Category: James Harden

Matt Barnes, Kevin Garnett rip into James Harden after failed Sixers trade saga

September 29, 2023

James Harden might be stuck in Philly for the foreseeable future. The Philadelphia 76ers star’s trade request has gone nowhere. After all of the bridge-burning he did and the shots he took at Daryl Morey, he might have to come back to the team. After being able to force his way out of other situations, Harden is now going to have to play for a team that he doesn’t want to play.

It’s no surprise, then, that Harden became the talk of town after it was reported that a trade was going nowhere. Kevin Garnett and Matt Barnes ripped into the Sixers star, insinuating that just because he was able to get out of his situation before doesn’t mean he’ll be able to do it again. (video via ClutchPoints)

“Matt Barnes: “I think James [Harden] has to be careful because the NBA doesn’t need him.””

“Kevin Garnett: “When you wiggle your way out, you only got one or two wiggles. You ain’t got infinite wiggles.”

It’s harsh, but it’s true. As James Harden ages, he won’t be able to force his way out of teams any more. There’s a simple reason for that: teams are less likely to break the bank for him. The Sixers could trade Harden, but they wouldn’t want to deal him for pennies on the dollar. He just won’t net the haul that Philly would want, thus disincentivizing them from trading Harden.

The Sixers will now likely go into the 2023-24 season with James Harden in tow, whether he likes it or not. Can the two sides mend this relationship, or is this messy situation about to get a whole lot messier?

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Will James Harden attend Sixers’ training camp?

September 28, 2023

Philadelphia 76ers’ disgruntled star James Harden is left with few options at the moment. While he’s been adamant about his desire to be traded, the Los Angeles Clippers have walked away from negotiations with the Sixers. No other team has shown serious interest in acquiring him, which means the guard is essentially a rock in a hard place.

And according to team insider Keith Pompey, he doesn’t expect Harden to show up to training camp, which appears to be the consensus around the organization and the NBA. Via SiriusXM NBA:

Last month, Harden openly said Daryl Morey is a liar and made it crystal clear he will never play for any team that he’s in charge of ever again. The belief is Morey either promised to move him or told Harden he’d get a big payday. That never happened.

The reality is James Harden was never happy with being the second option to Joel Embiid. He wants to be the main man. The problem is, it would be no different with the Clippers, who have Kawhi Leonard and Paul George running the show.

It almost feels impossible for The Beard and Philadelphia to repair their relationship at this point. I mean, the Sixers fans are already against him after his sub-par performances in the playoffs and because of this latest saga.

One possibility that could come up is a three-team trade involving the Blazers, Clippers, and Sixers where Philly reunites with Jrue Holiday and Los Angeles lands Harden. It feels like the only way Nick Nurse’s squad can get rid of Harden.

It will be interesting to see if James Harden shows his face on Monday for Media Day. Chances are, it’s a no.

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RUMOR: Heat’s level of James Harden trade interest as Damian Lillard consolation prize

September 28, 2023

The Miami Heat lost out on the Damian Lillard trade when the Portland Trail Blazers dealt the star to the Milwaukee Bucks in a three-team deal with the Phoenix Suns. Now, the Heat are left looking for plan B. Could a James Harden trade with the Sixers be on the table?

The answer to that question, according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, is probably not.

“Miami has so far shown limited interest in James Harden as a Lillard consolation prize, but what about Holiday?” Lowe writes. “As Brian Windhorst notes, expect Holiday and the Blazers to have a range of trade options — perhaps including Miami, Philadelphia, the LA Clippers, and others.”

Lowe also names the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks as “two under-the-radar teams” that “have at least some level of interest,” according to his sources.

A Heat-Sixers James Harden trade may be fun to think about after Miami got scooped by the Bucks on a Damian Lillard trade, but it doesn’t make a ton of sense for the Heat.

