. And at 25 years old, he's just young enough to convince clubs he may still offer some untapped potential. 9 in 2019) for front offices to remember the reasons he was drafted so high.
He's also a recent enough top-10 pick (No. His midseason move from the Washington Wizards to the Los Angeles Lakers put him in a marquee market, and he looked great under the playoff spotlight. All arrows point toward Rui Hachimura fetching a fat paycheck this summer.
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