Paul Reed, who re-signed with the Philadelphia 76ers in restricted NBA free agency, hopes James Harden will be his teammate again next season.
Harden has requested a trade from the Sixers and wants to get traded to the Los Angeles Clippers.
“James Harden, that’s like my big brother, one of the coolest vets I know,” Reed said, via Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I hope he comes back. But I understand business is business. And sometimes you got to do what you got to do.
“But like I said, that’s like my big brother. I hope he comes back.”
Harden has removed everything related to the Sixers from his social media pages. The 2017-18 NBA MVP intends to “never wear” a Philadelphia uniform again, sources told NBA Analysis Network. Harden is determined to get traded to the Clippers, who have Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook, three players Harden has a rapport with. The Beard was born and raised in Los Angeles.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: James Harden, Paul Reed & Philadelphia 76ers Updates
After Harden learned about the Sixers’ plans to not give him a max deal this summer, he opted into his player option for next season and requested a trade. The future Hall of Famer believes he should be compensated fairly after averaging 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds and 10.7 assists last season while shooting 44.1% from the field, 38.5% from beyond the arc and 86.7% from the free-throw line.
The Sixers don’t have to honor Harden’s trade request since the 10-time All-Star doesn’t have a no-trade clause in his contract. However, Harden requested trades from both the Houston Rockets and Brooklyn Nets and got his wish, so history shows that he’ll eventually get traded by the Sixers.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: James Harden, Paul Reed & Philadelphia 76ers Updates
Philadelphia matched the Utah Jazz’s $23 million offer sheet for Reed, who appeared in 69 games last season. He averaged 4.2 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 59.3% from the floor and 74.5% from the free-throw line. The 24-year-old was the 58th overall pick in the 2020 draft out of DePaul.
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