“James Harden did something Russ is incapable of doing, he looked in the mirror” - Skip Bayless applauds Harden for taking a pay cut, says he’s increased his chances of getting a ring
James Harden agreed to take a pay cut and help the Philladephia 76ers sign other great players. Thanks to Harden's sacrifice, the 76ers were able to sign P.J. Tucker, a valuable player who will drastically benefit the team next season.
Earlier this summer, Harden rejected a Player Option on his contract. Had he accepted it, he would have been paid $47.4 million next year.
Skip Bayless believes that this was the right move because Harden is not the same player anymore.
"James Harden did something Russ is incapable of doing," Bayless said. "He looked in the mirror and said, 'I'm not that guy. I'm not Houston James anymore. I've played 13 years, I'm looking at my hands and I've got zero rings.'"
Despite still being a great player, James Harden is nowhere near as good as the prime version of himself. Bayless also took a shot at Russell Westbrook and his massive contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.
James Harden's sacrifice allowed Philadelphia to sign P.J. Tucker
P.J. Tucker had one of the best seasons of his career with the Miami Heat last year. Tucker did it while being 36 and he was a fantastic player on both ends of the floor.
The 6-foot-5 forward joined the Heat right after winning the championship with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021. He knows what it takes to win it all and will drastically help the Sixers.
James Harden takes substantial pay cut with new Sixers contract:
"Harden did something Russ is incapable of doing: he looked in the mirror. He knows he's not Houston James anymore. He's looking at his hands and sees zero rings." — @RealSkipBayless https://t.co/NRKdnGStb2
James Harden is familiar with P.J. Tucker's game from their time together with the Houston Rockets. They could combine well to make the Sixers legitimate contenders in the upcoming season.
The Sixers have a much better team now
Aside from P.J. Tucker, the Phiadelphia 76ers signed Danuel House, De'Anthony Melton, and Trevelin Queen this summer. While these may not be huge additions, they can help the team going forward.
James Harden just took a huge pay cut to help make his team better… like Tom Brady always has… unlike LeBron and Russ. Now on @undisputed
House will reunite with Daryl Morey, who he played under in Houston. Melton has improved every season so far and is only 24, while Queen still hasn't got a real chance yet.
"You just added four players who will help you in little big ways. You had little to no depth last year and now you've got pretty serious playoff-caliber depth that can help take you places," Skip Bayless said.
"You greatly improved your chances because you said, 'I've got enough money, I'm going to maximize my chances to win a ring in my 14th year.' I don't condemn that, I applaud that."
He believes that it will all come down to whether or not Joel Embiid is healthy. However, the Sixers do have a much better team and they could have a deep playoff run.