James Harden is up for Trade by the Philadelphia 76ers for a High Price

By | Bullscore 30 Jun, 2023

James Harden’s newest decision to accept his $36 million player option for the upcoming 2023-24 NBA season surprised everyone. This decision revealed many things.

Some of these things are these. First, it means that Harden doesn’t see a long-term future for himself with the Philadelphia 76ers. Second, it suggests that the market for him wasn’t as strong as he or his representatives had expected. And third, it shows that wherever he goes next, he is only committing to a one-year deal.

Immediately after Harden chose to exercise his player option, news came out that he and the Sixers management would start working on a trade. According to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, the 76ers have a clear idea of what they want in exchange for Harden.

“Clippers are among the teams interested in James Harden but the Sixers are already casting a wide net,” he wrote.

“Philadelphia front office has engaged with multiple teams, looking for a package of players that will fit alongside Joel Embiid.”

The 76ers are not interested in receiving draft picks or focusing on building a team for the future. Even if they do acquire draft picks, their intention is to trade them right away for a player who can help them compete for a championship alongside Joel Embiid.

Currently, there is one team that seems to be in the lead for acquiring James Harden, but we will have to wait and see how everything unfolds in the end.

When the 76ers chose to remove Doc Rivers from his coaching position after the last season, it was seen as a move made to keep James Harden on the team. This is because Harden had the biggest issue with Rivers among the players.

The Philadelphia 76ers didn’t want to make a long-term deal with James Harden, and now everyone involved is going their own separate paths.

We will have to wait and see where Harden will eventually play when the 2023-24 NBA season starts. Only time will tell.