Getty Image / Maddie Meyer
The Philadelphia 76ers have decided to end trade talks for James Harden.
Harden requested a trade from the team more than a month ago.
For more than a month now, basketball fans have been waiting to see what would come of James Harden’s trade request.
The request itself came as a pretty big surprise.
During the early portion of the NBA offseason, it was widely reported that he would either decline his player option for the 2023-24 season and return to the Houston Rockets or he’d exercise the option and stay with the Philadelphia 76ers for another year.
He ended up exercising the option, but also requesting a trade.
Since that request, the market for Harden has seemed pretty weak. The only team who has really gained any traction as a potential landing spot for Harden was the Los Angeles Clippers.
Unfortunately, a trade never materialized and things have gotten pretty quiet on the Harden front.
That changed today as a new report has surfaced on the situation.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the 76ers had conversations with the Clippers, but are now ending trade talks and expecting Harden in training camp.
ESPN Sources: The 76ers have ended trade talks on guard James Harden and plan to bring him back to training camp for start of the season. The Sixers had periodic offseason conversations with the Clippers — Harden’s desired destination — but no traction on a deal materialized. pic.twitter.com/sJwXMsBYKW
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 12, 2023
An unhappy James Harden sticking with the 76ers is sure to be great for team morale.
At this point, it doesn’t look like there is a positive outcome possible for this situation.
It seems the 76ers aren’t going to get an offer they like for the aging star and it’s hard to blame teams around the league for being hesitant about a deal for Harden.
The 6ers are the 3rd team he’s tried to bail on in the last 3 years and he isn’t the same talent that used to be worth the risk.
The Philadelphia 76ers just deciding that they aren’t trading James Harden surely isn’t the end of this and it will be an interesting storyline to watch early in the NBA season.