James Harden showed up to Philadelphia 76ers practice on Wednesday in Colorado and didn’t cause any drama. However, according to NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Harden still wants the Sixers to trade him to the Los Angeles Clippers.
“James Harden still wants to be traded and specifically to the Los Angeles Clippers,” Woj said. “The Clippers would like very much to acquire James Harden, put him with Paul George, Kawhi Leonard. But those talks have not gained any traction.”
Harden requested a trade from the Sixers to the Clippers in June. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George want the Clippers to acquire Harden, according to NBA insider Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. Harden has spoken to Leonard and George since requesting a trade from Philadelphia.
A 10-time NBA All-Star, Harden was born and raised in Los Angeles. He has a rapport with Leonard and George and is close friends with Clippers guard Russell Westbrook. Harden and Westbrook were teammates on the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: James Harden, Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers Updates
The Sixers agreed to search out a trade upon Harden’s request after Harden picked up his $35.6 million player option for next season in June. However, Philadelphia’s asking price for Harden was steep and no teams were willing or able to meet it.
In 58 games for the Sixers last season, Harden averaged 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds and 10.7 assists. He led the NBA in assists per game for the second time in his career.
Harden was fined $100,000 by the NBA for calling Daryl Morey “a liar” during his Adidas tour in China. Harden no longer has a relationship with Morey. The 2017-18 MVP called the exec a liar since he wasn’t traded quickly after opting into his 2023-24 player option.
The Clippers and Sixers discussed the framework of a Harden trade, but the two sides never got close to a deal, according to NBA insider Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: James Harden, Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers Updates
If the Clippers acquire Harden, they could start Harden, Westbrook, George, Leonard and Ivica Zubac. LAC is the only team interested in trading for Harden, sources told NBA Analysis Network.
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