“Heat Culture” is all about teamwork, leadership, accountability, relentless work ethic, and two-way basketball. Harden has shown few — if any — of these traits in his 14-year NBA career. Plus, Sixers general manager Daryl Morey isn’t going to give Harden away for nothing. He obviously wants a significant return for his star, otherwise, he would have made a deal already.

Jrue Holiday is a much better option for the Heat if they hope to upgrade the roster and equal or improve last year’s results. A trade with the Blazers could be tough to navigate, though, as the two front offices reportedly don’t have the best relationship right now after the failed Lillard negotiations.

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How Sixers can offload James Harden, acquire Jrue Holiday following Damian Lillard blockbuster trade

September 28, 2023

The Milwaukee Bucks made things a whole lot more interesting heading into NBA training camp by landing Damian Lillard. This is bad, bad news for the Philadelphia 76ers, who now see one of their superior conference adversaries get even better. There is a way the Sixers can salvage the situation, though: bringing back Jrue Holiday.

Holiday was one of the players the Portland Trail Blazers received in the haul for Lillard. Portland will obviously look to flip him in exchange for more assets as they enter their Scoot Henderson-led rebuild. When that trade happens remains to be seen, though with the deal sending Lillard to Milwaukee already becoming official, the Blazers will start up a separate effort to trade away the All-Star and defensive extraordinaire.

The Sixers are reportedly interested in acquiring Holiday from Portland, though so are many other teams. Shams Charania said the Blazers will be active ahead of Monday’s Media Day in search of a new destination for the 33-year-old guard.

Jrue Holiday homecoming?

Jrue Holiday, Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, Damian Lillard

A homecoming with a former Sixer could cheer up a Philly fan base that’s downtrodden by years of playoff failures and another disappointing, uncertain offseason. Holiday was drafted 17th overall by the Sixers in 2009, became an All-Star in his fourth season and was traded to kickstart Sam Hinkie’s Process. All these years later, he remains a very good player.

Even as he gets up there in age, Holiday is a stellar defender and strong playmaker. The latter skill is of particular importance to Philly, who desperately lacks in that area without James Harden. He has been a very efficient scorer at the rim and in his three years playing with star-studded Milwaukee, he shot very well from deep, particularly from above the break, where he connected on at least 38 percent of such looks in each season. Holiday’s history as a very shaky scorer in the playoffs is one key blemish the Sixers will have to either work around of alleviate.

Tyrese Maxey taking pressure off Holiday as the lead ball handler can help him retain his effectiveness. Holiday’s woeful shooting percentages in the playoffs were partly the result of being on a Bucks team that struggled mightily with half-court offense (hence their desire to trade for Lillard). Joel Embiid and Maxey should make things easier for him there, both independently and together, as should the creativity in scheming from Nick Nurse. Even on the nights when Holiday can’t buy a shot, he’s still hustling, defending and making plays for others.

A Jrue Holiday-James Harden trade idea

James Harden, Sixers, Clippers, Heat

Harden remains on the roster, and it’s anyone’s guess as to whether he’ll show up for the team’s Media Day and training camp next week (it doesn’t seem like it). Philly would be wise to get rid of him before the season begins so that each side can finally get away from the other. Embiid may be okay traversing these rough waters for the time being, but nothing is going to change for the better barring a completely unforeseen change of heart from Harden or a trade that sends him away.

The Sixers now have another clear avenue to trade Harden should the Miami Heat feel the need to salvage their own situation after fumbling the bag on yet another star. But they could also use this as an opportunity to call up the Los Angeles Clippers, Harden’s destination of choice. While Harden’s desire to join LA hasn’t been reciprocated as heavily, adding a star playmaker alongside Kawhi Leonard and Paul George should be enticing to a Clippers team eager to make a deep playoff run.

The framework of a three-team deal that gets Holiday to Philly and Harden to Los Angeles could look like this:

  • Sixers get: Holiday, Robert Covington
  • Clippers get: James Harden, P.J. Tucker
  • Trail Blazers get: Marcus Morris Sr., Nicolas Batum, 2028 first-round pick from Clippers, two 2024 second-round picks from Clippers

If the Sixers need to offer a second-round draft pick of their own instead of the Clippers since Harden’s trade value is tanked, so be it. But this structure or something similar should appeal to each team.

