James Harden opted into the second year of his two-year deal yesterday, which will pay him $35.64 million for the upcoming 2023-24 season. More importantly, Harden opted in under one condition: he wants to be traded.
We spent much of the winter talking about the possibility that Harden might actually leave for a reunion in Houston, then spent the last few weeks increasingly focused on a return to Philly, as most of the reporting suggested that it was almost a sure thing. This is a plot twist that nobody really saw coming.
I've compiled a quick FAQ as an attempt to answer some of the most commonly asked questions that I've seen pop up as a result of the news. I will have a follow-up article that's more editorialized with my thoughts.
