It seems to be over between James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers. According to a report from Adrian Wojnarowski, the player has exercised his $35.6 million option for the 2023-24 season.
As a consequence, the next step will be definitely a trade as Harden didn’t consider declining the option to become a free agent. Furthermore, the information points out that the star player never even thought in a new deal with Philadelphia.
So, in what should be a major move in the NBA, James Harden is officially on the trading block. The guard is 33-years old and arrived to the Sixers on February of 2022. Now, another change of team is on the way.
James Harden: Where will he be traded by the Sixers?
The decision by James Harden is very intriguing as he could have easily chosen to stay with the Sixers looking into new a four-year contract. The amount of money would have surpassed $200 million.
Nevertheless, when both parts realized this long-term solution wasn’t the best, they started to work together in the alternative. By exercising his option, the Clippers and the Knicks have become favorites to land Harden in a blockbuster trade.
As it’s happening with many players around the league, like Bradley Beal with the Suns or Chris Paul going to the Warriors, the NBA stars have established as a priority joining contenders. That’s why, though the Houston Rockets could be a possibility, Los Angeles and New York are much stronger options.
For example, if James Harden joins the Clippers, it will be a tremendous team alongside familiar faces such as Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. Meanwhile, the Knicks are on the rise after they reached the Eastern Conference semifinals.
However, according to the latest reports, the Sixers haven’t ruled out the possibility of keeping James Harden. Daryl Morey will make a final push to convince him. The big problem is the All-Star has made clear he wants out and that could produce another major controversy in case they retain him.