The NBA is not only investigating whether the Sixers violated tampering rules prior to free agency but also whether they have a handshake agreement with James Harden after the star guard declined his $47.4MM option and took a pay cut, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps in an appearance on NBA Today (video link).
Harden signed a two-year deal for $68.6MM that includes a player option. The league is concerned whether the Sixers front office, led by president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, already has another agreement in place with Harden regarding a future contract.
The league “could potentially levy a really big penalty” against the Sixers if that occurred, Bontemps said.
On the same show, a clip from The VC (Vince Carter) Show was broadcast in which 76ers coach Doc Rivers denied that the Sixers knew Harden would opt out and re-sign: “I guarantee you that Daryl had no idea what James was going to do.”
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- Rivers also spoke about the Ben Simmons situation, saying that Simmons essentially overreacted to issues he had in Philadelphia (video link). “What frustrated me was that I still think (his issues) shouldn’t have been enough to want to leave,” Rivers said. “I told Ben that and I kept telling him that. That’s not why you want to leave a team. You work these things out and they didn’t get worked out.”
- Raptors stars Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam could sign lucrative extensions this offseason but will likely to decide to wait, as Eric Koreen of The Athletic explains. VanVleet could sign a four-year contract extension worth approximately $114MM right now but might get more money down the road if he waits and remains productive. Beginning in October, Siakam could sign a three-year extension in excess of $125MM. However, Siakam — who has two years left on his current deal — could also get more by putting extension talks on the backburner.
- The Celtics are hiring Craig Luschenat as a player development coach, Jared Weiss of The Athletic tweets. Luschenat has been on the staff of the team’s G League affiliate in Maine.
How will they be able to prove the “future agreement”?
Genuinely asking idk how in depth they can be with their investigation
When he declines next year and he, believe it or not, does not resign to return to the team. This is an all or nothing one year deal disguised as two.
To further support that statement, Joel is only making like in the low 30 millions this season. They aint paying both next year is a take it to the bank guarantee.
Maybe they can review communication devices, emails, etc. Although you would think the Sixers weren’t stupid enough to leave an obvious paper trail.
Hopefully Morey has a burner phone
Probably the same one left behind by scumbag Colangelo
Any communications from the team are available for the league office to utilize/investigate.
They can also interview team personnel.
This will be very difficult to prove unless someone was dumb enough to put it in writing.
I don’t see why this is a problem. Maybe if the agreement was to pay millions later to him when he is an executive so it is off the salary cap but to have a handshake agreement to pay him more later should be fine. Harden is taking almost the risk in this.
Sixers should know Ben better than anyone. They also should know their own city. So how could they NOT know. That Philly would never let him forget that playoff performance. And that Ben could not , would not be able to deal with. They tried to force his hand. Which is even worse. Yes he’s a big baby and soft. So why would you fight that. The smartest move was to move him at the draft. Where not only they would have gotten great value. But would have set up their future for years. This was all Moreyon and his misguided love for Harden. Once it broke down in Bklyn. He was all in on Harden. Sixers aren’t winning. And all Harden is going to do for them. Is slam shut their window for winning ……. …. analytics my aaa.
“I guarantee you I’m a bad coach.”
“We didn’t know”
It is criminal for the sixers to know.
But its even more criminal for them to not know.
The first is a cheater.
The second is complete incompetence.
If it were me, I’d trade Siakam and FVV in their final year and start over vs paying them more into the backside of prime years.
FVV Yes – Good pg and clutch when healthy but won’t age well at the end of a 4 year (or 5/6 years from now at a higher AAV if he waits) contract
SIAKAM No – He’s going to be the #2 (or Robin) to Barnes (Batman)and bring Toronto another Chip
Yea but that extension is stupid money.
They just can’t believe that he wants to win.
LOL he doesn’t, he just cares about fixing his image
So every player signs seconds into FA, and Harden takes too long so, investigate. No one else tampered.
Dude…who would want to play for this guy? He doesnt even know who you are, throws you under the bus, doesnt take any inch of responsibility for anything, takes credit for successes, tells you how you should feel, including about things he said about you…i knew there had to have been something more that happened for him to have continued staying away that whole time. It made sense at first, but then it went on. Now I understand why. As I’ve said for years, Doc Rivers is a clown
Doc is a clown for many, many, many things – but for critiquing how Ben Simmons handled himself last season is not one of them
What’s supposedly being investigated with Harden is far more serious than anything that might have happened with Tucker. I’m somewhat surprised by this investigation, unless its perfunctory. Was the CP3 extension (similar drop in salary from the option figure) the subject of an investigation? I don’t remember one being reported.
Certainly, teams can’t be allowed to enter into any compensation agreements / understandings with a player other than the contracts filed with the league office; or the NBA salaries rules won’t work. I’m just not sure PHI got a good enough deal on the 2 year extension that it would need to entice Harden with another agreement; or that Harden made such a huge sacrifice in the extension that he would require it.
2 words : CAP CIRCUMVENTION
Refer to Joe Smith and the Minnesota Timberwolves in the early 2000s. That debacle cost the Twolves 5 first round picks moving forward. I’d like to see that precedent be upheld in this case.
I have the Sixers being docked basically every single first round pick they have available/remaining over the next decade (3 or 4 picks, in total).
Daryl Morey’s reunion will cost this franchise an arm and a leg moving forward. Hilarious that the on court production will not even be close to worth the cost this will have on the 6ers moving forward.
Morey for ya!