Woj: James Harden hasn't made a decision yet about his player option with the 76ers

Well, it's good to have you here again. Less than 48 hours away from this deadline for James and back and forth. We go. I don't know if you think this is going to the very end with him. What are you hearing right now about this decision by Hardin Sage? I'm told that James Harden and his representatives have not made a decision yet on that 35.6 million dollar player option that he that he would have to exercise by Thursday afternoon. It gives him about two days now to figure out whether it makes more sense to go to decline it and then go into free agency where they can negotiate a new deal with the Sixers or look elsewhere including the Houston Rockets who have over 60 million dollars in salary cap space. Certainly think for Hardin when he did that one plus one deal last season with the player option left some money on the table for the Sixers. The hope was that they would come back this year and do a longer-term deal. Listen, he had a very very good season with Philly got to game 7 against Boston and certainly they fell short for Philadelphia. So they very much want James Harden back. They can't replace him if he walks in free agency, but the question will be as it typically is at what price and how many years he's eligible for a four year 213 million dollar max extension. I think the Sixers was certainly would perhaps like to do that deal with fewer years and that's where potentially the negotiation takes place if he declines once free agency starts Friday night, but as of now Hardin still has to decide ahead of Thursday to decline or pick up the player option. Yeah, once again, 35.6 million dollars is the option for James Harden as he finished up his 15th NBA season. He'll be 34 years old in August and we'll see if he decides to stay in Philly. Well, thank you. Stand by for more in a second. Please check NBA analyst. Tim Legler is with us now and let's just cut right to the chase here. Tim. What do you think is best for James Harden? Is it to stay in Philly or to test the waters and leave for a new team to me? It's clear. The best thing for him is to stay in Philadelphia. You're close. You've got you lmb. You've got a third star in Tyrese Maxey. You've got now a new coaching situation and I'm certainly not laying it all at the feet of Doc Rivers, but hey, maybe a fresh set of eyes and Nick Nurse is one of the brightest minds in the game. Maybe Nick Nurse is the guy that can help the Sixers manage these pressure situations that have really plagued them over the last several years when they've lost three game sevens in the conference semifinals in that second round. So to me, that's your best option. If you want to have a chance to contend and compete. It certainly isn't going to be opting out and going to Houston. I think that would pretty much be curtains on your ability to contend for a championship. The question ultimately is going to be can James Harden play at a level that he needs to consistently through a deep postseason run that remains to be seen because he has struggled with that since he got to Philadelphia and even at times in Houston, but there's no question. You're closer by staying in Philadelphia with the talent that's already there. And now with a new coach and a new set of eyes and Nick Nurse. Yeah, speaking of Harden average 21 points per game last season. That was his lowest average since 2012. And the reality of the situation is for the 76ers in Philadelphia. They haven't gone as far as they've wanted to in the postseason. Whoever was alongside Joel Embiid. So let's look forward to his future. If Harden is there. They don't go all the way to the finals next year. What happens with Embiid in Philadelphia going forward? Look, it's a tough one to answer because he's got he's under contract, you know for the foreseeable future. So he doesn't have a ton of leverage. It's not like he's going to become a free agent. He would have to demand and force his way out. And I don't know if he's got the personality type to want to do that. But at the same time, just look at the modern NBA that the typical storyline is star players get restless at a higher rate than they ever have. They become dissatisfied easier and quicker than they ever have. And if they have another exit from the postseason, that's either a first-round loss or a second-round loss. And in particular, if it goes down in similar fashion where they are just completely underwhelming and inept at times offensively when they need to be much, much better. Don't be surprised. If you see a guy like Joel Embiid get tired of looking around the league and seeing guys that are his peers and his contemporaries have opportunities to play in the finals and to be part of parades. That is something that wears on star players over time. Maybe that would be the case with Joel Embiid as well. I think he's going into this with the right mindset. But we'll see how he feels if they have one more early exit. It makes sense. Look, since drafting Embiid, the Sixers haven't made it out of the second round of