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Charles Barkley Says Sixers Will Regret Trading For James Harden; Believes They Should Not Sign Him For Long-Term

James Harden wanted to put himself in the best possible situation, and he saw the writing on the wall when the Brooklyn Nets hit a rough patch while the Philadelphia 76ers, who were playing much better, were looking to trade Ben Simmons. 

He eventually voiced out his frustrations with the team and ended up shipped to the Sixers in exchange for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two first-round draft picks.

Harden has always been a compelling player. He’s a former league MVP and is one of the best offensive superstars of this generation. However, the 32-year old hasn’t been good as advertised for the Sixers this season.

These playoffs, he’s only averaging 18.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 9.0 assists per game on 39.8% shooting from the field. With the way he’s been playing, there have been questions whether the Sixers should sign Harden for long-term, especially that he’s eligible for a supermax extension in the upcoming offseason.

For Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, he believes that the 32-year old shooting guard is already on the decline and should not be signed by the Sixers in a long-term deal. Barkley also added that the Sixers will regret trading for Harden.

 “If you don’t win this year, I think they gotta offer him for $45 million next year, then they can sign that 4-year extension for $200 million. First of all, if the Sixers give him that money, they should fire whoever gives him that contract because that will kill the franchise for the next 10-15 years.”

“James hasn’t had 30 points in the last 35 games. I just think he’s on a decline, and, man, the Sixers they’re going to regret that trade.”

Charles Barkley tells Justin Termine and Eddie Johnson why the 76ers should not give James Harden a long-term deal#NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/131Y90LWVw

— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) May 7, 2022