The James Harden trade saga is now becoming an exhausting endeavor. The stubbornness of both The Beard and the 76ers has paved the way for just more antagonism from either side. Because of this uncertainty, the locker room atmosphere has to be hit. We have seen Joel Embiid drop hints that he may also leave the squad. However, nothing is as severe or in-your-face as the case of Harden. He isn’t showing up for work, and after some hope, his time in the city of Brotherly Love seems to be over. 

In this case, the 76ers players are also bearing the brunt. One rising star is facing an economic hit because of this tiresome case.

James Harden and the 76ers inflicting mutual damage

This uncertainty is pinching because before making any other major move, the management will have Harden’s situation in mind. First, there is the trouble of assigning a role. If he plays, then he will be the major ball-handler and will be the Floor General. It means that the teams will run a variety of key sets around him as the offensive anchor.

Secondly, with contract decisions looming, they will have to be careful while crafting deals. They don’t want to be in a cap space entanglement before knowing the economics, which will only be settled after the Harden situation is clear. 22-year-old Tyrese Maxey has faced a rather tricky time.

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Last season, the scoring guard averaged a shade over 20 points and his impact in the Playoffs didn’t wane.

However, the cap situation has affected his rookie extension. The 76ers wanted cap flexibility, so they didn’t offer him the deserved extension on the first of July. The extension was $34 million per year, which means $21 million in addition to his current $13 million. If he signs the extension, the cap hit will go up by $21 million and close to $60 million. For now, these mathematics hinge on the fuzzy Harden decision. If the disgruntled guard is traded in a couple of days, then the team can offer an extension again, which seems unlikely. 

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How does Maxey’s future look with the team?

Tyrese Maxey is in high spirits

Maxey has transcended the expectations placed upon him already. However, his game can still improve by leaps and bounds. Although he should have gotten the extension, his spirit is still high. During the training camp, he stated, ”I’m just gonna go ahead and focus on the season right now, focusing on how we can get better, how I can be better, how at the end of the day, as I said, it’s a competition and we have one goal in mind”.

In relation to his extension, he said, ”And I love Philly. I know this is a business, I know it’s how it goes and I’m a happy person”

Will Maxey get a mega extension sooner rather than later? Next season will decide.

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