The Philadelphia 76ers have been in some turmoil over the last several weeks, and the main reason why has been James Harden.
They were looking to trade him earlier this summer, but after several weeks of trying, they announced they would end such efforts, which led to him criticizing the front office.
But according to Sam Amick via NBACentral, the Los Angeles Clippers, Harden’s preferred destination all along, are actively working to finalize a deal.
James Harden remains ‘hopeful’ of joining the Clippers, and the team is actively working to finalize a deal, per @sam_amick
“The Clippers, league sources say, are going to great lengths to make it happen.
League sources say the Clippers have been talking to several teams about… pic.twitter.com/mfe182XXtk— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 5, 2023
Harden is originally from the Los Angeles area, so a trade to the Clippers would seem to make sense on multiple levels.
Such a trade would also, at least conceivably, give him a shot at finally winning an NBA championship, as it would team him up with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George and give the team a legitimate trio.
But the question is what the Clippers would have to give up in order to get Harden, who is beginning the final year of a contract that will pay him over $35 million this season.
Based on the price some other stars around the league have gone for in recent months, such a trade could leave the Clippers bereft of depth and supporting talent.
In such a case, they could find themselves hard-pressed to defeat opponents such as the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, and Denver Nuggets come playoff time.
In particular, the Lakers, who have overshadowed the Clippers for nearly four decades, have lots of depth and will have at least one legitimate scoring threat coming off their bench.
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Clippers HC Has Direct Answer When Asked About James Harden
