James Harden Trade Rumors: Knicks, 76ers Spoke Early; 'No Great Motivation' for NYK

The New York Knicks reportedly had exploratory conversations with the Philadelphia 76ers for a James Harden trade but talks gained no traction.

"The Knicks talked to the Sixers early on in this thing, but there's no great motivation for the Knicks to do a one-year rental on James Harden. Anybody who's bringing Harden in, you're really viewing this as a one-year rental," ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said Wednesday on NBA Today (5:38 mark).

Harden has been pushing for a trade since June after opting into his $35.6 million player option for the 2023-24 season. Incensed over the Sixers' lack of urgency to sign him to a long-term contract, Harden has gone scorched-earth in his attempts to be moved, including outwardly calling president of basketball operations Daryl Morey a "liar."

The situation continued bubbling on the surface as Harden skipped out on Monday's media day and the first day of training camp practice Tuesday in Colorado. The 2018 NBA MVP eventually showed up and practiced with the team Wednesday—seemingly without incident—but it's clear the tension isn't going away anytime soon.

"He continues to seek a trade, and we're working with his representation to resolve that in the best way for the 76ers and for all parties," Morey told reporters on Monday.

The Knicks, loaded with draft capital and quality young trade chips, have been on a star search for more than a year. They nearly landed Donovan Mitchell last summer before the Cleveland Cavaliers swooped in for a shocking blockbuster, and Harden would be a fine fit next to Jalen Brunson in the backcourt.

That said, Harden's propensity for errors on defense would not make him a strong fit with coach Tom Thibodeau, and there's a potential oil-water personality mix between the two.

If the Sixers drop their price to quarter-on-the-dollar levels, it would make sense for the Knicks to get involved just from a value standpoint. But don't expect them to offer anything significant in return.