James Harden wants out of the Philadelphia 76ers and has named the LA Clippers as his preferred trade destination.
Harden recently opted into his player option for the 2023/24 season, worth $35.6M, and asked for a trade, as he was unhappy with how the Sixers handled the situation.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Harden’s relationship with 76ers GM and president of basketball operations Daryl Morey is difficult and “essentially fractured”. Based on the latest reports, the Clippers remain the sole candidate to trade for the former NBA MVP.
“The relationship between James Harden and Daryl Morey is essentially severed, it’s essentially fractured throughout this process.”
NBA Insider @ShamsCharania has the latest on James Harden. pic.twitter.com/aMhSJ9gDqS
— The Rally (@TheRally) July 17, 2023
“James has a decision to make, and I’d be very happy if he came back,” Philadelphia newly-hired head coach Nick Nurse said last month.
The Sixers are under no obligation to trade James Harden, but it appears his focus is on finding a new team for the third time since leaving the Rockets in February 2021. Harden and the Sixers got eliminated in the East semi-finals last year.
In his 14th season in the NBA, Harden played 58 games and averaged 21 points and 6.1 rebounds per game while leading the league in assists with 10.7.
