Author: Monojit Mandal
According to the latest NBA trade rumors, top player James Harden has declared his unwavering desire to leave the Philadelphia 76ers and start next season in a Los Angeles Clippers uniform. Harden’s opinion remains unchanged, according to The Athletic’s sports journalist Sam Amick.
According to Amick’s sources, the executives who participated in the NBA Summer League had a different perspective. They feel that the Sixers are now fighting aggressively to keep Harden and may contest his trade request. It would be a dangerous move for Philadelphia to challenge Harden’s demand.
In January 2021, Harden openly revealed his dissatisfaction with the Houston Rockets, essentially putting the team in a difficult situation. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon explained how the fact that the organization continually catered to Harden’s preferences worsened the impact of his dissatisfaction.
A year later, the Brooklyn Nets faced a similar situation. Harden struggled in his last game with the Nets, shooting 2-11 from the field and scoring just four points in a loss to the Sacramento Kings. After the match, he sat out the next four games, which led ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski to speculate that there were suspicions that Harden had purposely underperformed to signal his desire not to stay with the club.
This time, however, the conditions are a little different for the 33-year-old. The summer served as a wake-up call for Harden, who finally exercised his $35.6 million player option after rumors indicated that it would be difficult to get a maximum contract with the Sixers or any other team.
Harden needs to do extraordinarily well next season if he wants to get a good contract in the future. Getting in a bad mood or standing still in Philadelphia would only reduce its value even more. The Sixers may be considering this as a tactic, hoping that both parties can work together to win a title before parting ways next summer.
However, the Houston Rockets and Brooklyn Nets are examples of how these bets can backfire. Only time will tell if Harden’s ambition to join the Clippers will come to fruition or if the Sixers will be able to convince him to stay in Philadelphia next season.