James Harden is trying to force his way out of Philadelphia, and the former MVP reportedly has one destination in mind.
Harden wants the 76ers to trade him to the Los Angeles Clippers, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. Though executives around the league are convinced that the Sixers are trying to keep Harden, Amick says the 33-year-old is “determined” to land with the Clippers.
Even if Harden is traded, we should not expect a deal anytime soon. Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has reportedly asked for such a sizable return for Harden that rival teams believe Morey has no real interest in moving on from Harden.
Harden exercised his $35.6 million player option for next season in hopes of pressuring the 76ers into trading him. Morey has a long history of being patient with disgruntled players, which is what he did with Ben Simmons. All of that drama took more than an entire season to be resolved.
We have heard of at least one other contender that might enter the mix for Harden, but the market does not seem robust at the moment. Morey is not the type of executive who is going to let one team acquire a star player from him at a discounted rate. Unless there is an aggressive offer, Harden probably is not going anywhere in the near future.
