According to NBA insider Marc Stein, trade developments on Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden, Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard and Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam can only be described as incremental since summer league ended.
Harden and Lillard have requested trades, while multiple teams are interested in acquiring Siakam. Harden wants to get traded to the Los Angeles Clippers and Lillard desires to be traded to the Miami Heat. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Hawks and Indiana Pacers have been the two teams most prominently connected to Siakam in trade talks.
Harden “still intends” to play for the Clippers next NBA season, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. The 10-time All-Star’s relationship with Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey is “fractured.” Morey and Harden used to be very close since worked together on the Houston Rockets and were reunited in Philadelphia after Morey traded for Harden from the Brooklyn Nets.
NBA NEWS, RUMORS & TRADE RUMORS: James Harden, Damian Lillard, Pascal Siakam Updates
However, Harden is extremely upset at the way in which Morey handled his possible free agency and has made his dissatisfaction clear by requesting a trade.
Lillard’s agent, Aaron Goodwin, has been advising non-Heat teams to not trade for his client. Since Lillard doesn’t have a no-trade clause in his contract, the Blazers can trade the point guard anywhere. However, the expectation around Lillard is that his insistence on Miami will discourage other teams from offering their best assets to try to acquire him from Portland.
NBA NEWS, RUMORS & TRADE RUMORS: James Harden, Damian Lillard, Pascal Siakam Updates
Siakam signed a four-year, $136 million rookie contract extension with the Raptors in October 2019. He will make $37.9 million next season and become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2024. The Raptors are hesitant to offer Siakam a max contract extension, so they could move him despite multiple reports stating the NBA champion wants to stay in Toronto.
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