James Harden has made it quite evident that he’s not looking forward to playing for the Philadelphia 76ers anymore. From publicly bashing GM Daryl Morey and calling him a liar to stating that he will never play for any of his teams again, he’s done it all.
But unlike Ben Simmons, Harden doesn’t want to leave any money on the table. He already gave the Sixers a pay cut two offseasons ago, so he won’t lose more cash by staying home and refusing to partake in training camp.
Moreover, Harden is still adamant about playing for the Los Angeles Clippers. And while Steve Ballmer has reportedly picked up trade talks for his services, the Sixers continue to play hardball and seem reluctant to take any of their offers.
Clippers Want To Flip Their First-Round Pick
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports that the biggest hurdle to get Harden to Los Angeles is the Clippers’ 2028 first-round pick. Apparently, Daryl Morey doesn’t believe it has a lot of value, so they’ll need to find another trade suitor to flip it into a different pick or more assets to include in the offer:
“They’ve offered Philly more than anybody else has — a first-round pick, a pick swap, expiring contracts,” Wojnarowski reported. “For the Clippers right now, it’s we’re not trying to offer you more, we’re not giving you that 2030 first-round pick, but let’s see what we can turn that 2028 pick, see if we can flip it and then see if there’s something that more interests Daryl Morey.”
Despite their personal differences, Daryl Morey has always had a high regard for Harden, especially as an asset. And he’s usually held onto his players for as long as it takes before making a deal; he won’t take a penny on the dollar.
Likewise, the Clippers are doing the right thing by not rushing and throwing the sink at them to get Harden. As good as he is, he’ll be a free agent at the end of the season.
Is This The End Of The Line For Harden?
Harden is no longer the perennial MVP candidate he used to be. Granted that he’s coming off leading the league in assists per game and can still put up 20 and 10 on any given night, but he has to be quite careful about the next move he makes in his career.
He forced his way out of the Houston Rockets to get to the Brooklyn Nets. Then, he bailed mid-season to be traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, the very team he’s trying to get out of now.
Playing for four teams in five years isn’t a good look, especially considering the fact that he has yet to win a championship. At some point, the league might not want to give him another chance.
We’ve seen this happen in the past multiple times. They did it to Allen Iverson, and they could do it to Harden as well. The league will always favor younger players and rising stars over troublemaking and aging players, especially when they don’t need them anymore.