After one and a half seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, James Harden is expected to be on the move for the third time in three years after accepting his player option for this season and then requesting a trade.
Harden failed to come to terms on a new long-term extension with the franchise, with Shams Charania revealing that the 76ers made clear to Harden that they did not see a long-term future with him as their point guard.
“The 76ers made it clear throughout the process that the franchise did not see a long-term future with Harden, sources said.”
This was an abrupt end to Harden’s time in Philly, as many assumed if he left, it would be as a free agent to join the Houston Rockets. With the Rockets reportedly out of the picture and prioritizing Fred VanVleet, now Harden can be moved to another contending team and try to compete for a championship again.
Harden averaged 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 10.7 assists this season.
Possible Destinations For James Harden
Harden wasn’t expected to be on the trade block right now, so a lot of teams have likely not factored him into their offseason plans. The Miami Heat now has another option to go after if Damian Lillard doesn’t become available. Harden would be cheaper to trade for due to his low stock and expiring contract, so the Heat could save a lot of assets in this move.
The Phoenix Suns will inevitably make an approach even though they have no financial space to accommodate players making $6 million, let alone $36 million. But if they’re taking a run at Kyrie Irving, they may see if Deandre Ayton could land them Harden, as the Suns are still searching for a playmaker.
The Los Angeles Clippers could be favorites at the moment to land Harden, as they can give the 76ers multiple usable rotational pieces. Both teams could be better off from this move, so we could be seeing Harden have a homecoming and play in LA.
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