the playoffs. We'll see what happens this year. If Harden does decide to stay in Philadelphia. Legler, thank you. You got it. Let's go back with Adrian Wojnowski and talk about a big star out in the Western Conference. Damian Lillard, who is making all kinds of headlines right now as well. As people wonder about his future, which we all know he has been so adamant about staying loyal to the Portland Trailblazers, but it feels like things are shifting. What can you tell us now about his future in Portland? Sage, I'm not sure anything has really changed about his future in Portland for all the speculation. Damian Lillard is where he's been for the least the last couple years with a young roster, Scoot Henderson and a very, very good draft class by the Blazers last week and the opportunity now for them to re-sign Jeremy Grant to look out in the trade market and see are there veterans they can bring in whether it's with their one of their exceptions with again a trade and see if they can continue to build around Damian Lillard who has said numerous times that he wants to be a Blazer, wants to win there. He met with the front office yesterday and the kind of meeting that star players have with the organizations all the time. So I think for all the belief that he is that some sort of a trade request is imminent. I think the facts speak to Damian Lillard is is stationed in Portland. This is where he has said he wants to be and the organization now has the opportunity over the next week plus week 10 days two weeks in free agency to see how they can improve this roster and certainly bring in some players who could help more in the short term for the longer term. They've got a really good young group of players including Shaden Sharpe who they drafted last year in the lottery who you would expect might make a really big jump this season. NBA front office insider Bobby Marks joining us live in studio to take us through both options first and foremost if Draymond Green ends up staying in Golden State. What would it mean dollar-wise salary cap perspective? How does that happen? Yeah, this is where they are right now Golden State. They are already paying a 73 million dollar luxury tax penalty without Draymond Green on the roster. The Chris Paul trade helps in the future doesn't help financially this year when you're swapping out Jordan Poole. We have Draymond Green at a 30 million dollar salary and I watch when this number goes all the way up. Oh my God 50 million dollars. There's a hundred and eighty million dollar difference with Draymond Green on the roster and Draymond Green off the roster here and we're Golden State. If you lose him, you only have the veteran minimum exception to go out and resign his replacement. So he's got some leverage there as far as returning. Okay, fine, but I saw what happened when he did stay. So how do they balance that? What what potentially changes who goes away if they bring him back? Well, this is probably for next year because they were already going to be here. Even if he had opted into that contract, you're probably looking at next year. Chris Paul probably not on that roster and that number comes lower here, but they were already going to pay a lot likely 500 million dollars this year. Even if they kept Jordan Poole or even with Chris Paul on the roster. Okay, so that's that side of it. What about other teams other potential fits for Draymond Green right now? What does those look like? Yeah, if things hit a snag as far as with with Golden State, I have my eyes on Sacramento right around 33 million dollars in cap space. Keep an eye on Damanis Sabonis as far as his contract. He can be renegotiated up potentially give him a little bit of a race that if they don't they've got the money to go out and sign a player like Draymond Green. It would cost them likely Harrison Barnes who's a free agent here. But when you slide him in still have a little bit money left. Wow, that's where he slides in there. So I would think only in the case where maybe Golden State plays a little bit of hardball, but for them, they can't afford to lose Draymond Green. They can't but let's play this scenario out real quick. First of all, after he apologizes to Damanis Sabonis for what happened in the postseason, right? This fit makes sense for a lot of reasons. Wow, that would be quite a pairing but also maybe more importantly the Mike Brown factor who is a longtime assistant there in Golden State. They know each other. Well, very good relationship. That is the x-factor. But you say Draymond has the leverage. He has the leverage in Golden State just because they can't afford to lose him, you know, I mean, of course, Joe Lacob can save 180 million dollars, but they would go from probably competing for a championship to certainly maybe even a playing team. Right. Joe Lacob has the 180 million dollars and he wants another ring. I'm sure. So we shall see. This one is going to be fun to watch. But what, how about this Shay? You never know. If he just goes down the road to Sacramento, we'll keep an eye on this. Bobby Marksville in particular. Thank you.