James Harden Trade Rumors: 76ers' 'Asking Price Is Extremely High' in Talks for Star

Much as they did with the Ben Simmons saga, it appears the Philadelphia 76ers are prepared to wait for the most advantageous conclusion to James Harden's trade request.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Sunday on SportsCenter that Philadelphia is even looking into whether it can involve itself in Damian Lillard's exit from the Portland Trail Blazers after he reportedly requested his own trade. Lillard may not wind up with the Sixers, but Harden would nonetheless be included in a sprawling trade.

More generally, Wojnarowski said Philly is putting an "extremely high" asking price on Harden and seems to be digging in its heels:

"But it's different with James Harden; one year left on his deal. Wherever he's traded, he's on an expiring contract. You saw how Daryl Morey handled the Ben Simmons situation a couple of years ago. He waited him out, waited him out, tried to convince him to come back. Now, it never worked but what's different with James Harden is there's a relationship with Daryl Morey, with Tad Brown, the president who oversees the 76ers, from back with their time in Houston. That's a different factor in this. And so far, teams who've talked to Philadelphia, the asking price is extremely high. That's what you expect starting out with Daryl Morey. Again, I think this is a process that's not going to get resolved quickly."

There are some key distinctions between Harden's request and the Simmons' eventual exit in February 2022.

For one, the stakes are far higher for the 76ers this time around.

The franchise lost in the Eastern Conference semifinals for the fifth time in six years in 2022-23. Even before the Harden drama surfaced, there was a sense Joel Embiid might be getting a bit antsy after another disappointing playoff exit.

The reigning MVP may not respond positively if he senses the team is going backward based on the return from a hypothetical Harden trade.

The lingering uncertainty around 10-time All-Star's trade value is also a bit of a contrast from a year and a half ago.

When Simmons and the Sixers were in the midst of their prolonged separation, there was a very straightforward solution on the table if Morey was willing to be patient enough. He clearly coveted Harden, and the stars aligned when the star guard grew discontented with the Brooklyn Nets ahead of the 2022 trade deadline.

Now, what's the realistic endgame?

A straight-up trade bringing Lillard to Philadelphia probably isn't happening. A Blazers organization entering a rebuild would have little use for Harden on an expiring deal. Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer also reported Saturday the 76ers "have no interest in putting Tyrese Maxey in any trade conversations" across the board.

The Los Angeles Clippers, who have emerged as a possible landing spot for Harden, aren't looking to send Paul George out as part of a swap, either, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst.

Bleacher Report's Dan Favale floated a more likely trade package of Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington and Terance Mann from L.A. That kind of return would provide the 76ers with some financial flexibility but doesn't exactly get them closer to a title.

Maybe the status quo changes if Morey continues to play hardball in the days and weeks ahead. A new trade avenue could open, or Harden might withdraw his trade request altogether in the absence of a more palatable alternative.

However, there's also a scenario in which Morey's deliberate approach backfires and Harden's trade market shrinks even further.