The NBA offseason got its latest twist when James Harden exercised his player option with the Sixers hours before he would have become a free agent. However, that didn't mean that Harden was staying in Philly. Per Shams Charania, Harden exercised his option year so that he and the Sixers could work out a trade. It’s a bizarre turn of events after Harden was reportedly “pretty on board with everything that Nick Nurse was saying in terms of trying new ways to optimize him, trying new ways to kind of re-vamp or re-tool that Philadelphia 76ers offense.”
Later, there were reports that a Harden trade wasn't a guarantee. Instead, it was believed he could stay with the Sixers if an equitable trade to a contender wasn't possible. Despite this, the Clippers and Knicks were both floated as interested parties. Now, it appears that the needle has swung back towards " trade". Furthermore, it appears that the Clippers are the primary landing spot for the 10-time all-star.
Sixers, Clippers Reportedly Working On Harden Trade
Per Sam Amick and Kelly Iko of The Athletic, Harden has identified the Clippers as his preferred destination. Furthermore, trade talks between the two sides are already underway. Furthermore, Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are both reportedly "on board" with the addition of Harden, per league sources. The question will be as to what the Sixers will want in return.
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With Harden essentially pushing for a trade, the Sixers can't exactly push for a king's ransom. However, the Clippers can't exactly swindle the Sixers given the need to offset Harden's $35.6 million salary. A package involving Norman Powell, another player with a big enough salary, and some picks would likely get the deal done. No formal trade has been agreed to yet, However, both sides will likely be eager to get the trade completed quickly so they can better focus on free agency, which officially begins at 6pm ET on June 30. This is a developing story and we'll have any updates here at HotNewHipHop.
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