NBA Trade Rumors: James Harden Being Recruited to 76ers by Meek Mill
Hold up, wait a minute. Y'all thought the James Harden trade sweepstakes was finished?
Not if Meek Mill has anything to say about it.
The rapper and close friend of Harden has been lobbying the Rockets guard to reshift his focus to the Philadelphia 76ers after he requested a trade out of Houston, per Kelly Iko and David Aldridge of The Athletic.
The Nets have been viewed as a front-runner for Harden after he wanted the Rockets to deal him to the Brooklyn Nets. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Harden rejected an extension that would have paid him more than $50 million per season and is intent on joining Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.
Harden and Meek have a strong friendship that dates back several years. The "Dreams and Nightmares" rapper said Harden would call him three or four days per week during his 2018 prison sentence for a parole violation, which made national news as an example of the failures of the criminal justice system.
It's unclear if Meek, who grew up in North Philadelphia, has any sway in pushing Harden to his hometown.
The Sixers would likely have to make Ben Simmons available in any trade for Harden, and it's unclear if they would be willing to part with a 24-year-old rising star. New Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has an affinity for Harden from their time together in Houston, but he's made it publicly clear he plans to build around Simmons and Joel Embiid.