The Clippers would be giving up a significant amount of draft capital, including the nearest first-round pick they can trade, and land not only Harden but also Tucker, someone they were rumored to be interested in. Tucker gives LA a bigger forward to play alongside its two star wings and gives them the option to go super small.

The Sixers swap Tucker with another former Philly player in Covington who can play more like a prototypical wing than Tucker. While Tucker’s rugged size makes him useful in certain spots, Covington can allow Tobias Harris to take on bigger players, which he is better equipped for. At the very least, they could serve as a platoon for whatever the most demanding wing assignment is. RoCo is also a more valuable floor spacer since he is comfortable shooting above-the-break triples, which Tucker is not.

The Blazers keep the reunions coming by welcoming back Batum along with Morris, who could provide depth for them until they get flipped to another team themselves. At worst, Portland allows their contracts to expire at the end of the season. Since the Blazers targeted the Bucks’ picks in five or so years — a period of time when their window of playoff contention seems likely to be on the downswing — it stands to reason they would accept another similar pick.

Even if Holiday doesn’t work out like the Sixers want him to, he’s under contract for just two more seasons (with the second year containing a player option). Philly can move on and look to build a better using its cap space. Moving on from Tucker opens up even more room, though offloading Holiday and receiving significantly less money to retain space could be a mighty challenge.

The chances that Holiday works out that poorly are not very high, though. He is a tough-minded, versatile veteran who works with Embiid and Maxey and has something Philly values heavily: championship experience. Landing a player of his caliber would be the icing on the cake of a trade featuring the addition-by-subtraction element of ditching a frustrated Harden. The Sixers must act quickly.

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Sixers: 2 potential trade candidates entering 2023-24 NBA training camp

September 28, 2023

The Philadelphia 76ers are a talented team that has fallen short in the playoffs for multiple years. Philadelphia is trying to build a championship roster around Joel Embiid, who won the MVP award this past season.

One notable name to watch on the Sixers is James Harden. Harden opted into his player option to seek a trade from Philadelphia to another team. However, Daryl Morey and the front office have not found him a trade, which could lead to an ugly training camp ahead. The Sixers have considered having Harden come back, but he is set on being traded to a new team. It will be an important situation to monitor as training camp gets in full swing next week.

Philadelphia will need to make some changes before the season begins if they want to be title contenders. With that said, here are two potential trade candidates for the Sixers entering the 2023-24 NBA training camp.

2 potential Sixers trade candidates entering 2023-24 NBA training camp

P.J. Tucker

P.J. Tucker is a solid role player, but is 38 years old and has two years left on his three-year, $33 million deal, with a player option for the final year. He is still a rotational player, but with a big contract, the Sixers may opt to move on from him.

Tucker is also a player who had previously played with Harden, and if Harden leaves, Tucker could be on the move as well. He averaged 3.5 points and 3.9 rebounds last season, shooting 42.7 percent from the field and 39.3 percent from three.

He is known for being an elite defender and hitting the occasional corner three. With the addition of Kelly Oubre at forward, Philadelphia may opt to trade Tucker, as Oubre could slot in at small forward, moving Tobias Harris to power forward.

Tucker plays his role, but with his contract and lack of offense, he is a candidate to be traded.

James Harden

Harden is a star guard who requested a trade after opting into his player option. A trade for Harden could still happen as training camp approaches. He averaged 21 points per game last season, along with 6.1 rebounds and a league-leading 10.7 assists. Harden shot 44.1 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from three.

The 34-year-old guard is still very talented and productive. He fits well with Embiid, but it seems like there is no situation where the relationship with the Sixers will be repaired. Harden has previously requested a trade from other teams and found a way to get it done.

