Windhorst: James Harden 'Extraordinarily Likely' to Opt In to $47.4M Contract Option

James Harden's long-term status with the Philadelphia 76ers is becoming a question mark as he continues to struggle.

Brian Windhorst said on First Take that Harden will opt in to his $47.4 million salary for next season and then negotiate with the Philadelphia 76ers on what sort of deal it will be.

There was a lot of talk about Harden opting-in after he was acquired by the 76ers.

Harden told reporters that he would opt in for next season. Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported that he could have done it during the regular season.

The paperwork was filed, but they did not meet the buzzer for the opt-in. He could have opted in with the trade. They didn't file the paperwork in time, so it was a procedural situation.

Harden is eligible to sign a four-year, $223 million extension if he opts in.

Sam Amick said on The Athletic NBA Show on Wednesday that the 76ers had information that Harden would be willing to take a deal for less than the max.

Harden's performance has fallen off after a strong start to his Philadelphia tenure. In his final 17 starts of the regular season, the former NBA Most Valuable Player averaged 19.7 points per game and shot 36.3 percent from the field.

In eight playoff games, Harden's scoring average is down to 18.6 points per game and he is making less than 40 percent of his shot attempts. The 10-time All-Star is averaging 9.4 assists per game.