James Harden remains in limbo while the Philadelphia 76ers sort out his trade request. The potential breakup is believed to be because the two sides were miles apart on a contract extension.
In June, Harden exercised his $35.6 million player option to enter the final year of his deal. That decision caught some within the Sixers organization by surprise, according to NBA insider Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
In Scotto’s recent conversation with Sixers reporter Keith Pompey on the HoopsHype podcast, Scotto revealed that the Sixers’ “best” offer for Harden was a two-year deal with a team option for the second year.
Harden will turn 34 before the start of next season. Given that this is likely his last chance at a hefty payday, that type of deal was not believed to appeal to the Sixers guard.
Any chance of reconciliation between Harden and the Sixers also appears to be slim at the moment. Scotto hinted that Harden and Sixers president Daryl Morey currently have a tainted relationship. The two are said to no longer be in communication with one another.
Opting in to the final year of his deal did leave the door open for Harden to land on his desired team, the Los Angeles Clippers. LAC would not have had the cap space to make Harden a respectable offer in free agency. However, it has previously been reported that the Clippers remain “fairly unserious” in their trade negotiations for Harden.
