In a move that came as a shock, James Harden opted into his $35.6 million player option with the Philadelphia 76ers. He also reportedly will work with the team to facilitate a trade out of Philadelphia. Shams Charania of The Athletic was the first to report the news.
Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice reported the Los Angeles Clippers are interested in acquiring the 10-time All-Star. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski added in the New York Knicks are also a top suitor for Harden.
Harden opting into the player option opens things up for the Sixers. It allows them to trade Harden immediately whereas the team would have had to wait until Dec. 15 to trade him if he signed a new contract. Due to Harden now being under contract with the Sixers, the logistics of trading him are also more straightforward. If Harden had opted out, the team acquiring him would have to do a sign-and-trade that would likely result in them being hard-capped. Instead, any team looking to trade for Harden will be able to focus solely on trying to match salaries while putting together a reasonable offer.
The Clippers are an interesting potential landing spot for Harden. They have multiple role players who could interest the Sixers in a theoretical trade package for Harden. Norman Powell, Marcus Morris Sr. and Terrance Mann headline the list of players the Clippers could potentially move for Harden. If the Sixers want to make an effort at going bigger, they could inquire about Paul George’s availability via trade. In a potential sign of their interest in Harden, the Clippers began making moves to free up their cap sheet. The Clippers declined to guarantee Eric Gordon’s $21 million contract for next season.
A majority of the reports throughout the offseason pointed towards Harden’s desire to secure either a long-term contract or a pay raise from the $33 million he earned last season. The Sixers were heavily reported in the days leading up to this news as being interested in satisfying at least one of Harden’s contract desires. However, Charania’s story on the news said the Sixers “made it clear throughout the process that the franchise did not see a long-term future with Harden.” That, combined with recent reports stating the Houston Rockets are turning their focus away from a reunion with Harden, could be what led the situation to this point.
Despite the news of Harden’s opt-in and desire to work a trade out of Philadelphia, there is no guarantee that a deal actually comes together. Paul Hudrick of Liberty Ballers reported “the idea that Harden has definitely played his last game in Philly appears premature” and that the team “will only strike a deal that makes sense.”
However, if Harden does end up getting traded then his time in Philadelphia would last less than two seasons. The Joel Embiid-Harden duo had a ton of success in the regular season. Embiid led the league in scoring while Harden led in assists last season, effectively forming a lethal duo. However, they ultimately flamed out in the postseason, falling to the Boston Celtics in the second round.
With the potential of a Harden trade looming, the next few days are going to be interesting to watch. Free agency begins at 6 p.m. on Friday.
