James Harden Rumors: 76ers Star Expected to Be at Camp If He Isn't Traded to Clippers

As James Harden continues to pursue a trade to the Los Angeles Clippers, the one-time NBA MVP isn't expected to hold out if he's still on of the Philadelphia 76ers by the end of the summer.

Per Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer, the expectation is Harden will report to camp if the Sixers are unable to work out a deal involving the 10-time All-Star.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on June 29 that Harden was opting in to his $35.6 million salary for next season in order to work with the Sixers on a trade.

Wojnarowski cited the Clippers and New York Knicks as teams expected to have interest in Harden.

In the weeks since the trade request, the market for Harden looks to be pretty quiet. 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said in a Tuesday radio interview on The Anthony Gargano Show on 97.5 The Fanatic (h/t Kyle Neubeck of The Philly Voice) the team needs to get "either a very good player or something we can turn into a very good player" in order to trade Harden.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium said earlier this week on The Rally the relationship between Harden and Morey is "essentially severed" as this process has gone on.

While Harden might like to play with the Clippers, it doesn't seem as if they are falling all over themselves in order to try and get a deal done.

ESPN's Zach Lowe said on the latest episode of his podcast (h/t RealGM.com) the Clippers' "level of engagement here to me is unclear/not super enthusiastic."

There doesn't appear to be much leverage for Harden even if he wants to force his way out of Philadelphia. He could have become a free agent by opting out of his deal and just signed with another team.

Harden is going to turn 34 on Aug. 26 and, while still a good player, has shown signs of decline. He doesn't attack the basket like he did at his peak. His 6.2 free-throw attempts per game last season were his fewest since the 2011-12 campaign.

The Sixers and Harden probably need each other at this point. Keeping him paired with Joel Embiid is their best chance to compete for a championship next season. He needs to have a good season in order to get one more big contract.

Even with some decline in his game, Harden still averaged 21.0 points and 10.7 assists per game in 58 starts last season. The 76ers finished third in the Eastern Conference with a 54-28 record, but they lost to the Boston Celtics in seven games in the second round of the playoffs.