While early speculation suggested the New York Knicks could be in the running to acquire James Harden via a trade in the coming weeks, it seems that some in the organization are not in favor of a potential deal.
The basketball world was served a stunning bit of news on Thursday when it was reported that James Harden opted into the final year of his Philadelphia 76ers contract. However, the revelation was followed by the news that the organization will then work with him on finding a new home for the 10-time All-Star before the start of the new season.
It was a shocking development since was it expected that he would opt out instead of opt-in, and that he was going to re-sign with the 76ers afterward on a long-term. Instead, we now have a James Harden trade market, and ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski claimed the Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks were two teams expected to pursue the future Hall-of-Famer.
New York Knicks record (’22-’23): 47-35
Well, the Knicks’ interest may not be as strong as was assumed following the surprise news. After Harden opted into this 76ers deal, SNY New York Knicks reporter Ian Begley revealed that the “Knicks’ interest in James Harden, at the moment, is far from uniform throughout the organization.”
That is a pretty major development. New York has been very patient and has not rushed to make bold and risky moves under President Leon Rose. They even negotiated against themselves and lost out on a blockbuster deal for Donovan Mitchell last summer. If there is a divide in the organization, and there is no uniformity in trading for a mercurial talent like James Harden, it makes a trade seem less likely by the team.
Earlier in the day, the New York Knicks earned some more cap flexibility when well-rounded wingman Josh Hart opted into the final year of his deal instead of testing his value in NBA free agency.