When the clock stuck midnight Tuesday morning, there was no announcement, no tweet and presumably no action on a James Harden extension, signaling he’ll take a little bit of a risk and wait till next year.
Harden can now enter free agency next summer. He’ll be paid $44.3 million this season with a player option of $47.4 million in 2022-23. There seems no concern among Nets ownership and management that he wants to play anywhere but Brooklyn.
“Whether or not it’s the season now or later, the way I look at it is he’s already said I want to play and finish my career in Brooklyn: He’s actually said that.