Andrew Buller-Russ
Even though he’s played just 79 games in a Philadelphia 76ers uniform, James Harden already wants a trade. Specifically, Harden is angling to land with the Los Angeles Clippers, where he feels he’ll have his best chance to win the first NBA Finals Trophy of his 15-year career.
But the 76ers aren’t willing to play ball. Just like what we saw from the Portland Trail Blazers when Damian Lillard requested a trade to the Miami Heat and no one else, the 76ers aren’t caving to their star’s demands. The Blazers eventually sent Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks, and he’s since bought in, erasing memories of South Beach.
Can the 76ers do the same with Harden? For now, as Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer notes, the 76ers don’t appear any closer to a trade. According to a source inside the 76ers’ organization, trading Harden to the Clippers for the current offer on the table would be “too reckless to justify.” The biggest concern is leaving reigning MVP Joel Embiid without a viable sidekick capable of helping Philadelphia compete for an NBA title.
Harden has shown up to the Sixers training camp and has been engaged in team activities. He’s also erased concerns about whether he’d be in peak physical shape. By all appearances, Harden is ready to play basketball, and the 76ers are hoping it’s in Philadelphia.
