James Harden is the best non-starter in the NBA. Number 13 is under contract for this year and is expected to play for the Thunder but with large contracts already signed by Durant, Westbrook and Ibaka, Harden’s future in Oklahoma City is uncertain.

The problem is money.

Harden is worth more than the Thunder can pay. There is no dispute with the fact Harden could make more money at another team. The question is how much more and is it enough to lure him away from Oklahoma City.

Also in question is how much money the Thunder is willing to pay now and in the future to keep the reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year around.

The Thunder would have to exceed the NBA salary cap to pay him to stay, it seems clear Oklahoma City is willing to do that, but how far above the salary cap the Thunder is willing to go is unclear.

There are many variables in the contract negotiation being considered. Harden wants a maximum contract but he also wants to win a championship. He can’t have both, not in OKC anyway.

A max contract is a part of the collective bargaining agreement the players have with the NBA. A maximum individual contract is the most money a team can pay a single player as a percentage of the team’s total salary cap. The percentage also changes with a player’s years of experience. A player with six years or less is capped at 25 percent, with seven to nine years they can have 30 percent. If a player has 10 years or more in the league they may be paid 35 percent of the total salary cap of the team.

The reason the Thunder can’t pay a max deal to Harden is they already have max contracts with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. With the Thunder already committed to at least 50 percent and as much as 60 when Durant and Westbrook reach seven years in the league, a max deal with Harden would take up at least 75 percent of the cap.

The future situation becomes even more difficult with Harden in his fourth season when he will have seven years experience in only three years. Add Durant and Westbrook to the mix and in short order, the Thunder would have 90 percent of the salary cap committed to three players if they all had max contracts.

And the Thunder would still have to pay 10 or 11 other players to round out the team.

So, the Thunder will need to exceed the salary cap to pay James Harden what he is worth, but by how much is unclear. Next week, I will explore the ramifications and problems with paying above the salary cap.

The Thunder went to the NBA Finals in the 2011-2012 season and have the core players to go there again and perhaps win an NBA Championship. Success quickly raises the value of the all the players who contributed the success. The Thunder is facing some problems associated with that success, but those are the best kind of problems to have.

James Harden and the Thunder have some hard decisions to make. They need to make them quickly, the signing deadline is Oct. 31.