76ers president could 'convince' James Harden to stay in Philadelphia
Despite his recent trade request, there's still a chance that 10-time All-Star James Harden suits up for the Philadelphia 76ers next season.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Philadelphia "would still love to keep” Harden for next season, and his relationship with Sixers president Daryl Morey might sway him to stay.
"I think if there's a way as the summer goes on to try and convince [Harden] that [the Sixers] could still make this work together, that he has a chance to compete for a championship [they'll make an effort to do so]," Wojnarowski said on “SportsCenter.”
Harden, 33, opted into his $35.6M player option last week to help facilitate a trade out of Philadelphia. His potential suitors include the Los Angeles Clippers, who Wojnarowski expects to continue pursuing Harden as they seek the right point guard to pair alongside Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
A trio of Harden, Leonard and George would have their concerns, mainly regarding their availability and performance once the playoffs roll around. However, considering "The Beard" led the Association in assists last season and that 2023-24 might be the Clippers stars' final run together, it's difficult to argue against trading for Harden.
While Wojnarowski is optimistic that Morey might be able to persuade Harden into returning for another season, The Athletic's Sam Amick believes the relationship might be too strained to salvage. During a recent appearance on Yahoo Sports' "Ball Don't Lie" podcast, Amick explained that Harden and Morey are "not attached at the hip" like they once were.
Amick notes Harden might have expected to be reimbursed for opting out of his contract last offseason to help Philadelphia bring in more pieces in free agency, which didn't materialize.
"James is very unhappy, he's very displeased with the way this whole thing was handled," Amick said.”I think he for sure thought that last summer when he gave $15M back to help them get P.J. Tucker and Danuel House that that was going to come back his way this summer. As they got closer to free agency, he was getting radio silence.”
Although Harden returning to Philadelphia seems improbable, given that he's entering a contract year, it would be unlikely that he holds out during the season if he doesn't get traded. With that kind of leverage, Morey can be patient until he receives an offer worth accepting.
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