James Harden Trade Rumors: Current 'Signals' Are 76ers Will Keep Star Amid Buzz

James Harden may want a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers, but it's increasingly looking like he won't get one.

ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported Harden is more likely to be back with the Sixers next season than receive a trade.

"I was speaking to a bunch of folks about this Sunday evening. The signals right now is that he will be back with the Philadelphia 76ers," McMenamin said Tuesday on the Dan Patrick Show.

Harden opted into his $35.6 million player option for the 2023-24 season with hopes of forcing a trade out of Philadelphia. Long-term contract negotiations between the two sides broke down, and Harden was facing an uncertain market for his services after another disappointing postseason.

The Los Angeles Clippers have stood out as a potential trade partner, and both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George signed off on a move, per Sam Amick of The Athletic. However, the Sixers have to this point balked at the Clippers' offer and no other obvious suitor exists.

That leaves both sides in a bit of a stalemate—one that might result in an uneasy union for the 2023-24 season.

The Sixers cannot compete for a championship without Harden. While he is clearly diminished from his MVP heights in Houston, Harden led the NBA in assists last season and remains one of the game's 20-25 best players. The Sixers have no chance of recouping equivalent value in any trade, particularly given Harden's reputation for being unreliable—both on an internal operations level and as a postseason performer.

Any trade sending out Harden would essentially leave Joel Embiid on an island as the team's lone star and risk alienating the reigning MVP, who is yet to make it past the second round of the playoffs. The only way a Harden trade makes sense for the Sixers would be if they were able to reroute whatever package they receive for Harden to another team for a superstar.

With Harden and Tobias Harris set to come off the books next offseason, the Sixers will actually have a short-term window of cap space. (That window will close immediately after the Sixers re-sign Tyrese Maxey, which explains why the team is yet to offer him a contract extension.)

As for Harden, he's looking for one last nine-figure contract and isn't going to get it unless he returns to form and shows he can be reliable. Philadelphia offers him a true co-starring position next to Embiid rather than being a third in command behind George and Leonard in Los Angeles.

We've seen Harden take drastic measures to get his way in the past, but this seems like a situation worth rectifying for all parties.