Philadelphia may have to bite the bullet and trade him to another team. Getting equal value back in return will be difficult, but the Sixers need to do their best, as keeping him on the roster when he can hold out is even more detrimental to the team than trading him.

They will want another All-Star caliber player to pair next to Embiid, but teams may not offer that up for Harden as he is on an expiring deal. The Sixers may have to settle for a package of depth and hope Tyrese Maxey develops into a legitimate co-star next to Embiid.

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Sixers’ James Harden goes absolutely bonkers amid Houston’s domination of Lionel Messi-less Inter Miami

September 28, 2023

The Houston Dynamo put on a show at DRV PNK stadium. It just so happened that Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden was present to see the absolute decimation of the Inter Miami squad. The US Open Cup Finals saw two stars absent for the herons as Jordi Alba and Lionel Messi could not play. But, this did not mean that the Sixers star could not enjoy every minute of the matchup.

James Harden was donning a Dynamo jersey and watching the US Open Cup matchup. He loved every play but he went wild. The hype was building up when Griffin Dorsey scored an insane Golazo in front of the Sixers star in the 24th minute of the game. Inter Miami could not respond after as the Dynamo got the ball on offense again. The Sixers shooting guard went nuts when Amine Bassi hit a crucial penalty, via CBS Sports.

Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba’s absences were too huge for the Herons. They did get a chance to wipe Houston’s clean sheet off the stat sheet. But, Josef Martinez’s goal was too late to help Inter Miami rally back from behind. It came in the 92nd minute of the fixture.

It looked like the Herons were handling the ball well but just did not have a go-to guy on offense. They had the ball 59% of them throughout the whole game. But, they could only attempt shots 12 times as compared to the Dynamo who had 19 shots with five of them being on target. All of this cost them another trophy. But earned the Sixers star a nice experience at the US Open Cup.

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RUMOR: James Harden’s Clippers trade stance despite Sixers’ failed negotiations

September 23, 2023

Over two months have passed since James Harden opted into his contract with the Philadelphia 76ers for the 2023-24 season with the intention of receiving a trade to his intended destination — the Los Angeles Clippers. Alas, things haven’t exactly gone according to plan for The Beard. With only a little over a month to go before the season starts, Harden still finds himself stuck in the City of Brotherly Love as trade talks have broken down over and over again between the two parties.

But as the old adage goes, if it doesn’t work the first time or the second time, perhaps the third time’s the charm. Or maybe the fourth. At this point, it remains unclear if Harden will ever get his wish. But the Sixers guard definitely hopes so. According to Yahoo Sports, via ClutchPoints Twitter (X), Harden “is still hoping to be traded” to the Clippers.

Given how much pull star players have around the league, it won’t be a surprise if the Sixers eventually relent and just send James Harden away just to put this drama behind them. However, it’s also imperative for the Sixers to maximize Harden’s value as a trade asset if they were to make the most out of Joel Embiid’s prime. A trade with the Clippers doesn’t exactly aid in that goal, as they don’t have the high-value assets, namely first-round picks and high-potential youngsters, to entice the Sixers in a trade.

However, the Sixers also need to take into account their place in this battle of leverage. Harden only has one year left in his deal, and teams may not exactly be head over heels for The Beard given his unpredictable nature. So any team other than the Clippers that ends up throwing their hat in the ring that is the Harden sweepstakes could end up losing him after just a season, which isn’t an enticing outcome by any means.

In the end, as Zach Lowe of ESPN said in the past, expect trade talks for James Harden to continue between the Sixers and the Clippers as the two sides stare at each other and see which party blinks first.

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Clippers 2023 offseason recap: Russell Westbrook returns alongside Paul George, Kawhi Leonard

September 20, 2023

When Steve Ballmer bought the Los Angeles Clippers in 2014, he envisioned the organization becoming a championship contender, something they have never been known to be. Living in the shadow of the Los Angeles Lakers in the same arena, the Clippers have never truly been viewed as a real force in the Western Conference.

