James Harden wants to stay put at Oklahoma City Thunder – NBA News
The Oklahoma City Thunder are one of the most promising basketball franchises in NBA at this moment, and came close to winning the championship back in June when they faced the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.
Although they lost, the Thunder know that the last season was a big jump for them in their development, and they will be top contenders for the crown next season.
OKC have something special in the making. They have one of the most organic teams in the NBA, which was built from scratch and has developed into a formidable force within a matter a few years. Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook,
James Harden and Serge Ibaka form the core of a team that is in good position of winning multiple championships in the coming seasons if they stick together.
The Thunder are now working towards that very end - keeping the team together. They signed Ibaka to a contract extension this summer for four years worth $48 million and now have Durant, Westbrook and Ibaka signed through to the
2016 NBA season.
Harden is the only player on their radar now and they hope to finalize an extension with him before the start of the NBA season. Harden was recently asked about the future and he for one wants to stay;
“I don’t know. I can’t make that decision. I only focus on playing. I want to keep playing with the Thunder. I feel like home and the team is special. My teammates are like my family. We can do big things. We’ll see what happens,”
said Harden while talking to Marca.com.
Harden will be eligible for a four year max offer worth $58 million next summer when he becomes a restricted free agent. However, the Thunder do not have that much money to spend and Harden will have to take a pay cut if he wants
to stay with the Thunder.
If he does, he will not be the first Thunder player to sacrifice money in order to keep a championship roster intact. Westbrook and Ibaka have signed their extensions for less money than what they could have earned otherwise.
For Harden, it is also about whether he wants to continue playing the role of the 6th man for the Thunder, or wants to take up a more central starting position with some other team. It is Harden’s decision to make, but
one that the Thunder will be hoping tilts in their favour as they attempt to keep the core intact for the coming few seasons.
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