Veteran NBA insider John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports says the Phoenix Suns will not sign All-Star guard James Harden this summer in free agency.
A report from ESPN linked Harden to the Suns on June 8, but Gambadoro — who has several sources in Phoenix — says The Beard will not be a Sun next season.
Harden can become an unrestricted free agent this summer if he declines his 2023-24 player option with the Philadelphia 76ers, a move he’s expected to do. The 2017-18 MVP averaged 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds and 10.7 assists this season while shooting 44.1% from the field, 38.5% from beyond the arc and 86.7% from the free-throw line.
The Suns may need a new point guard next season since the team might waive, stretch or trade veteran floor general Chris Paul, who has a partially guaranteed contract for next season. The 38-year-old averaged a career-low 13.9 points this season for the Suns, who lost to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Semifinals in six games.
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Harden played with Suns superstar small forward Kevin Durant on the Oklahoma City Thunder and Brooklyn Nets. Before being linked to Phoenix by ESPN, Harden was rumored to be going back to the Houston Rockets.
The Suns fired Monty Williams as head coach after the Nuggets series and hired Frank Vogel, who won the 2020 championship with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. Along with a Paul trade, Phoenix is expected to explore a Deandre Ayton trade.
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Harden playing with star shooting guard Devin Booker and Durant looks good on paper. However, it doesn’t appear it’s going to happen. There’s a scenario where Paul is still with the Suns, according to ESPN, although it looks like Phoenix wants to see if it can upgrade the point guard spot before committing to CP3 again.
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