James Harden talks take new twist after All-Star leaves no doubt about future
The LA Clippers and the Philadelphia 76ers are reportedly set to reopen negotiations regarding a potential trade involving James Harden.
The former NBA MVP has expressed his desire to leave the 76ers, with the Clippers being his preferred destination. While there were initial reports suggesting that Philadelphia might retain Harden for the final year of his contract, it appears that the team is now "working to honour his wish" according to The Athletic (via the Express US).
Both teams are eager to explore the possibility of a deal for the 33-year-old guard. The 76ers are looking for a valuable player in return or someone who can be developed into a key contributor for their franchise.
Daryl Morey, president of basketball operations for the 76ers, acknowledged Harden's preference to be elsewhere and stated that he is trying to respect their long-standing relationship.
However, Morey emphasised that any potential trade would need to benefit the team either by acquiring a player who can help them compete at a high level or by obtaining draft picks and assets that can be used to build a strong supporting cast around Joel Embiid.
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“James is a very good player. Right now, unfortunately, he does prefer to be somewhere else,” Morey said in July. "I do have a long relationship with him. I’m attempting to honour that. But the reality is that if we do look at a trade it’s going to be for one of two things.
"It’s either going to be for a player who continues to help us be right there like we were last year, up 3-2 on one of the best teams in the East, the Celtics. Obviously, we didn’t get it done but James was a big part of why we got it to 3-2.
"Or we’re going to do it for something where we get enough draft picks and things like that in a deal such that we can then turn those into a player who can be a running mate with Joel, as well.
The LA Clippers would be Harden's third team in as many years (Getty Images)“If we don’t get either a very good player or something that we can turn into a very good player then we’re just not going to do it. If James were to turn his mind around we would all be thrilled… But at this moment he does prefer to be traded and we’re attempting to honor that.”
If the trade goes through, it would mark Harden's third team in three years. After leaving the Houston Rockets for the Brooklyn Nets in 2021, he joined the 76ers last season. Despite being a ten-time All-Star, Harden has yet to win an NBA Championship, which may be a motivating factor behind his desire for a trade this offseason.
This article was crafted with the help of AI tools, which speed up Mirror.co.uk 's editorial research. A content editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors to [email protected].
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