James Harden‘s time with the Philadelphia 76ers has apparently come to an end. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Harden will make the surprising move of opting into the final year of his contract and bypass unrestricted free agency this summer. The catch: Wojnarowski reports that both Harden and the Sixers will work together on finding a new team, going as far as to say that the expectation is that he won’t return to Philadelphia.
BREAKING: 76ers G James Harden is picking up his $35.6 million option and sides are beginning to work together in exploring trade scenarios, sources tell ESPN. It’s expected that Harden has played his last game for Philadelphia. pic.twitter.com/GguWgysfNZ
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2023
The news was confirmed by Shams Charania of The Athletic.
JUST IN: James Harden is opting into his $35.6 million deal for next season – in order for the 10-time All-Star and the 76ers to work together on a trade out of Philadelphia, league sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2023
As for potential suitors, Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice mentioned that the Los Angeles Clippers are interested in potentially figuring something out with Harden. That report ended up being confirmed, with Wojnarowski adding the New York Knicks as another potential team to watch. There’s no word on whether the Houston Rockets, which have long held an interest in bringing Harden back to the place where he was a league MVP, are among the teams involved here.
The Los Angeles Clippers have expressed interest in trading for James Harden, according to a league source
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) June 29, 2023
The Clippers and Knicks are expected to be among the teams that'll engage with the Sixers on a potential James Harden trade, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/NQ5Y6xkvAx
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2023
Harden joined the Sixers at the 2022 NBA trade deadline in a move with the Brooklyn Nets. The soon-to-be 34-year-old guard did not score at quite the rate that we’ve seen in the past last season, as he averaged 21 points per game, but led the NBA with 10.7 assists a night.
