Superstar James Harden opted into his $35.6 million player option, but it is clear that he does not want to stay with the Philadelphia 76ers. He has already requested a trade, with his preferred destination.
With that being said, it seems unlikely that James Harden will get moved any time soon. Adrian Wojnarowski recently claimed that Daryl Morey wants an exorbitant trade package for the star, and noted that the negotiations may drag on throughout the summer.
“His asking price is exorbitant,” said Adrian Wojnarowski of Morey. “Teams are not engaging the Sixers with the kind of asks that Daryl Morey is asking for James Harden. That’s where Daryl Morey always starts in trade talks, really high. Over time, perhaps, you work him back down.”
“But right now, I think the Harden talks, like Lillard, are going to linger into the summer.” (h/t RealGM)
It makes sense for Daryl Morey to try and trade James Harden for the best possible package. However, the latest he can wait to move him is the trade deadline, and by then, the packages may not end up being the best.
During the 2022-23 regular season, James Harden averaged 21.0 PPG, 6.1 RPG, and 10.7 APG for the Philadelphia 76ers. He is one of their best players, and they need a good return for him to remain competitive in the Eastern Conference.
Daryl Morey Wants James Harden To Play Out His Contract
There is no question that the optimal way for the Philadelphia 76ers to contend is to retain James Harden. In fact, a previous report revealed that Daryl Morey still hopes to convince James Harden to play out his contract.
“You have an organization that would still love to keep him in Philadelphia for the season. Daryl Morey, their president, he’s got a long history with James Harden… If there’s a way to convince him that they can still make this work together… You saw Daryl Morey a couple of years ago with Ben Simmons… he slow-played it. They were unsuccessful in getting Ben Simmons back into the fold, but they didn’t have the relationship with Ben Simmons that this group has, especially Morey has with Harden.”
It remains to be seen if James Harden does end up staying with the Philadelphia 76ers. Generally, stars get what they want when it comes to getting traded, and we’ll see what happens in the future.
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