JAMES Harden did not enter free agency, but that does not mean he is not changing uniforms, or that the Harden-Daryl Morey divorce won't happen. He will opt-in to his $35-million salary for the NBA 2023-2024 season. Smart move, since he probably won't get an offer of that amount after his postseason play. Recency bias is real, and that does affect front office decisions more than it should.

However, Harden is not just coming off a bad postseason. He has been nowhere near the franchise-altering player that he was with the Houston Rockets. So his trade value is taking a hit.