NBA Rumors: James Harden Trade Talks Between 76ers, Clippers Are 'Nowhere Close'
There is reportedly still a ton of work to be done between the Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Clippers on the James Harden trade front.
Speaking Tuesday on The Woj Pod (beginning at the 15:40 mark), ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski said the Sixers and Clippers are "nowhere close" to agreeing to a Harden trade, and a "wide gulf" remains between them.
Harden is currently away from the 76ers on an excused absence, and Wojnarowski noted that it is "unlikely" he will play in the team's regular season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday.
ESPN's Tim Bontemps reported last week that Harden missed back-to-back days of practice despite the previous expectation being that he would be with the team, possibly play in the their final preseason game and then be ready for the start of the regular season.
Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports later reported that a Sixers spokesperson said Harden was away from the team due to a "personal matter."
It has been a tumultuous offseason for Harden, as Wojnarowski (h/t Bontemps) reported that Harden opted into the final year of his contract with the 76ers in hopes of getting traded, and the Clippers have long been his preferred landing spot.
When it became clear that a trade wasn't going to happen so easily, Harden spoke his mind in August, calling 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey a "liar" while speaking at an event:
The Sixers seemed content to go into the regular season with Harden as a key part of their core along with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris, but now it is unclear when or if Harden will return to the team.
Harden, 34, is a likely future Hall of Famer by virtue of his 10 All-Star selections, three scoring titles and one NBA MVP Award, but the major knock on him throughout his career has been a lack of playoff success.
That has also been the narrative surrounding the Sixers in recent years, as they have been unable to get past the second round of the postseason.
Philly acquired Harden from the Brooklyn Nets prior to the trade deadline during the 2021-22 season, but in each of Harden's two playoff runs with the team, they were ousted in the second round.
While last season marked the first time Harden was not named an All-Star since he was with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2011-12, he still put up great numbers and was a hugely important player for the Sixers.
Harden averaged a league-leading 10.7 assists per game to go along with 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals, making him a strong complement to the NBA MVP in Embiid.
The Clippers already have a veteran-laden team led by Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook, but injuries to key players have prevented them from getting over the hump in the playoffs.
It can be argued that adding another veteran in Harden, who missed 24 games last season, may not be the answer, and that could be part of why the trade negotiations are not progressing as quickly as hoped.
Whatever the case, things figure to come to a head soon with the regular season starting. The Sixers could potentially push forward with a trade and take less than what Harden is worth in order to alleviate the stress of the situation, or they could possibly incentivize Harden to return to the team by threatening fines if he stays away.
