Daryl Morey Confirms James Harden's Contract Isn't Finalized

In the days leading up to the 2022 NBA free agency opening, all eyes were on Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden. With a player option for the 2022-2023 season attached to his contract, Harden had a deadline to accept or decline a $47 million option for next year.

While it was widely assumed Harden would opt-in and work out a new short-term deal with the Sixers over the summer, the star guard went in a different direction.

Harden declined his option, which gave the Sixers flexibility to sign a prospect like P.J. Tucker at the start of free agency. While the Sixers fired off a few signings within the first couple of hours of free agency, Harden’s new deal with the team was not one of them.

Last weekend, Harden’s meeting with the Sixers in the Hamptons was expected to result in a new deal getting done. However, it didn’t happen. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported earlier this week that a new deal could be agreed upon within a 24-hour span.

While The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that Harden agreed to a short-term deal, which is significantly lower than his original player option for next year, the star guard hasn’t quite signed the dotted line just yet, according to Sixers President Daryl Morey.

Daryl Morey tells @YahooSports, @NBATV that negotiations with James Harden is “still in progress” and in a “good place.” Talks are a collaborating effort of Harden, Morey, Harden’s business partner Lorenzo McCloud and Michael Rubin. Both sides optimistic a deal will be done soon.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 9, 2022

Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes ran into Morey at the Sixers’ Las Vegas Summer League debut on Saturday afternoon. When asked about Harden’s contract situation, Morey clarified that the deal isn’t done.

The wait time for Harden’s contract to be finalized is much longer than expected. But as the talks are stalled, there hasn’t been any indication that Harden is weighing other options as it remains clear it will only be a matter of when and not if Harden re-signs with the 76ers.

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