The new ability to spend money and having an owner who prioritized winning over everything else suddenly allowed the Clippers to start building. LA has made the playoffs in seven of the last nine seasons as a result, and they made history during the 2020-21 season by reaching the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history.

All-Stars Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are the faces of what has become a competitive franchise, but Ballmer brought them to Los Angeles in 2020 for one reason – to win a championship.

When they’ve been on the court together, George and Leonard have elevated the Clippers to contending status in the Western Conference. The pair have won at least 42 games every single season in Los Angeles and the Clippers have been to the playoffs in four of the last five seasons. However, injuries have really derailed this team’s chances of living up to their full potential.

Just looking back at their appearance in the 2021 Western Conference Finals, the Clippers entered this series against the Phoenix Suns shorthanded due to Leonard suffering a torn ACL in the series prior. He ended up missing the entire 2021-22 season, and George only played in 31 games that year due to injuries. This past 2022-23 season, Leonard played in just 52 games and George played 56 games.

As good of players as they are, the Clippers have been stuck in championship purgatory due to nobody being able to get rid of the injury bug in the locker room. This is a very experienced and well constructed roster that certainly has title potential, but health always seems to be the limiting factor for Los Angeles. In a total of four seasons, which has encompassed 308 total regular season games, the Clippers’ two stars have only played in a total of 142 games, recording a 96-46 record.

A 67.6 win percentage is fantastic, yet an availability rate of 46.1 percent is not. At the end of the day, the potential success the Clippers could find solely depends on the availability of their two stars. With George and Leonard healthy, the Clips could wind up advancing to their first NBA Finals ever. With them injured, though, Los Angeles will once again face disappointment late in the year.

Clippers offseason additions and departures

Additions: F Kenyon Martin Jr. (trade – HOU), F Kobe Brown (draft), G Jordan Miller (draft)

Departures: G Eric Gordon (free agency – PHX)

The 2023-24 season may truly be the final year for the Clippers to prove themselves before changes occur. They have a new arena on the way for the 2024-25 season and this roster may have a lot of holes to fill next offseason with Marcus Morris Sr., Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, and Mason Plumlee set to become unrestricted free agents. George and Leonard also own $48.8 million player options that they could decline to become unrestricted free agents.

The Clippers know that time is running out for them to capitalize on any potential championship window that exists, which is why Ballmer and the front office maintained their core over the offseason.

When everyone is available, we have seen what the Clippers are capable of doing, and the added depth from last season proved to be useful. Norman Powell was a key sixth man in the second unit, Plumlee provided a great one-two punch behind Ivica Zubac, and Russell Westbrook was the perfect fit at the point guard position.

Both Plumlee and Westbrook ended up re-signing with the team in the offseason. Instead of going to another contending team interested in his services, Plumlee re-signed on a one-year, $5 million deal. Westbrook earned himself a little bit more than the minimum deal he finished up last season on, as he and the Clippers agreed to a two-year, $7.8 million contract that contains a player option for the 2024-25 season, aligning his deal with that of George’s and Leonard’s.

Things didn’t work out for Westbrook when he was a member of the Lakers, as that was a doomed situation from the very start. The Lakers always prioritized LeBron James and Anthony Davis over him and they simply failed to put Westbrook in a position to succeed. As a result, he was dealt to the Utah Jazz ahead of the trade deadline and then waived, which is how he ended up staying in Los Angeles as a member of the Clippers.

Russ played a total of 21 games with the Clippers at the end of the year, not including the five postseason games he participated in. Turnovers have always been a problem with Westbrook given the nature of his play, but the nine-time All-Star was everything the Clippers had been searching for in their backcourt. Westbrook’s explosiveness was utilized in transition and he immediately assumed the mantle as the team’s lead playmaker.

This trio of Westbrook, George and Leonard is older, yet the experience they have as individual players is what makes the Clippers a championship contender. Their respective games actually compliment one another quite well, making Los Angeles a threat to win the West if they can remain fully healthy.

