In late June, Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden opted into his player option and subsequently requested a trade out of Philadelphia. At that time, the consensus belief was that Harden would be playing for a different team next season, especially considering he laid an egg in Game 7 of the Sixers’ second-round series against the Boston Celtics.
More than weeks removed from his trade request, Harden still remains a member of the Sixers. And a recent report indicates that there’s now a “universal” belief on James Harden’s trade stance around the league, per an article from The Athletic’s Sam Amick:
“Yet despite all that relevant history, and in spite of the fact that Morey may know Harden, and all of his complexities, better than anyone in the NBA, rival executives with whom I spoke at summer league were universally convinced that the Sixers are now attempting to keep Harden. Discontent be damned.
The sluggish trade talks between the Sixers and Clippers about Harden would seem to support this stance. Morey is known to be asking for the kind of return that — as of Tuesday afternoon — left the strong impression that he had no genuine interest in getting a deal done anytime soon.”
James Harden, 33, has played 14 years in the NBA and two as a member of the storied Philadelphia 76ers franchise. He averaged 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 10.7 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.5 blocks, 3.4 turnovers, and 1.9 personal fouls per game across 58 appearances during the 2022-23 regular season (all starts).
The former Arizona State star passed the ball at a high level in the 2022-23 campaign — Harden’s 10.7 assists per game average was the highest in the league among all qualified players.
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