James Harden Lays Out Top Priority of NBA Offseason

James Harden hasn’t looked like the best version of himself lately. After averaging just 24 points per game two seasons ago after leading the league by putting up 34 points per game in 2019-2020, Harden followed up in 2021-2022 with his production regressing.

With the Brooklyn Nets, Harden put up just 22 points per game in 44 outings. After getting traded to the Sixers, that number decreased to 21 points in 21 games. And when the playoffs rolled around, Harden averaged 18 points, which was the first time he put up fewer than 20 points per game in the postseason since 2012.

The fans called Harden washed up, while league executives anonymously pointed out his decline and expressed doubt in his ability to get back to his superstar-playing ways.

But Harden is confident that this isn’t his true form these days. During the 2021 playoff run with the Nets, Harden suffered a significant hamstring injury, which forced him to rehab throughout the 2021 offseason. Throughout his time with the Nets and the Sixers last season, the hamstring injury hampered Harden.

Following Philadelphia’s Game 6 loss against the Miami Heat in the second round of the playoffs back in May, Harden acknowledged he hasn’t been one-hundred percent. However, he made it clear that he looked forward to having a rehab-free offseason. So far, it seems that plan is going well.

"I've had the luxury of not having to deal with any serious injuries—with surgeries or whatnot—my entire career. But these last two years, I’ve been dealing with some hamstring issues, which are nothing to play with,” Harden told Adrienne Faurote of Haute Time. I’m taking this summer as an opportunity to do something for me, to make sure that I get back to the elite level that I know I can be at and that I will be at. So that’s priority No. 1."

Currently, Harden is an unrestricted free agent after the ten-time All-Star declined his $47 million player option a couple of weeks ago. While Harden could test the market and land a new deal with a different organization, all signs point to him making a return to the 76ers.

While Harden was a stellar deadline addition, as he brought value in the playmaking department, the Sixers need him to be much better next season as their plan is to gun for the NBA title. The fact that Harden is back to having a typical NBA offseason for himself is a good sign for next year.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.

For live updates on the Philadelphia 76ers, follow @All76ersSI on Twitter!