Aside from bringing back Westbrook and Plumlee in free agency, this team ended up being quite dormant for the most part. They held no cap space and almost everyone that was under contract for the 2022-23 season remained on the roster. Their only notable departure was veteran shooting guard Eric Gordon, as he decided to join the Phoenix Suns on a minimum contract after coming to the Clippers ahead of the trade deadline.

While they have not been known for adding impactful talents via the NBA Draft through the years, the Clippers did end up adding two rookies to their roster. Kobe Brown was the organization’s selection with the 30th overall pick and he ended up showcasing his potential at Las Vegas Summer League.

A big forward who plays out on the wing, Brown averaged 17.5 points and 8.8 rebounds per game while shooting 40.7 percent from three-point range in his first four Summer League games. Unfortunately, Brown suffered an ankle injury in his fifth game, ending his offseason prematurely. Overall, he does figure to be a promising prospect who could wind up seeing some time as the season progresses.

In the second-round with the 48th overall selection, the Clippers selected Jordan Miller from the University of Miami. Miller made a name for himself with the Hurricanes by being a versatile talent on the perimeter who could fill multiple roles at once for his team. Two-way potential is what he brings to the table, which is why the team signed him to a two-way contract.

The Clippers also added Kenyon Martin Jr. to their roster this offseason in a trade with the Houston Rockets. Martin had been searching for a change of scenery and the springy forward now finds himself on an experienced, contending team in Los Angeles. It will be interesting to see how head coach Tyronn Lue looks to integrate the 22-year-old into his system, especially since Martin could prove to be an X-factor as a younger, more athletic option on a veteran team.

The main point of emphasis from this offseason for the Clippers is the fact that they brought Westbrook back. He solidifies their backcourt and will ultimately take a lot of pressure off of George and Leonard to have to do everything.

Clippers pursuit of James Harden

James Harden, Clippers

What is going to happen with James Harden? This has been a question on every NBA fan’s mind throughout the offseason since Harden opted into his contract and requested a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers ahead of free agency.

There is a lot of drama surrounding Harden and the 76ers organization right now, especially after the former league MVP called out executive Daryl Morey, claiming that he is a liar and that he will never be a part of an organization Morey is a part of. Harden, who had a player option for the 2023-24 season, was under the assumption that the team was going to be giving him a new max-level contract following the 2022-23 season as a result of him taking a pay cut last offseason.

Whether there was miscommunication or it was truly a situation where the team lied to their star guard, Harden seems to be done with the Sixers, making it clear that he wants to play for the Clippers. Harden is from Los Angeles and wants to head back to the Western Conference, making this his prime destination.

The Clippers and Sixers have talked with one another this offseason, yet no real deal for Harden ever emerged. Philadelphia has set a very high asking price for the ten-time All-Star and with no other teams really looking to acquire him, Los Angeles has not felt a need to increase their initial offers. As a result, Harden remains with the 76ers and the Clippers recently ended trade talks ahead of training camp.

A trade being finalized and the Clippers landing another All-Star just seems destined to happen at some point, especially since Harden is entering the final year of his contract and will be an unrestrained free agent in 2024. Then again, the 76ers are not going to be giving him up unless they receive compensation that can help them compete for a championship right now.

From Los Angeles’ perspective, landing Harden would instantly give them one of the best starting rotations in the entire league. George and Leonard are a handful to deal with on their own, Westbrook’s abilities to run in transition make him a threat, and Zubac has always been a reliable frontcourt contributor. By adding the Sixers’ star to the mix, the Clippers would have another playmaker and elite-level scorer who could create for himself.

What will be interesting to see is if Harden not only shows up to training camp for the 76ers, but if he is actually willing to participate. It appears as if he has made up his mind and is done with the organization, which leads to questions about whether or not he will sit out and incur fines that come his way.

