James Harden has put the Philadelphia 76ers in a tough place by opting into his contract and then demanding a trade. It seems like his time with the Sixers is over, although it remains to be seen what team he will end up on.
And the situation might be as straightforward as he might expect. According to the latest reports, the Sixers are looking for a big return from any team they deal Harden to and are willing to wait as long as it takes to make that happen.
“Philly’s asking price for Harden is ‘extremely high’ and the 76ers are prepared to wait for the most advantageous deal to accommodate Harden’s trade request, reported Adrian Wojnarowski.”
Philly's asking price for Harden is "extremely high" and the 76ers are prepared to wait for the most advantageous deal to accommodate Harden's trade request, per @wojespn pic.twitter.com/DMNNfA7ZJh
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 2, 2023
James Harden has exercised his $35 million player option for next season and is expecting to be traded by the franchise. He averaged 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 10.7 assists per game last season, meaning he is still very much a top performer in the NBA.
It stands to reason that the Sixers will want a big package in return for Harden, they are also in ‘win now’ mode with Joel Embiid firmly in his prime. Any team trading for Harden would have to get assurances that he would sign there again though, meaning that the Sixers don’t have all that much leverage in the negotiations.
Harden is also not the superstar he once was, even though he is still productive. And he has now requested a trade away from three different organizations. As much as the Sixers might want to get a big haul, they might have to compromise a little.
The Clippers Don’t Want To Give Up A Star In A Potential James Harden Trade
The Los Angeles Clippers have seemed like the likeliest destination for Harden based on rumors so far. But they want him to create a Big 3 with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. This means they are not willing to give up George in a potential trade.
“The Clippers are not offering Paul George in any trade package for James Harden, as per Brian Windhorst.”
Multiple stars are looking to be traded away within the NBA, Damian Lillard just requested a trade the other day. Maybe the Sixers can try to swing a deal with the Blazers although it is hard to see how that would work. It promises to be an exciting few months in the NBA trade market.
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