Report: James Harden Wants an Agent to Assist Trade, New Nets Contract or Free Agency

Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden and business manager Lorenzo McCloud are reportedly seeking out an agent to help the 10-time All-Star consider his long-term options with the franchise.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne reported Harden, who does not have an agent, has been looking for a representative who may grease the wheels of his exit from Brooklyn.

The 2018 NBA MVP sought the counsel of agents Jason Ranne and Chafie Fields of Wasserman when he wanted to force a trade from the Houston Rockets in 2020-21. The ESPN report indicated the agents "played a key role" in getting Harden to Brooklyn.

Consulting agents is a sign Harden is considering leaving the Nets after the 2021-22 season. He has previously avoided the use of representation because he's a max-contract player and did not want to pay commission on his deals. Instead, he has typically consulted with the National Basketball Players Association on the contract structures available to him.

The Nets can sign Harden to a long-term contract this summer that would pay him upward of $50 million per season. If he were to leave Brooklyn outright via free agency, he would lose tens of millions of dollars. The situation would be delicate because Harden would need the Nets to agree to a sign-and-trade or an opt-in-and-trade if he wanted to land in a place like Philadelphia.

Hiring an agent—even short-term—could allow Harden to get what he wants without having to navigate the tricky waters of the NBA collective bargaining agreement himself.

The Sixers have been pursuing Harden for the better part of two years, using Ben Simmons as bait. The Houston Rockets chose a pick-laden package as part of a four-team deal that sent Harden to the Nets last season, spurning a Simmons-centric package from the Sixers.

Simmons has not played a game this season for the Sixers after demanding a trade last summer. It does not appear he has any plans on returning to the team, regardless of whether he's traded by Thursday's deadline.