As much as his talents could help them pursue a championship, the Clippers also need to be cautious when considering a trade for the All-Star guard. Harden has played for three different teams over the last three seasons. Los Angeles would be his fourth in a four-year span. He’s unreliable, he’s caused problems everywhere he has been, and he may decide after one year that he wants to switch teams again.

Drama follows Harden everywhere he goes, meaning the Clippers could be the next team he puts in a bad situation if a trade were to happen. At this time, there is no momentum on any deal and it is unlikely he begins the 2023-24 season with any other team than the 76ers.

2023-24 season outlook

As was the case over the last few seasons, everything for the Clippers comes down to whether or not George and Leonard are healthy. With them on the court, this team has a chance to take down any team that stands in their path of potentially reaching the NBA Finals.

Should one of them be unavailable… Well, we have seen how this plays out.

Even if they hold off on a potential Harden trade, the Clippers still have everything they need to compete for a championship. The three stars on their roster fit together better than many would imagine, depth and experience exist at every position, and Lue is a championship-proven head coach.

When looking at the product the Clippers put out on the court a season ago, it’s easy to see that they struggled defensively. Los Angeles surrendered an average of 113.1 points per game to their opponents, 12th in the NBA, and they ranked 18th in defensive rating. The three seasons prior, this team ranked inside the Top 10 of defensive rating every single year.

Maybe Kawhi and George missing chunks of time impacted their ability to be a top defensive team, but it seemed like the Clippers simply gave up at times during the 2022-23 season. This team is basically the same as it was a couple of years ago when they reached the Western Conference Finals. The only difference is they have added talent with the likes of Westbrook, Powell and Plumlee.

Should the Clippers fail to win a playoff series and be one of the final teams standing in the conference, it would not come as a shock to see Ballmer take the franchise in a different direction, especially with Leonard and George not getting any younger. This is one of the oldest teams in the league and it is finally time for Los Angeles to prove that they have what it takes to win at the highest level possible.

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RUMOR: Sixers-Clippers James Harden trade link gets pivotal update

September 20, 2023

With the Philadelphia 76ers set to officially begin their training camp on Oct. 3, the time to reach a peaceful resolution with James Harden is running out. Many fans expect the 10-time All-Star to strong-arm the Sixers into a trade, but it seems that his preferred destination of the Los Angeles Clippers is no longer a feasible option. Or is it?

Although ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski revealed that the two teams have not discussed a Harden deal since negotiations fizzled about a month ago, his colleague expects a change in the lack of correspondence. “I don’t think we’ve seen the last of those talks,” Zach Lowe said on Tuesday’s edition of NBA Today, via ClutchPoints. I have a feeling those talks will be reignited at some point.”

It might be foolish to buy into a hunch, but Lowe carries credibility in the industry. Furthermore, his assumption seems like a reasonable conclusion to draw based on the current situation. Harden has directly criticized a high-ranking member of the organization in Daryl Morey. There is no going back. Philly can dig in, but doing so risks negatively impacting the rest of the locker room.

A dragged-out, ugly war can ravage the franchise in short order. The last thing the Sixers need next season is a distraction that potentially creates a toxic work environment. Joel Embiid has not pledged lifetime loyalty to Philadelphia. It is imperative that management does its part to keep him happy.

This James Harden drama significantly threatens that objective. So, a trade feels inevitable. The Clippers remain the most suitable dance partner for Morey and company. Both sides might be far apart on return value, but Philly will be inclined to compromise the longer this predicament lingers.

It might not be a matter of if, but when trade talks resume between the Sixers and Clippers. A potential Hurricane Harden is just too devastating for anyone to ignore.

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Kelly Oubre Jr inks one-year contract with Sixers amid James Harden uncertainty

September 18, 2023

The Philadelphia 76ers have landed a capable scorer on the wing with superstar James Harden’s future with the franchise still in limbo. The Sixers have agreed to a one-year contract with forward Kelly Oubre Jr, league sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

This post is being updated in real time.

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