James Harden is returning to the Philadelphia 76ers having agreed a new 2yr/$68m deal after rejecting his $47.4m player option for the 2022/23 season. The 32 year old is taking a $15m pay cut to help the 76ers build a roster capable of challenging for a title, but will Harden's commitment to the team and to returning to prime condition and form be enough to bring a title to Philadelphia?

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In an interview with Yahoo Sports, Chris Haynes, Harden admitted to having had conversations with President of Basketball Operations Darly Morey & the 76ers front office to sign the necessary players before dealing with his new contract. And the team did just that. Prying PJ Tucker away from the Miami Heat on 3yr/$33m deal, as well as signing Harden's former Rockets teammate Danuel House to a 2yr/$8.5m deal. They also acquired De'Anthony Melton from the Memphis Grizzlies and signed last season's G League MVP Trevelin Queen.

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The signings have pleased Harden and he admits the team is set up better than last season. "I think we have a much deeper team," Harden told Haynes. "That’s something we wanted to address. If you look at our team now, we’re positioned to go a lot further. I like how we stack up with the rest of the top teams."

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The team has added depth without giving up any of their prime assets, now it's over to Harden to come back in championship competitor-shape. One could argue we haven't seen Harden in prime shape since his last full season with Houston, 2019/20. Since leaving the Rockets he has struggled with hamstring injuries and weight problems and not looked anything close to the man who led the Rockets to within one win of eliminating the eventual NBA Champion Golden State Warriors in the 2018 WCF.

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Despite this, he still averaged 21 points, 7.1 rebounds and 10.5 assists in 21 games for the 76ers last season, good for many players but not for James Harden. Conditioning was still an issue after leaving Brooklyn and getting adjusted to the Philly system but with a full off-season under his belt Harden believes he is ready to compete for a title yet again with Philadelphia.

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"I wasn’t right last season and I still almost averaged a triple-double. If anybody else had those numbers, we’d be talking about them getting the max. People were used to seeing me averaging 40, 30 points, and so they viewed it as a down year. I was in Philadelphia for a couple of months and I had to learn on the fly. That’s just what it was. I’m in a good space physically and mentally right now, and I’m just looking forward to next season."

-James Harden speaking to Yahoo Sports Chris Haynes.

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The last time we saw James Harden 100% healthy he was one of the most dominant players in the NBA and that's exactly what the 76ers need alongside Joel Embiid.

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From 2017-2020, Harden averaged 33.6/6.2/7.9, winning an MVP, 3 scoring titles and he was named to the All NBA First team in each season. That's what a healthy and committed James Harden brings to the table. Now he is unlikely to average 30+ points per game playing alongside another dominant scorer like Embiid but if he is truly back, he can take some of the pressure off Embiid and leave them both feeling fresher as Philly approach the later part of the season.

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We still don't know what version of James Harden we are going to see next season but if it's anything close to the superstar we witnessed in Houston then the Eastern Conference better watch out because the Philadelphia 76ers will be contenders in 2023!

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(PHOTO- Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports)