The Philadelphia 76ers made it clear that they don’t have any intention of trading their star guard James Harden. But that isn’t stopping Harden from hoping he’ll get his wish and land with the LA Clippers this season.
After failing to get an extension with the 76ers early in the offseason, Harden picked up a player option of $35.6 million for 2023-24 and requested a trade. Philly had talks with multiple teams but failed to find an offer they liked and told the player they expected him to report for training camp.
In a recent piece published on Yahoo Sports, NBA reporter Jake Fischer wrote that Harden hasn’t been discouraged by recent developments. The 34-year-old still believes he’ll get his way and has the Clippers as his preferred destination.
Reportedly, Harden prefers the Clippers because he likes the city of Los Angeles and thinks he would have a better chance of winning an NBA title there. Also, he believes that the franchise would be ready to give him a big contract extension next offseason.
Harden’s situation will be much clearer once the training camp opens. The former NBA MVP isn’t a stranger to causing some drama in order to push for a trade, having done so during his previous stops.
Harden averaged 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 10.7 assists per game with the 76ers last season.
