Woj: Nets' James Harden Wants 76ers Trade but Fears Public Backlash If He Requests It

Brooklyn Nets superstar James Harden reportedly wants a move to the Philadelphia 76ers ahead of Thursday's 2022 NBA trade deadline, but he hasn't formally requested it because he's worried about the potential public backlash.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Harden is "hopeful" the Sixers front office, led by his former Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey, can pull off a deal, but Woj noted the sides have "yet to become engaged in serious dialogue" ahead of the 3 p.m. ET deadline.

Harden previously requested a trade from the Rockets ahead of last year's deadline and was ultimately dealt to the Nets to link up with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving last January.

After the deal, he explained the departures of Morey and head coach Mike D'Antoni combined with Houston trending toward a rebuild led him to make that request:

"After the bubble, after that loss, I just wanted to re-evaluate my career and the team and the direction that the organization was going. You look from top to bottom, from the general manager leaving, to Mike D'Antoni leaving, to re-evaluating our personnel and seeing if we had enough to compete with the best teams in the league. As time went on, free agency and that started to go on, it was like, well, I felt like we didn't have a chance."

The 32-year-old Arizona State product added the sole focus at this stage of his career is "having a chance to reach that ultimate goal" of winning an NBA championship.

Brooklyn was rolling early in the current campaign, but it's currently riding a nine-game losing streak that's dropped its record to 29-25 amid Durant's absence with a knee injury.

The source of his current discontent is unclear because the Nets would be a high-end title contender if Harden, Durant and Irving are all healthy and available for the postseason.

Nevertheless, the team's front office finds itself in a precarious position because the 10-time All-Star is in the final guaranteed season of his four-year, $171.1 million contract. He can decline his player option to become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason.

So if the Nets keep him through the deadline, don't win the championship and he leaves over the summer, all of the assets they gave up for him 13 months ago suddenly no longer have a payoff.

Wojnarowski noted the situation may "hinge" on whether Morey is willing to increase his offer beyond Ben Simmons, who's yet to play this season amid frustrations with the franchise and a decision to focus on his mental health.

If the right offer doesn't arrive, Brooklyn may opt to keep Harden for the remainder of the season with a championship-or-bust mentality similar to the Toronto Raptors with Kawhi Leonard in 2018-19, per Woj.

All told, the Harden-Simmons situation is the most intriguing storyline in the final hours before the deadline.